Panopticon and the Electra: Power and Desire in Tehmina Durrani’s "My Feudal Lord"

Abstract

This paper examines Tehmina Durrani’s My Feudal Lord through a dual lens of Freudian psychoanalysis and Foucauldian theory to illustrate how personal desire and institutional power co-construct gendered oppression. The study arrives at key findings: First, Electra complex drives the protagonist’s traumatic experiences and complex relationships with her parents (esp. her mother), spouse and siblings. Second, through Foucault’s concept of the panopticon, the paper establishes that the impact of mother’s house and social control dictate the perceptions, emotions, sentiments and actions of the protagonist. Third, desire and discipline intersect in ways that make patriarchal power both affective and structural, complicating existing readings of control. While exploring the constant surveillance of actions and the control over the protagonist’s desire by the powerful feudal society, this study sheds light upon the interplay between individual psychology and societal structure promoting gender-based oppression; hence, demanding resistance against repressive structure of feudalism and patriarchy in both politics and society.