Petra Hulova's representation of Mongolian women in "All This Belongs to Me"

This article examines the Czech writer Petra Hulova's representation of Mongolian women in All This Belongs to Me in an effort to discuss possible epistemological dangers involved in such cross-cultural representation of Asia by a European writing self. Through a close reading of the text, the paper explores how the represented five Mongolian females from one family are invariably subsumed under the strong patriarchal ideology of their Mongolian society. This representation of Mongolian women's oppression is then discussed in the historical context of Orientalism, which has excessively exaggerated patriarchal culture of Asia and Asian women's oppression. Examining strategies Hulova adopts to resist mere exoticization of Mongolian culture, the paper considers whether Hulova's cross-cultural representation presents chances for opportunities for readers outside of Mongolia to expand the horizon of their Eurocentric world view.