Foucauldian Feminism: A reading of Sadegh Hedayat’s “The Doll Behind the Curtain”

Some feminists believe that Foucault has not specified which gender dominates the other and which gender is dominated in the genealogy of power. Accordingly, by combining the Foucauldian concept of power with feminism, they have created Foucauldian feminism to give a convincing answer to the issue of domination in gender relations. The theorists of this approach believe that gender is not essential or biological; Rather, it is produced and induced by subjects by authorities of society. For this reason, after accepting the constructed ideals of femininity as true discourses, the subjects voluntarily engage in self-disciplining which is obedience to the patriarchal system. Therefore, feminists try to resist internalized norms of femininity and give freedom to women. In fact, this study attempts to introduce the basics of Foucauldian feminism to those who are interested in literary criticism and increases the audience’s awareness of the modernization of patriarchal power. It also demonstrates that Sadegh Hedayat in “The Doll Behind the Curtain,” has also drawn the characteristics of the ideal woman of the modern patriarchal society by describing the fascination of the main character, Mehrdad, towards the statue woman. In addition, with the characterization of a girl, named Derakhshande, he displays that the women seek to discover gender discourses produced by powers and to apply disciplinary techniques to themselves so that they can attract men’s attention.