Haunters or Haunted?: A Feminist Anatomization of Female Ghosts (Shakchunni, Sheekol Buri, and Prapti) from Bengali Folk Tales through the Prism of Biological Essentialism Ahmed Abdullah Bin Farooqi Rayhan

Abstract This research examines the cultural insights provided by the female ghosts of Bengali folktales. It applies a feminist hermeneutics to analyze the demonization of women in the aforementioned narratives, specifically focusing on three popular female ghosts: Shakchunni, Sheekol Buri, and Prapti. The representation of these female ghosts reinforces traditionally "feminine" and derogatory traits and attributes. It is noteworthy that these female ghosts exclusively target men as their victims, whereas male ghosts do not exhibit such gender preference. The research also highlights that these female ghosts transform into malevolent supernatural entities due to their experiences of abusive or frustrating love lives. This observation reflects the Bengali tendency to disproportionately associate women with the ideas of marriage and romantic relationships, despite male involvement being evident. Additionally, female ghosts are typically depicted as grotesque, emphasizing society's conventional notion of physical appearance as an integral aspect of a woman's identity. By adopting a feminist lens and incorporating concepts such as Judith Butler’s theory of biological essentialism and gender performativity, this study aims to shed light on the gender-biased attitudes prevalent in Bengali folktales and reveal how folk narrative carries the gender-discriminatory undertone pervasive in Bengali society. Keywords: Bengali Folklore, Biological Essentialism, Female Ghost, Feminism, Gender Performativity