Sultana's Dream

Irony is a literary device characterized by a contradiction between what is expected and what occurs, or between what is said and what is meant. It involves an incongruity that may be humorous, poignant, or thought-provoking.

Rokeya uses situational irony throughout “Sultana’s Dream” by reversing Indian gender roles in Ladyland. In this utopia, women take on men’s characteristics and roles, and vice versa. For example, when passersby describe Sultana as “mannish,” Sister Sara explains the women think that she is “shy and timid like men” (8). The attribution of these qualities to men directly conflicts with Indian stereotypes of masculinity. By ironically reversing gender expectations, the author draws attention to the rigid ideals of masculinity and femininity as patriarchal social constructs.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things by stating that one thing is another thing. Metaphors are used to create vivid imagery, evoke emotions, convey abstract concepts, and enhance the reader’s understanding by providing a fresh perspective.

Sister Sara uses several metaphors when explaining the logic behind Ladyland’s societal structure to Sultana. For example, when Sultana states that women have to accept the authority of men since men are physically stronger, Sister Sara responds that though “a lion is stronger than a man,” men are not submissive to lions (9). Sister Sara uses a similar metaphor when Sultana points out that men’s brains are “bigger and heavier than women’s” (12). In reply, she states that men “enchain” elephants who have a “bigger and heavier brain than a man” (12). Sister Sara uses these animal metaphors to persuade Sultana that women are not inferior to men.