Reframing Identities: Pakistani Women's Response to Globalization and Societal Pressures

Abstract

Aim of the Study: In today’s fast developing globalized scenario, the ideas of conformity, identity and uniformity have gained paramount attention in the fiction of the Pakistani female writers. The paper critically scrutinizes the impact of global cultural changes on the lives of Pakistani women with a particular critique of their representation in the Western feminist discourse, which presents them as single, essentialist, monolithic entities, by presenting a more nuanced depiction of Pakistani women. This is done through the portrayal of female characters that possess multiple identities owing to their ever changing social circumstances, their point of location as well as their past experiences.

Methodology: The present study is a qualitative study that aims to provide a detailed textual analysis of the two selected novels, namely “Black wings” by Sehba Sarwar and “Trespassing” by Uzma Aslam Khan.

Findings: Uzma Aslam Khan’s novel “Trespassing” and Sehba Sarwar’s “Black Wings” are the two selected novels which are critically analyzed by applying Chandra Mohanty’s key points in her significant book “Feminisms without Borders” wherein she elucidates and explores the concept of transnational feminism. Monolithic representation of Third World women and the politics of location are the crucial points on which the following research mainly rests. Mohanty stresses on the significance of recognizing and understanding the cultural and historical contexts of the women of the Third World and calls for an active and cumulative effort to represent the Third World women as having multi-dimensional, heterogeneous identities.

Conclusion: The findings reveal that the representation of women in both novels defies monolithic and essentialist categorizations. Instead, the characters emerge as multi-dimensional individuals with diverse identities, actively engaging with global cultural changes while remaining cognizant of their cultural constraints and positioning in society.