Sultana's Dream

The images of Indian night and Ladyland’s day are introduced at the beginning of the story. Sultana sees India’s moonlit sky from her room, but once she leaves with Sister Sara, she discovers it is “a fine morning” (7). Nighttime in India symbolizes the oppression and seclusion of women in patriarchal colonial India. Meanwhile, daytime in Ladyland symbolizes the empowerment of women in a progressive, utopian society. The day and night dichotomy also represents women’s lack of access to formal education in India as opposed to compulsory education for women in Ladyland. The nighttime symbolizes Sultana’s reality contrasted with the “fine morning” that represents her dream. The dichotomy of this imagery also foreshadows the Gender Role Reversal introduced in the rest of the story.

In “Sultana’s Dream,” gardens are a motif representing themes such as female empowerment, environmental harmony, and societal transformation. Through the depiction of gardens in Ladyland, Begum Rokeya communicates her vision of a utopian society where women are liberated from patriarchal constraints and live in harmony with nature.

Gardens have pleasant associations for Sultana. Thus, when Sister Sara invites her for a stroll in the garden, Sultana accepts, remembering the walks they had in the “botanical gardens” of Darjeeling.