Feminist Analysis of Kamila Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows (2009)

Abstract

This paper aims at a textual analysis of Kamila Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows (2009) from the perspective of Simone de Beauvoir’s feminism. The paper looks at how Shamsie’s narrative subverts the conventional representations of gender roles within the different cultures of the selected regions, from World War II Japan to post-9/11 America. Discussing the novel’s central female characters, specifically Hiroko Tanaka, the research explores the notions of female choice, oriental stereotypes, and race and gender intersectionality. De Beauvoir's opposition between women as ‘the Other’ and the construction of femininity informs the interpretation of the characters’ experiences and choices. Hence, this work shows how Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows (2009) speaks to contemporary debates on womanhood and the position of women in the modern world. The study also suggests that the analysed novel depicts women’s challenges and their ability to fight for their rights in proximity to de Beauvoir’s feminism, providing a multicultural vision of the topic.