Women, Trauma, and Identity: An Ecofeminist Study of Small Remedies and Mrs. Dalloway

Abstract

The intersection of personal trauma and female identity takes center stage in both Shashi Deshpande’s Small Remedies and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, inviting a comparative discussion of their treatment of the feminine experience. The paper examines how characters’ experiences of trauma shape their sense of self and identity, highlighting the inherent fragility of female identity within the constraints of societal norms and expectations. Furthermore, the paper adopts an ecofeminist perspective, recognizing the interconnectedness between women's oppression and environmental exploitation. Drawing on ecofeminist theory, the study focuses on how patriarchal standards influence women's identities and bodies, as well as their physical and psychological environments. The study examines how memory, experience, relationships, and spatial dynamics impact identity formation, offering insights into the multidimensional nature of trauma and the search for authenticity. The study offers a comprehensive insight into the layered and dynamic construction of identity, particularly as it is shaped by social structures and environmental influences on women’s lives.