GENDER AND TRANSVESTY IN JELENA DIMITRIJEVIĆ’S HAREM’S DISCOURSE

Abstract

This paper discusses the controversial part of the travelogue Letters from Niš about harems(1897), written by Jelena Dimitrijević (1862–1945) a remarkable and original woman who with herart pieces, ideas and active travelling overcame the boundaries of Serbian patriarchal reality at theturn from the 19th to the 20th century. According to the postulates accepted in contemporary feministand imagologist theories, it analyses the following elements: the observation of harem’s cultureand approach towards female sexuality and lesbian practice in a patriarchal society. By the examplesfrom the text, it is demonstrated how Jelena Dimitrijević demystifies harem’s essence loggedby taboos, prejudice and erotic connotations. In concluding remarks it is said that the writer (inhis travelogue report) revealed a female subculture that symbolizes resistance to male dominationon the social, cultural and sexual level. Turkish attitude toward sexuality, as biological, social andphysical concept, applies to several levels: as the theoretical respect for religious and moral law, butalso through living practices, based on modeling of these rules (the practice of homosexual/ lesbianrelationships) which is a consequence of the rigid system, but also includes the freedom in movingthe boundaries of sexual pleasure. In conclusion it is emphasised that Jelena Dimitrijević overcamethe boundaries of Serbian female literature and approached international feminist discourse withher works. That gives her a dominant role in future establishing of the history of female literature.