The Angry, Abusive and Controlling Men in K.S. Maniam’s Short Story ‘Mala’

Abstract

The fights against sexism have been going on for decades. However, women in the present society still experience gender and social injustice, domestic violence and sexual harassment on a daily basis. In many cases, conservative families with patriarchal values become a breeding ground for unfair treatment and discrimination against women. Maniam brings up these issues to the public through his short story ‘Mala’. This study seeks to examine the male characters’ behaviour, attitude and treatment towards Malati, the main protagonist of the story – and how she deals with the treatment she receives from them. The analysis reveals that the female protagonist is suppressed by her father when she was young, emotionally abused and exploited for free labour by her husband when she is married and harassed by her male clients at her workplace. The poor treatments she has received from men around her since young leave her with the feelings of numbness and unworthiness for the rest of her life.