Chambers, Claire Gail orcid.org/0000-0001-8996-4129 and Lowden, Freya (2022) Infection rebellion in Bina Shah’s Before She Sleeps. Journal of Postcolonial Writing. pp. 183-198. ISSN 1744-9863
Abstract
In her 2018 novel Before She Sleeps Bina Shah depicts an oppressive, dystopian society. This has emerged as one consequence of an uncontrollable virus outbreak which resulted in a disproportionate ratio of men to women. In such a genderimbalanced world intimacy is commodified, allowing women some means of revolt in a misogynistic and fertility-obsessed world. Shah explores the horrifying aftermath of pandemics, identifying opportunities for the emancipation of citizens living under discriminatory policies. As the COVID-19 pandemic causes economic and human devastation across the globe, its repercussions, aside from fatalities, are clear. Entrenched in complexities surrounding employment, political liability, and stretched healthcare systems, the pandemic has challenged society to respond adequately and ethically. Although it predates coronavirus’s ravages, we argue that Bina Shah’s novel imagines apt spaces for rebellion. Both in her imaginative universe and the wider society, transformative action and liberation are identifiable in the aftermath of infection outbreaks.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (York) > English and Related Literature (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 09 Mar 2022 12:20 |
Last Modified: | 24 Jan 2025 00:11 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/17449855.2022.2035910 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/17449855.2022.2035910 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:184544 |