The Language of Silence: Exploring Gendered Voices in Banira Giri’s Wound

Abstract

Banira Giri’s poem Wound is a powerful exploration of female trauma, violence, and the politics of silence within a patriarchal society. Through vivid imagery and metaphors, the poem presents the female body as both a site of suffering and a locus of resistance. The wound, both literal and symbolic, conveys experiences of violation, memory, and transformation, illustrating how silence can function as a communicative and subversive act. This paper analyzes the poem through the lenses of feminist literary theory, drawing upon Helene Cixous’ concept of the feminine, Elaine Showalter’s gynocriticism, Gayatri Spivak’s subaltern theory, and Adrienne Rich’s understanding of silence as trauma. By linking theoretical frameworks with textual analysis, the research demonstrates how Wound articulates the female voice, challenges patriarchal structures, and contributes to broader feminist discourse in Nepali literature. Ultimately, the poem exemplifies the transformative potential of articulating trauma, reclaiming agency, and constructing a uniquely female literary space.