SUSHREE ROUTRAY, Rashmi Gaur
In her magnum opus Milkman (2018), Anna Burns employs a subversive and artfully
crafted first-person narrative, deftly exposing the arduous and tumultuous
struggles encountered by individuals who dare to defy the confines of
traditional gender roles. Through a relentless and unflinching narrative, the
novel fearlessly confronts the harrowing manifestations of psychological
torment, the insidious spectre of relentless stalking, and the manipulative
machinations of gaslighting, all the while fervently interrogating the notion of
a fixed and immutable gender identity. In a relentless odyssey toward
self-realization, the protagonist's journey unfurls against a backdrop of
traumatic events and the unyielding pressures imposed by society. The
protagonist's plight is a reflection of wider societal injustices as well as the
community's refusal to acknowledge stalking as a form of sexual harassment and
its lasting impact on individuals. Exploring the themes of sexual harassment,
victim-blaming, and himpathy through the lens of Feminist Phenomenology, the
paper also examines the novel's portrayal of surveillance, biopower, and the
deeply ingrained binary divisions that shape and constrain our societal fabric.
By disentangling these themes, the narrative emerges as a critique of
conformity, injustice, and the erasure of individual identity. The paper
concludes that the first-person narrative in Milkman serves as a powerful
conduit for revealing subjective experiences, challenging societal norms, and
promoting a deeper understanding of gendered lived experiences.