2020

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Atwood’s the handmaid’s tale
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Iza Iqbal
To consider woman as a mere commodity has been the tradition en-rooted in each society. Margaret Atwood in her novel The Handmaid’s Tale highlights the oppression of women in a broad range. She not only highlights their agony but also pin points how women were being caged in the Gilead society which is representative of the world at large. Through the lens of feminist dystopia and the character of Offred the research aims to analyze the suffering of women and how society perceives and treats them as an object. Furthermore, this research evaluates the linkages of the events in the novel with Pakistan under Former President General Zia-ul-haq and present era to show that while the character of Offred maybe fictional, what she undergoes, as a woman is the everyday reality of women in Pakistan but also worldwide. Due to the historical and political links of this research with past and present day Pakistan, it also explores the impact of feminist movement like Aurat March in conservative society like Pakistan.
A Marxist feminist study of pride and prejudice
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Maryam Nadeem
The paper aims to analyze the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen in terms of critical feminist theory and Marxist theory which talks about class structure and economic powers. This study discusses how Jane Austen has tried to establish role of women, the issues which are reflected in feminist perspective in this novel, and how the dominant roles are played by the women characters. In perspective with Marxist feminism, this paper provides an insight to readers that the community always took women as the weaker gender, the ones who never had enough opportunities or platforms to practice or enjoy their untapped desires or capabilities. The paper aims at exploring the kind of scenario 19th century women imagined their weddings as and what kind of men were taken as good matchmakers and marriage material. It also highlights the moral standards of society and how Jane Austen has depicted this thought in the novel under the theory of Marxist feminism by Friedrich Engels which argues that “women's oppression arose alongside the development of notions of private property, ownership, and property rights.”
Exploring soul of the world in “The alchemist”
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Maria Younas
This study discusses the difference between following dream and making dream through the character of Santiago in “The Alchemist”. Following dream shows the concern of dreamer with ‘the belief in dream’ rather making dreams depicts the concern of a dreamer ‘in his own strength’. By applying the concept of ‘latent content’ from psychoanalytic theory by Sigmund Freud it will study the dream of Santiago as his unconscious motivation. By following dream Santiago gets his motivation, his individuality and defeated his own arrogance. This study is unique in a sense that dreams is related to our ‘self’ on the other hand following dream is related to our soul. Therefore, obeying soul is superior to nurturing arrogance.
Dystopian analysis of matched by ally Condie
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Areeba Altaf
This paper intends to explore the elements of dystopia in the fictional country governed by the society. The dystopian world in the novel shows the horrors of a place that is flawed and manipulative under the influence of the society and the officials. The citizens act as puppets in the hands of the society and the officials maintain control over them. Freedom and liberty seem to be nonexistent. Utopia as opposed to dystopia makes a significant theme in the setting of the novel. The research shows the forceful and oppressive lifestyle of the citizens in the country as they form part of a state where everything is preplanned and predicted by statistics. The concept of dystopia and utopia as presented by Booker shall be applied to the literary text Matched written by Ally Condie to highlight the suppression and subordination imposed on the public by the governing faculties. The fictional novel shows a nightmarish space where one marries, where one lives, where one works and when one dies all is decided by the society. The society has achieved perfection as believed by the officials who are the bourgeoisie and the civilians need to maintain strict order to keep living the perfect life that is supposedly a blessing. The dystopian theory looks at the social injustice, societal errors of the community. The world of dystopia exercises powers over the suppression and elimination of opposition which shall be sought out in the novel along with the theoretical aspects of freedom, totalitarianism, Stalinism. Booker’s view on the social environment and concept of ideal world will be applied to the society’s image. The application of the dystopian concept to the text shall highlight the social horrors, injustices and traumas of the seemingly ideal but actually destructive and horrific world.
