Trauma, Patriarchal Norms, and the Reconfiguration of Identity in K. R. Meera’s Jezebel

Abstract

KR Meera’s Jezebel intertwines the traditional biblical myth with the lived experiences of its modern-day protagonist by creating a complex work challenging both ancient cultural myths and contemporary power structures between genders. This paper examines how the novel addresses trauma through the imposition of patriarchal norms and religious doctrines within the familial setting by reconstructing the historical Jezebel archetype as a symbol of resistance and self-assertion. It engages the trauma theory and feminist literary criticism and uses a qualitative methodology that integrates close textual analysis and intertextual comparison. The study explores the protagonist’s journey from enforced subjugation to emergent self-awareness. This embodies the internalisation of oppressive narratives as well as the potential for transformative deconstruction of inherited symbols. The research critically examines the mechanisms through which cultural and familial pressures are communicated and contested by showing that the oppressive depictions of female vice and moral decay are not immutable truths, but are socially constructed instruments of control. The study also argues that reinterpreting these symbols enables a redefinition of female identity, offering new avenues for empowerment and resistance. Jezebel challenges reductive moral judgments and contributes to contemporary debates on trauma and gender by revealing how literary texts can act as vehicles for subverting and repurposing oppressive narratives.