Living on the margin: A critical study of Batool Al-Khudairi’s absence through the lens of Amartya Sen’s economic theory

This study explores the intersections of gender, economic marginalization, and postcolonial identity in Batool Al-Khudairi’s novel Absent using Amartya Sen’s economic theory as a critical lens. The research adopts a qualitative literary analysis based on feminist and postcolonial frameworks. It applies Sen’s capabilities approach to interpret how socio-economic constraints shape women’s agency and experiences in post-war Iraq. The analysis reveals that the female characters in Absent suffer from structural inequalities, restricted choices, and cultural alienation, which limit their ability to function fully in society. Sen’s theory effectively illustrates how economic deprivation intersects with gender oppression, amplifying the marginalization of women in postcolonial settings. Absent critiques of both patriarchal and political systems by portraying women not only as victims of war and tradition but also as figures negotiating identity and survival. The study affirms that literary narratives can expose nuanced dimensions of economic and gender-based injustice.