Unveiling The Masks Of Emotional Labor: A Critical Exploration Of Women Emotional Wellbeing In Abbas’s The Empty Room

Abstract

This paper presents a critical exploration of women's emotional wellbeing in Abbas's novel The Empty Room. Through a detailed analysis of the protagonist's emotional struggles, the research reveals the intricate web of societal expectations, cultural norms, and personal relationships that shape women's emotional experiences in Pakistani society. While examining the protagonist's emotional experiences, the study focuses on the ways in which she performs emotional labor, highlighting the tension between her authentic emotions and the emotions she is expected to perform in different situations of her life. Drawing on Arlie Hochschild's theory of emotional labor as propounded in The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling (1983), the analysis is organized around the key theme of the performance of emotional labor, a kind of dissimulation discussed by Francis Bacon, which the protagonist is expected to perform in her daily life, at all moments and in all situations. Through a close reading of the novel, this research demonstrates how Abbas's work offers close insight into the ways women perform emotional labor and provides a powerful critique of the societal and cultural factors that contribute to their emotional distress. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex factors that influence women's emotional wellbeing in Pakistani society. The study highlights the need for greater emotional support, solidarity, and feminist resistance, and demonstrates the value of literary analysis in understanding the complexities of human emotions and experiences.