ABSTRACT

Western feminist writers often associate voice with empowerment and treat silence as a manifestation of a woman’s powerlessness. Although the significance of voice cannot be minimized, the association of silence with victimization is flawed. This essay analyzes the silent appearance of Ghazala Khan, a Pakistani Muslim woman, at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Using post-colonial methodology, I argue that her silence was an expression of her agency rather than her powerlessness. My analysis focuses on Trump’s comments, Ghazala’s post-convention remarks, and Ghazala’s dupatta (light scarf). The impulse to essentialize silence can be checked by examining contextual information surrounding the silence.

摘要

西方女权主义作家经常将声音与赋权联系起来，并将沉默视为女性无能为力的表现。尽管声音的重要性不能被最小化，但将沉默与受害联系起来是有缺陷的。本文分析了巴基斯坦穆斯林妇女 Ghazala Khan 在 2016 年民主党全国代表大会上的沉默露面。使用后殖民方法，我认为她的沉默是她能动性的表达，而不是她的无能为力。我的分析集中在特朗普的评论、加扎拉的会后讲话和加扎拉的 dupatta（浅色围巾）。将沉默本质化的冲动可以通过检查沉默周围的上下文信息来检查。