A Terrible Matriarchy (2007) is an important novel written by Easterine Kire. The story is set in Nagaland and shows the life, culture, and traditions of the Angami Naga community.
The novel mainly focuses on gender discrimination inside families. It shows how girls and boys are treated differently in society. The story is told through the life of a young girl named Dielienuo.
The novel presents three generations of women in one family:
- Vibano – the grandmother
- Nino – the mother
- Dielienuo – the granddaughter
Although Vibano appears to be the head of the household, she strongly believes that boys are more valuable than girls. Because of this belief, she treats Dielienuo very strictly.
The novel also shows how education and modern ideas gradually bring about social change in a traditional society.
Thus, the novel is both:
- a coming-of-age story
- a criticism of gender discrimination
WORKS CITED
Kire, Easterine. A Terrible Matriarchy. New Delhi, Zubaan Books, 2007.
Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan is a teacher, bilingual writer and artist with over two decades of experience in teaching English language and literature. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of English at NSS College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Her blog, ashlit.in brings together academic resources, creative writing in Malayalam and English, and visual art. The platform features lecture notes, study materials, poems, reflections, short prose, and a curated collection of her paintings. Through this space, she seeks to foster learning, creativity, and meaningful engagement with literature and the arts.
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