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Today in Yeseyan Hall, our Year 10 and Year 11 students engaged in a thoughtful and engaging conversation with Vahakn Keşişyan and Maral Aktokmakyan, focusing on the life of Sırpuhi Düsap and her novel Mayda. The discussion was held in Armenian.
Drawing on her research, Maral Aktokmakyan offered several striking observations. She noted that had Düsap chosen to frame her novel purely as a romantic narrative, it might not have endured with the same relevance it holds today. Writing, she suggested, was for Düsap not merely a creative act, but a path to freedom. She also emphasised that Düsap did more than establish a literary voice — she inspired a broader movement, empowering women and, in turn, influencing men as well.
Our students reflected that Mayda is not simply a work of literary merit; it also serves as a powerful lens through which to understand the social transformations of its time, particularly the evolving role of women in society.