Women the Oppressed Other in Saadat Hasan Manto's Khol Do (Open It) and Thanda Gosht (Frozen)

Abstract This paper critically examines the portrayal of women as the oppressed "Other" in Saadat Hasan Manto’s short stories Khol Do (Open It) and Thanda Gosht (Frozen). Rooted in the interdisciplinary framework of Gender Studies, which interrogates power structures, societal expectations, and the cultural construction of gender, this study highlights how Manto uses fiction to represent the gendered violence and trauma inflicted upon women during the Partition of India. By exploring the intersection of patriarchy, violence, and identity, Manto's narratives bring forth the silenced suffering of women, revealing the moral contradictions and grotesque mentalities within a fractured society. In Khol Do, the brutalization of Sakina by members of her own community starkly questions the ethical fabric of a patriarchal and communal world. Similarly, Thanda Gosht portrays the commodification of a woman’s body and the psychological toll of such dehumanization. Through these stories, Manto not only exposes the gendered dimensions of Partition trauma but also critiques the complicity of societal structures that perpetuate female subjugation. This paper argues that Manto’s literary voice becomes a powerful medium for articulating subaltern female experiences, forcing readers to confront uncomfortable truths about violence, morality, and gendered oppression. Keywords: oppressed, others, power dynamics