Adaptation of gender representation in Bram stokers’ novel ‘Dracula’ (1897) and Netflix series Dracula (2020)
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Fatima Ashraf
Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula (1897) is considered the most modern vampire myth in literature. This paper is analyzed with respect to the characters’ representation and the intriguing changes in the Bram Stokers’ novel Dracula (1897) compared with its contemporary 2020 adaptation by Netflix. This dissertation explores what kind of addition, reduction and, modifications take place in the contemporary series of Dracula series as compared to the novel. The prominent characters of the novel and series are compared with each other as to how characters were represented in the novel, and how they are portrayed in the contemporary series. Especially the main character of the novel ‘Dracula’ is portrayed by Stoker in such a way that his character not only shows vampiristic features but also shows his interest in mundane matters. The events in Stokers’ novel are symbolized how the human mind functions and how paranoia affects the human psyche and also the characters of Stoker’s novel.
To the lighthouse from the lens of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Javed Ahmed
This research aims to study Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse through the lens of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The study attempts to show that how the personality development theory works on the novel To the Lighthouse throughout all dimensions of the study. Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs and that some needs take precedence over others. The most basic need for our life is physical survival, and this is the first thing, which motivates our behavior. Once that level fulfilled, the next level up is what motivates us, and so on. The stages of the hierarchy can be applied on the characters of the novel “To the Lighthouse”. There are twenty-four characters in this novel, but this thesis will focus on the characters of Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay, Lily Briscoe, and James Ramsay. The stages of the Maslow’s Hierarchy are Physiological need, Safety needs, Love and belongingness needs Esteem and Self-actualization. This study endeavors to see how the characters reflect the fulfillment of needs or the lack of it thereof.
Analysis of the namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri in the lens of diaspora and theory of hybridity by home k Bhabha
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Muna Manzoor
The Namesake highlights the struggles faced by multi-cultural and immigrants, specifically Bengali immigrants in English countries. Jhumpa Lahiri herself, being a hybrid, raises the issues faced by immigrants in this contemporary era. Hybrid is a product of two different region. Hybrid is in conflict between land of origin and host country. This study focuses on the challenges faced by the diaspora community in a foreign land. It will investigate in-depth the issues faced by third world country citizens both as immigrants and settlers. This investigation reflects upon the double identity of Gogol, the hybrid and essential protagonist in the novel. Gogol suffered from duality and alienation throughout the novel. The selected text is very first novel by Jhumpa Lahiri that articulated the feelings of hybrid in a foreign land and the way they tackle those emotions of being an outsider, the other, an inferior. The post-colonial writers who experienced hybridity always try to depict this relationship through their literary work for years. Considering this unavoidable aspect of cultural conflict and hybridity. This paper will examine and study the character of Gogol in the lens of Homi K. Bhabha’s theory of hybridity.
Mohsin Hamid’s exit west as a magic realist text
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Muhammad Murad
The study explores the use of magic realism in Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West by looking at its essentially postmodern roots and the aftermath of introducing magic realist characteristics in the novel. The present research tries to look at the text after getting magic realist touch, in the present case the effects of magic realist concepts on the novel’s readers and subject matter. Stemming from socio-political, cultural, and historical development, postmodernism literature is a way of depicting postmodern life. Magic Realism is its very offspring and to define it is difficult because of its open-ended interpretations ever since it first appeared in 1925 in art. It is a literary style in which magical or supernatural elements are embedded within a modern world. It is also considered a subgenre of ‘fantasy’ because of the incorporation of imaginary settings and actions in a text, while also trying to make it relevant for realist setting. Owing to its postmodern origin, Mohsin Hamid’s novel Exit West reveals instances of blurring genres, shifting from political to psychological, magical to realist fiction. The present research suggests that the novel introduces the ordinary technological gadgets as magical inventions bent on globalizing the world, by minimizing the idea of territorial borders that are the epitome of nationalism. The findings of this research suggest that it is a novel showing both physical and metaphysical journeys of people through the transcendental effects of cellphones and magical doors respectively. Above all, Hamid foresees a better future of humanity because of the interconnectedness of the world today through the usage of technological gadgets.
