https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i3.067
Feminist Resistance and the Politics of Identity in The Lion Women of Tehran
DR TEENA T ELIZABETH
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Mar Thoma College, Tiruvalla, Kerala
Abstract: This article explores the intersections of feminist philosophy and sociopolitical resistance in Marjan Kamali’s The Lion Women of Tehran. By analyzing the longitudinal lives of Shireen and Homa, the study examines how women negotiate existence under a patriarchal state that transitions from monarchy to theocratic autocracy. This paper argues that the novel redefines feminism as a diverse, indigenous struggle for autonomy, moving beyond Western-centric frameworks. Through a close reading of the “gradualism of oppression” and the reclamation of the shir zan (lion woman) archetype, the analysis posits that Kamali identifies sisterhood and intellectual agency as the primary tools for resisting erasure.
Keywords: Marjan Kamali, Iranian Feminism, Sociopolitical Resistance, Agency, Gender Hegemony, The Lion Women of Tehran
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