Intersectionality in Girlhood Studies: Analysing the Denied and Reclaimed Journeys of Agency in Diverse Societal Milieus

Abstract

The transition from girlhood to womanhood is a fundamental and often natural phase in a young woman's life, marked by self-discovery and growth. However, for a vast sea of girls across various regions and races, this process is unnaturalised and tainted by violence, abuse and suppression of identity. Their girlhood is stifled by a patriarchal society expecting them to conform to conventional gender roles, leaving them no room for joyful self-exploration. Therefore, girlhood studies becomes a crucial field of research to understand and highlight the resilience, agency, and creativity of girls while acknowledging the myriad systemic challenges they face, serving as poignant reminders of the need to nurture the girlhood of all young women, allowing them to flourish and discover their own unique paths to womanhood. This paper herein proposes to delve into this theme, seeking to understand how these dynamics influence the lived realities of girls who are denied a free girlhood, while exploring how they reclaim their voice in their fight against oppression. This study draws insights from Alice Walker's coming of age novel 'The Color Purple' along with selected sections from Rassundari Devi's autobiography 'Amar Jiban,' as these literary works illuminate the harrowing experiences of female characters forced into premature adulthood. Additionally, the study references 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in order to compare the nuances of stifled girlhood experiences across the boundaries of race, region and ethnicity. Scholarly voices such as Tanika Sarkar and Martha J. Cutter, etc. will also be cited simultaneously to enrich the analysis by encompassing aspects of feminist literary theories.