Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part H (2025)

Women in society are always confined to some limited space. These limits can be symbolised as domestic spaces. A domestic space is not just a physical setting of a household, but can be seen as a hierarchy of control. These domestic spaces hold many incidents and memories in women’s lives. Place, as explained by Robert Tally, is a set of narratives, memories or experiences that has some deep meaning and connection. But sometimes places become boundaries in the life of a person. This can be seen in Khadija Mastoor’s novel Aangan translated by Daisy Rockwell as The Women’s Courtyard (2018). This novel is set against the backdrop of pre-partition India and centres around the domestic lives of women. It is said that women are naturally tied to home, but this is not true. It is social expectations that limit their opportunities. Women going to jobs or cities has always been seen as a threat to the patriarchy. This paper explores the lives of different women whose personal desires are met or confined inside the limited world of the courtyard. The courtyard in The Women’s Courtyard is a place that holds so many memories, but also symbolises a boundary or limit to women’s lives. The paper reflects the spatial symbolism to portray confinement and also the resistance of the protagonist, Aliya, in establishing and shaping her identity within the patriarchal system.