Gendered Violence: Decoding Postcolonial Memory in Bapsi Sidhwa’s Ice-Candy Man

Abstract

The study examines the postcolonial theory and its perspectives based on the ideas proposed by Peter Barry and Edward Said. The rise of enduring and universal concepts aimed at exploring various facets of social, cultural, religious, and traditional belief systems has united communities worldwide under a common framework of ideas. However, the colonial power presented a set of preconceived ideas of the Orientals to the Westerners. The voice of the weaker section of society remains unheard due to the other dominant sections that is the Westerners. Bapsi Sidhwa, in her novel Ice-Candy Man, portrays the events that led to partition and the struggles of the women during that time. Women are regarded as a weaker gender, and are often exploited. Though they try to bring peace in society, ultimately, they succumb to the violence imposed on them. The memory of the narrator is decoded with the postcolonial perspective, and provides insights into the struggles of partition.