Digital Object Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n5.1
The experiences of women in Northeast India provide an important context for examining gender performativity and women’s empowerment. The region is characterized by cultural diversity and a rich tapestry of ethnic identities, alongside persistent conflict and armed resistance. Their lived experiences illustrate how gender norms are continuously reproduced, challenged and transformed. Cherrie L. Chhangte’s short story “A Morning Diversion” (2025) delves into the life of the protagonist, Rothangi, as she steps into the social and economic spaces which have been historically excluded from women. She takes up photography to earn a living and achieve economic empowerment. Some pertinent observations arise as one reads the story, particularly, on gender performativity and women’s empowerment. The paper is qualitative in nature and will be exploring these strands drawing on the ideas of Judith Butler, Rachel Vogelstein and others.
Gracy, L. K. “Women’s Performativity and Empowerment in Cherrie L. Chhangte’s “A Morning Diversion”.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 5, Oct. 2026, pp. 1-12, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n5.1.
© 2026 The Author(s). Published by the Research Centre for English Language and Literature (RCELL) under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
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