Patriarchy, Feudalism and Colonialism in Sunlight on a Broken Column

According to Simon de Beauvoir: “The curse that is upon woman as vassal consists...in the fact that she is not permitted to do anything; so she persists in the vain pursuit of her true being through narcissism, love or religion.” 1 But Attia Hosain’s respects her religion and thus she is not as radical as de Beauvoir . She mentions her views on religion thus: “To me religion was that... well drawing everybody together. It was never out of my mind that I was a Muslim.” 2 So in Attia Hosain’s critique of the patriarchal construction of Muslim society is not directed to Isla m, rather she opposes the patriarchy for its interpretation of religion as a tool to perpetuate its domination over women. She firmly believes that by just pushing women out of domestic boundaries does not provide freedom for women but their cerebral impri sonment should be wiped out to enhance them. Though she stays in England, Attia’s roots are indigenous. In order to emancipate women she prefers not to imitate the west blindly but she prefers to expose an association of colonialism, feudalism and patriarc hy that suppress women as depicted in Sunlight on a Broken Column.