Patriarchal Oppression
Patriarchal oppression—the state of being subject to a man's authority in a society dominated by men—is a major theme in "The Quilt." While all the story's female characters live under the pressure to conform to a world run by men, Chughtai addresses the theme most directly through Begum Jaan. Having come from a poor family, Begum Jaan is subjected to an arranged marriage to a wealthy and powerful nawab, a Muslim nobleman. Once married, Begum Jaan is ignored by the nawab, a closeted homosexual. Even though he will not give her attention or meet her sexual needs, the nawab is in charge of ruling Begum Jaan's life. To uphold the image of their household, he makes Begum Jaan stay inside, "tuck[ing] her away in the house with his other possessions." Treated like little more than another item of property, Begum Jaan's only means of satisfying her needs for touch are to hire a masseuse to be her sexual companion. In this way, the nawab's patriarchal oppression of Begum Jaan extends to Rabbu, who depends on the family for her livelihood.
Class Oppression
Accompanying patriarchal oppression is the major theme of class oppression. While the nawab's patriarchal privilege allows him to subjugate Begum Jaan under his will, the nawab uses his class privilege to oppress the young men he invites into his home for sex. The nawab uses his wealth to treat the young men to gifts, clothes, and other luxuries, effectively buying off their silence about his sexuality and the likely abuses they undergo. The nawab's strategy of using his elevated social position to his benefit is made most evident when the narrator discusses how Rabbu's son refuses to go to the nawab's home after an undisclosed incident, no matter how many gifts and jobs Begum Jaan and the nawab gave to Rabbu's son. The nawab's de facto power as a Muslim nobleman also means the young students, as people of lower social class, are unlikely to be heard if they were to disobey the nawab's wishes and spread the real truth behind why the "virtuous" nawab does not have female dancers and sex workers come to his home. The theme of class oppression also arises in relation to Begum Jaan's imbalanced relationship with Rabbu. As Begum Jaan's employee, Rabbu cannot really give informed consent when fulfilling the sexual component of their relationship.
Unacknowledged Homoeroticism
Homoeroticism—in particular, unacknowledged homoeroticism—is another of the central themes in "The Quilt." Chughtai explores the theme through the parallel sexual endeavors of Nawab Sahib and Begum Jaan. Although they are married as man and wife, their marriage is little more than an arranged marriage of convenience that enables the nawab to uphold his public image as a virtuous Muslim man. In truth, Begum Jaan is confined to a section of the house, from where she watches an endless stream of young male students in flowing shirts come to see the nawab in private. The nawab's implied homosexuality finds a parallel in Begum Jaan's relationship with Rabbu. Although Begum Jaan first tries to woo her husband and prays his straying affection will return to her, Begum Jaan eventually gives up trying to satisfy her sexual desire in the marital bed and becomes dependent on her masseuse, Rabbu, to bring her to orgasm. Although people are aware, both the nawab's and Begum Jaan's sexualities are never directly addressed by the people who serve the couple in the house. Similarly, the narrator is never explicit when acknowledging how the nawab "chas[es] the gossamer shirts" or Begum Jaan's lesbianism. Ultimately, the narrator's discretion mirrors how such truths about human sexuality would have been known but would go acknowledged in the early-1900s northern Indian Muslim social context in which the story is set.
Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse—and the trauma that stays with its victims—is another of the story's dominant themes. Chughtai first explores the theme through the narrator's digression to explain the nawab's "strange hobby" of inviting young male students to live with him. While the narrator doesn't supply the students' ages, they are described as "supple-waisted boys" who arrive in an endless stream to spend time behind closed doors with the nawab. The narrator hints at the likely sexual abuse occurring by commenting on how Rabbu's son "stayed with Nawab Sahib for some time." Even though the nawab "got him new clothes and other gifts," Rabbu's son "ran away for no good reason and never came back." The narrator's tone suggests she is repeating, with intentional sarcasm, the story as told by Rabbu or Begum Jaan. But when one considers what the narrator implies about the nawab's sexuality and tendency to buy things for the young males he has sex with, it is likely the case that Rabbu's son was traumatized when the nawab tried to sexually abuse him. The theme of child sexual abuse also arises when Begum Jaan touches the narrator inappropriately. Alone together in Begum Jaan's bedroom, the narrator's offer to massage her aunt turns into Begum Jaan touching the narrator's ribs and torso, despite the girl's discomfort. The narrator is too young to name the violation taking place, but old enough to understand that she is frightened by the possessed look in Begum Jaan's eyes and the scent coming from Begum Jaan's body as the older woman grows aroused. The trauma of Begum Jaan's inappropriate touch lingers with the narrator, and she tries to avoid the woman while forced to stay in her home. The trauma of the event stays with the narrator into adulthood: at the beginning of the story, she sees her quilt's silhouette on the wall and remembers the time she spent a week with Begum Jaan. The memory gives the narrator an entry point to tell the story of how she not only endured the abuse of having to listen to and make sense of Begum Jaan having sex with a servant in the same bedroom but nearly became Begum Jaan's replacement when the servant went away.
