26 pages • 52 minutes read
Begum RokeyaSultana's Dream
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1905A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Gender Role Reversal
Begum Rokeya wrote this short story when India was still under British rule, and women did not have access to the same education and career opportunities as men. In “Sultana’s Dream,” Sultana tells Sister Sara, “We have no hand or voice in the management of our social affairs. In India man is lord and master. He has taken to himself all powers and privileges and shut up the women in the zenanas” (9). Thus, through the words of her protagonist, Rokeya describes the plight of the Bengali women of her generation.
Sultana’s experiences in Ladyland represent the exact opposite of India’s social structure. With the erasure of men from public spaces and positions of power, Ladyland is a utopia where peace and harmony prevail, and women are safe to walk the streets unveiled, as the men are shut indoors. The removal of men from society also means the country is devoid of crime and no longer requires a criminal justice system. Rokeya’s presentation of Ladyland’s harmony and efficiency implies that the dominance of men lies at the root of most of society’s problems. Sister Sara also clarifies that Ladyland is a virtuous place, free of “sin.” The absence of sin in Ladyland emphasizes sin’s role as a patriarchal religious concept designed to support male power structures and shame women. Sultana’s fear of being seen without her veil by a man highlights how the Indian purdah system holds women responsible for men’s sexual desires. By contrast, Ladyland’s religion is “based on Love and Truth” (16).
“Sultana’s Dream” is a satire that critiques the practice of limiting individuals to certain roles on the basis of sex rather than aptitude. In Ladyland, gendered roles and stereotypes are reversed, as men are belittled and oppressed, while women hold positions of power. Men are perceived as “shy and timid,” with little to contribute to society. Since men “talk much about their work, but do little,” their productivity is very low (10). Meanwhile, women manage academic establishments, scientific laboratories, and government institutions more efficiently than men have ever done. Like the women of India, the men of Ladyland are “accustomed to the purdah system” and no longer complain about “their seclusion” (14). This observation by Sister Sara demonstrates the insidious nature of gendered oppression. Rokeya suggests that the longer it becomes normalized, the harder it is to challenge. By presenting a utopian vision of gender reversal in “Sultana’s Dream,” the author hoped to persuade Indian women that societal change was both desirable and possible.
Knowledge as Power
Rokeya’s life mission was to promote women’s education, with specific focus on Bengali Muslim women. She strongly believed that education was key to women’s self-realization and financial independence. She founded a school exclusively for girls and persuaded people from her community to send their female children there. Her efforts are echoed in the actions of the Queen of Ladyland, who establishes government-supported girls’ schools to make sure “[e]ducation [i]s spread far and wide among women” (11).
In Ladyland, education plays a central role in shaping the society’s values and structures. Unlike early-20th-century Bengali society, where Sultana and other women are confined to domestic roles and denied access to education, Ladyland presents a vision of a society where women are engaged in a variety of rewarding intellectual pursuits. Significantly, many of the advances made by women are in science and technology—subject areas that Indian women were particularly discouraged from taking an interest in. Rokeya suggests that women are just as capable as men at excelling in these subjects, as Ladyland’s female scientists develop groundbreaking inventions that transform society. Unlike male rulers, who wage war over priceless possessions like the Koh-i-Noor Diamond and the Peacock Throne, the Queen of Ladyland prizes education over riches. She considers it the mission of Ladyland’s citizens to “dive deep into the ocean of knowledge and try to find out the precious gems [that] Nature has kept in store for us” (17).
In Ladyland, education is not just about acquiring knowledge but also about instilling values of equality, compassion, and empathy. This is exemplified by the emphasis on environmental sustainability and non-violence in Ladyland. Through the portrayal of Ladyland as a utopian society governed by feminist principles, Rokeya highlights the transformative potential of education in shaping individual consciousness and societal values. Though her utopian setting, Rokeya illustrates how women’s education and the right use of science can make the world a better place.
Ecofeminism
The ecofeminist movement emerged as an offshoot of feminism in the 1970s. Though the term ecological feminisme was coined in the year 1974 by French author Françoise d’Eaubonne, it became a philosophical position only in the 1980s. Ecofeminist theorists equated the exploitation of nature with the oppression of women, amalgamating feminism and ecology.
In “Sultana’s Dream,” Rokeya implies a link between the ruthless exploitation of the natural world and the way women are confined and restricted with no scope for thriving. Consequently, once they have control of their own lives, the women of Ladyland make sure that nature also thrives. Though Ladyland focuses on science and technology, the Queen’s ambition is “to convert the whole country into one grand garden” (15). Sultana is delighted by the country’s fertile landscape, where flowers and moss flourish even on the streets. Sister Sara’s observation that Calcutta can “become a nicer garden” if the men there worked toward it (8) emphasizes that the patriarchal society does not prioritize horticulture, just as it does not prioritize women’s education. Indian men consider themselves masters of nature, whereas in Ladyland, nature is protected and preserved.
In Ladyland, the absence of men is linked to the restoration of balance and harmony with nature. Without the destructive influence of patriarchy, Ladyland is depicted as a verdant paradise. Using solar energy and capturing water from the clouds, Ladyland’s technology is harnessed to enhance rather than exploit the environment. The story celebrates the women of this utopia as stewards of the land, living in harmony with the natural world and embracing sustainable practices that prioritize ecological well-being.
