FEMINISM AND FEMININITY IN SALMAN RUSHDIE’S THE ENCHANTRESS OF FLORENCE
FEMINISM AND FEMININITY IN SALMAN RUSHDIE’S THE ENCHANTRESS OF FLORENCE

Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on the diverse woman typology portrayed by Salman Rushdie in The Enchantress of Florence. Ranging from woman as prostitute, woman as traditional wife, and the feminist to woman as romantic courtesan, a sans pareille beauty, embodiment of femininity, the illustration of the female hypostasis falls under Rushdie’s criticism, innuendo, mockery, laughter and … admiration. The diversity of female portraits in the novel, from harshly negative to mutely positive is not balanced against the male typology which, though obviously varied too, starts from a fairly good to an excellent perception of ‘manhood.’ Can Rushdie be accused of a prejudiced approach to the ‘eternal feminine’ or is he an idealist in search of the ultimate beauty?

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