Interrogating Masculinity and Power Dynamics in Nawal el Saadawi's The Death of His Excellency the Ex-Minister

Abstract

One of the central issues in Gender studies deals with the question of sex (biological) vs gender (socio-cultural), which must be addressed not only through the lens of feminist theory but also through masculinity studies. The discussions related to gender remain considerably incomplete without embracing issues about the construction of masculinity and the relative power dynamics. As gender is synonymous with power, it is essential to study the complex aspects related to masculinity. Through Nawal el Saadawi’s Death of His Excellency the Ex-Minister, this paper aims to study the mechanism of power relations in the patriarchal gender order. The selected short story depicts the incidents that led to the fall of the minister, who, on his deathbed, shares the psychological consequences of hegemonic masculinity on his personality and character. This paper, therefore, analyses the profound impact of patriarchal structures, governed by power relations, on both the individual and society.