Mrinal Sarkar
Assistant Professor in the Department of English, Lalbaba College, Howrah, University of Calcutta, West Bengal, India
E-mail: mrinalsarkar10@gmail.com
Issue: Vol. 2 No. 3 (September 2026) – Anubodhan
Received: 14 September 2026 / Accepted: 21 September 2026 / Published online: 24 September 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.112
Abstract
Obsession on clothing has been an issue in society and academia for quite some time. Particularly in the Middle-East and in South Asia hijab has been a focal point of discussion. However, that is also the case in other parts of the world. News on banning, prohibiting clothes, dress and costumes can be found on social media every now and then. This control over clothing sometimes comes at the cost of some people losing access to education at times; sometimes it costs someone’s job. Control over clothing also affects spatial movement, particularly for women. Therefore, this article purports to look into the agency behind the overarching obsession with clothing with regard to medieval and early modern literature. The discussion spans across cultures, be it Western or Indian. The body is monitored by clothing every moment, even as we discuss this. Interestingly, most of the time people are not aware of the implications of wearing a particular cloth.
Key Words: Hijab, patriarchy, spatial movement, access and prohibition.
How to cite: Sarkar, M. (2026). Clothing and the Rhetoric of Patriarchy in Medieval and Early Modern Literature. Anubodhan, 2(3), 191–195. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.112