The violation of jus in bello in Tariq Rahman’s bingo and Khademul Islam’s an Irish story
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Tehseen Zahra Abbas
This research tends to explore the Violation of the ethics of war during the partition between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 1971. By examining the untold stories of the migration of Bengali people, the study validates the violation of Jus in bello (war ethics) under the ‘Just War’ theory by Alexander Moseley. Under the evaluation of three key principles of Discrimination, Proportionality and Responsibility in Jus in bello, it aims to look at the violation of basic war principles. The partition of 1971 is considered to be less atrocious than the partition of 1947. This paradoxical concept constructs the unnerving debate over Pakistan’s role in the history of double independence. By scrutinizing two short stories, Bingo by Tariq Rahman and An Ilish Story by Khademul Islam, it studies the violation of war principles carried out by the military forces and alleged religious representatives of both countries. Primarily, it highlights the untold atrocities during the partition of 1971 in the name of separate nationality, language and identity. In analyzing these short stories, the study generates a comparison between Pakistani and Bangladeshi writers in their approach towards the notion of separation. It examines the repercussions of the violation of the war rules as the barbaric mass killing of East Pakistanis in 1971 represent the horrors of partition in 1947.
Evolution of Muslim representation in western literature and media
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Fatima Ayub
This study intends to explore the evolution of representation of Muslims and Muslim communities in Western literature and media. Through Disney’s Aladdin and the novel Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali, the representation of Muslims in Western culture will be analysed. Both will be compared in terms of era and writer; the former being a white person’s narrative whereas, the latter being a Muslim’s. In mainstream Western literature and media, Muslim men had been represented as savages and inhumane creatures while the women were subjugated and sexualised but after the 9/11 attack they were shown as terrorists and dangerous entities which caused the up rise of Islamophobia and stereotyping of Muslims. Both before and after 9/11, Muslims were either strongly stereotyped, written with antagonistic characteristics or dominated by a white presence. As time has progressed the immigrant Muslims have been given a voice after being discriminated against in terms of ethnicity and religion for a long time. Firstly, this paper will explore how Muslims have been represented through the eyes of West and non- Muslim people as compared to the literature written by Muslims themselves, who reside in the West in the contemporary age. They are constantly given backlash for being Muslims and dressing the way they do. Secondly, it will highlight the stark contrast between the representation done by Western people and Muslims themselves. Finally, in this thesis paper, while taking into account the Muslim characters and Islamic settings featured in movies and literature of different years, the representation of Muslim characters and their presence in that specific novel/movie is analysed through the lens of Orientalism and Otherness proposed by Edward Said. I will analyse them as ‘orients’ in a Western society and how they have evolved from being ‘others’ to slowly making progress towards being the ‘self’ in contemporary literature and media.
Religious east/west confrontation in the blessed house by Jhumpa Lahiri
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Inam-Ul-Haq
This paper aims to scrutinize the concept of religious diaspora in the short story The Blessed House by Jhumpa Lahiri who often pens down the resilient assimilation of the third world people in the first world countries. She looks at the difficulties faced by the immigrants who because of the cultural and religious differences go through identity crisis and displacement. Mainly, her collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, focuses on the lives of immigrants going through the crisis of balancing between their origin and the current life. Along with the diasporic repercussions of the culture, the religious diasporic crisis play an integral part in the development of the identity living in the opposite world. The study examines this concept under Robin Cohen‟s model of diasporic studies which explains how a different culture affects religion of the immigrants and their generations. Jhumpa Lahiri narrates the story of a newly-wed couple in which the husband undergoes the religious dispute with his wife who happens to belong to the culture of the first world. This East/West contradiction serves as the subject of concern studied in this paper under the theoretical framework of Post-Colonial diasporic theory. It will further look at the aspects of religious assimilation affected due to the mixed origin of both characters. This explains how a South Asian immigrant reluctantly assimilates to the culture of the first world despite his Hundi fundamentalist identity.
The female character of Padmini from Hayavadana in the light of psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund freud
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Muhammad Yousaf
This thesis is a psychoanalytical study of Padmini from Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana which explored the female character thought and situation of women in the society. The play uses the tangled characters relationship which is interpreted psychoanalytically to reveal the underlying content of mind and body which causes an identity crisis and also reveals the ambiguous nature of human personality. The psychology of Padmini’s character has two levels; the consciousness and sub consciousness in the complex human relationship. The play reveals friendship of two persons and their love towards women. This play presents how all the characters become victims at the hand of fate that humans are imperfect and thus have a number of limitations. The research investigates women’s emancipation through Padmini’s personality among a multifaceted relationship as fundamental principal of having a life full of desires and expectations. Padmini’s fixed between two thoughts; one is her search for completeness and other is her quest for human rights in a male dominated society. The dominated society mistreated Padmini, because of patriarchal culture in the society as she was in favor of fulfilling her desires. That mistreatment created the psychological dilemma and emotional conflict for Padmini. The research will also highlight the phallocentric issues of different gender in the society.
