Author: Dr. E. Jothi Kirubha

Abstract: This paper analyses the colonisation of woman’s body in Eating Wasps by Anita Nair with special reference to patriarchy, sexuality, gender oppression and bodily autonomy. Anita Nair presents the emotional and psychological struggles of women living in a male-dominated society where female sexuality is suppressed, controlled and condemned through rigid cultural codes. The novel portrays how patriarchal structures attempt to dominate women physically, emotionally and psychologically by reducing them to objects of desire and instruments of male pleasure. The study examines the experiences of various women characters such as Urvasi, Sreelakshmi, Najma, Megha and Theresa, whose lives reveal the multiple forms of violence inflicted upon the female body. Women who express their desires openly are marginalised and humiliated by society, whereas men escape social condemnation even after exploiting women emotionally and physically. Sreelakshmi’s tragic relationship with Markose exposes the selfishness and hypocrisy of patriarchal morality where women become victims of male desire and abandonment. Similarly, the sexual assault of Megha and the acid attack on Najma reveal how brutal masculine power seeks to control and punish women who attempt to assert their individuality and freedom. Further, the paper explores how women themselves become instruments of domination within patriarchal culture. Characters like Theresa attempt to possess and control others through jealousy and emotional violence, thereby demonstrating that colonisation of the body operates at multiple levels within society. Drawing upon Luce Irigaray concept of bodily autonomy, the paper argues that women must reclaim ownership of their bodies and resist patriarchal structures that commodify female sexuality. The paper concludes that Anita Nair exposes the emotional trauma, exploitation and dehumanisation experienced by women in contemporary society while simultaneously celebrating the female body as a source of identity, power and selfhood. Through her women characters, Nair advocates the liberation of women from oppressive cultural ideologies and emphasises the need for bodily freedom, dignity and equality.

Keywords: Autonomy, Condemned, Dignity, Equality, Patriarchal, Sexual assault, Selfhood

Article Info: Received: 14 Apr 2026; Received in revised form: 11 May 2026; Accepted: 15 May 2026; Available online: 18 May 2026

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.113.17