Language of power and control: A masculinist analysis of rape in Benjamin Séhene’s Le Feu Sous La Soutane

Abstract

This paper examines the language of power and control in Benjamin Séhene’s Le Feu Sous la Soutane, through a masculinist lens. The paper focuses on how rape is portrayed as an act of dominance and authority where language is used as a tool of power and control. The aim of this research is to examine the subtleties of sexual violence within the text and explore the role of patriarchal language in reinforcing acts of domination. The objective is to reveal how linguistic expressions in Le Feu Sous la Soutane contribute to the perpetuation of toxic masculinity and institutionalized oppression through a close examination of the narrative. Using a thematic analysis method, the research employed a critical masculinist analysis approach to expose the underlying power dynamics, by dissecting the language and dialogue within the text. This approach allows for a distinct examination of how gendered language enables cruelty, authority, and the marginalization of victims. The findings reveal that Séhene’s work demonstrates the convoluted system of power relations in which language is used as a weapon of compulsion to sustain gendered violence. The novel reveals the complicity of institutional structures, particularly religious ones, in fortifying these dynamics. The study concludes drawn suggestively, that Séhene’s work not only draw attention to the pervasive nature of male dominance but also challenges the reader to confront the implications of such power dynamics in real-world structures. This research adds to larger discussions on gender, power, and justice in literature and society by highlighting these control mechanisms.