The introspective study of nightingale through the lens of Caroline Moser’s theory of gender
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Ramsha Zakir
This thesis examines the novel Nightingale to analyze how women during the war turned into the soul watchmen of the family since men were held as detainees of war away from home. This thesis will analyse the disparity in the gender equality in the society of that time and the need for a structure of the society which offers equal chances to both genders. Using Moser’s development theory of triple roles framework, this thesis will investigate the ramification of women’s emancipation and the recuperation of shorn woman (les femme’s tondues) who were denounced for acquiring sexual joint efforts with German authorities (Nazis) during the setting of war.
Post-structuralist feminist study of sultana’s dream by begum Rokaya
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Muberra Azam
This paper aims to analyze a short fiction story Sultana’s Dream by Begum Rokeya through the lens of Post- Structuralist Feminist Theories in which critics tend to raise a question that whether the gender is innate or God-given or it has been socially constructed and therefore is mutable which can be put into play and can be deconstructed. Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain is an Asian writer who belonged to India and aimed to embrace feminism in her writings. She is well-known for her feminist utopian fiction and has also put forwarded the need for a woman's identity by using a distinctive technique like utopian fiction. This qualitative research intends to scrutinize the aforementioned writing under the lens of Helen Cixuous's idea of L'ectriture Feminine which means a woman writing for women. It discusses how when a woman writes about herself she reverses the system of binary oppositions like men/women, in which the term on the right side is always suppressed and the term on the left side is always privileged. It has been long believed by feminists that men in this world consider women as mere extensions to themselves. For a long time, women have been suppressed and kept away from social, economic, and political centers of power. With the help of Cixous' theory, it will also be analyzed how Sultana's character breaks the binary oppositions by displacing women from the right side of the dichotomy to the left, as Begum Rokeya breaks the hierarchy of writing with the help of L’ectriture Feminine as well.
Analyzing the representation of Pakistan in Bollywood and Hollywood via the lens of propaganda theory
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Ayesha Afzal
The two biggest markets of Film production i.e. Hollywood and Bollywood have produced a plethora of films regarding terrorism. The addition of Pakistani terrorist has always remained a perfect on trend addition to the film content. The research is carried out to reveal the tactics of the two power houses especially Bollywood in pumping the negative stereotypical image of Pakistan. The paper stresses on the point that how this foreign theatrical medium is deeply involved in manipulating the minds of masses across the world by presenting the antagonistic image of Pakistan. The paper explores the ideology of Bollywood and Hollywood to fuel hate and Islamophobia. It also discusses the Major forced involved in the production of such films which only aims to spread hate towards Pakistan and Muslims. The base of the structure of Hate spreading Films is strengthened by (RAW). The negative and indirect representation of Pakistan through language is also highlighted in the paper. The films chosen for this purpose include: Agent Vinod, Phantom and Iron Man. The dialogues from these Movies are included in research for analysis. The analysis of the films is done through the Propaganda Model proposed by Herman and Chomsky. The paper in this aspect shows the use of medium of arts such as films, posters, books, magazines etc. for doing propaganda and gaining political and socio-economic benefits. The study provides a reality check of two Big production markets who are ignorant about their countries participation in spreading violence and extremism where One of them is killing masses of innocent leaving them homeless in the name of eradicating terrorism and the other is declared as the number 1 country in the list of violating minority rights. It discusses the impact of the films on people of Pakistan and Pakistan image around the globe
Diasporic acculturation of the third world immigrants in Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Maria Aslam
This study is an analysis of diasporic acculturation in Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories “Mrs. Sen’s” and “Third and the Final Continent” which explore the difficulties of assimilation faced by the South Asian immigrants. As Jhumpa Lahiri focuses on the themes of displacement, cultural hybridity, and identity crisis due to the mixed origins of Indian immigrants, this paper attempts to examine the theory of Labour and Imperial Diasporas by Robin Cohen. In the book, Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri has penned down the untold stories of South Asians living in America. Also, she has unveiled the struggle of people adapting to a new culture and choosing a new identity despite an Indian background and American status. Through the character of Mrs. Sen adjusting herself to the new American culture, and the resilience of an unnamed protagonist towards his common Indian wife in “Third and the Final Continent”, Jhumpa Lahiri has conveyed the common difficulties faced by the immigrants living in the USA. By analyzing these stories under the diasporic acculturation in general, this paper further intends to study how immigration and assimilation affect women in particular. By exploring these aspects, this paper attempts to explore the analysis of Robin Cohen on Indian labor’s cult of immigration and imperial diasporic impact on the South Asians immigrants.
Patriarchy and new woman
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Muhammad Shahid Jalal
The Scarlet Letter represents the protagonist Hester Prynne as a rebellious figure against the Puritan society of New England. She has been portrayed as a New Woman who is independent, strong, resistant, self-reliant, non-conformist and working lady. She switches the gender roles and shows resilience while facing the society all alone due to her adultery, while her lover’s identity is unknown. Hester Prynne moves against the constructivism and proves that a woman can be as strong and independent as the men in the society and all the compliance, shame and blame is not meant for the women only. Hester takes pride in whatever she has done and stands tall against the religiously oppressive society of seventeenth century Puritan settlement in America. The study represents Hester Prynne as a woman who switches the gender roles to the man whom she loves and shatters the societal construction of gender roles. She defends the name of her lover and raises her daughter as a single mother, despite a societal boycott, and expulsion from the community. She performs the duties that are usually attributed to a man and raises the question about the societal construction of gender roles and their qualities.
Everything affects everything
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Hina Fatima
This study intends to explore the cause and effect of psychological trauma by examining the character Hannah Baker from a popular TV show Thirteen Reasons Why. It outlines the conflicts faced by adolescents in the contemporary world and how suicide is a subject which is barely dealt with when it comes to young individuals. It analyzes the effects of popular media culture in shaping the psychology of adolescents by highlighting the psychological dysfunctions. For this purpose, a popular TV Show Thirteen Reasons Why is studied under the Theory of Anxiety by Sigmund Freud, proving the hypothesis “Everything Affects Everything”. It shows how a petite issue can cause an unexpected turn of events, forcing an individual to end his own life. This study examines how people can understand the patterns of adolescent’s behavior. Besides the criticism on the forthright portrayal of the issue of suicide, it also sheds light on the repercussions of social distress. It studies the character of Hannah Baker who ends her life after the sheer struggle against the high school bullies. In addition, it sheds light on the difference of physical and psychological effects of bully on a woman in the patriarchal society.
A force more powerful
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Khadija Aamir
Asking the question, how are you, has been the tradition enrooted in each society, but the focus on the answer has never been the priority. How are you, is a rhetorical question, where the addresser’s credibility does not let the addressee answer it correctly. Sylvia Plath in her novel, The Bell Jar not only raises such questions but also shatters the stereotypical notions of perceived mental illness, and how it should be taken seriously. The paper aims to dismantle the misunderstood notions around the novel, The Bell Jar by analyzing the binary opposition of how are you and I am fine, and intents to find the undercurrent meaning shrouded in its grey areas through Plath’s character, Esther. Esther’s personality is caged among the six specific domains of self-concept and continuously found in the position of “other” by society. Sylvia Plath is a modern writer who challenged the cycle of confining people in a bell jar. Esther, the protagonist is constantly at the fight and is torn between the desire to rebel and to belong to the community at the same time. To understand this pretentious question in the novel The Bell Jar, we need to understand the power of persuasion through its three building blocks, logos, ethos, and pathos. Hence, to analyze this rhetorical question, the paper will also evaluate Esther’s dialogic relationships through Aristotle’s rhetoric theory and Lacan’s mirror stage narrowed within six domains of self-concept.
Universal role of women in society from joys of motherhood
(UMT, Lahore, 2020) Arooj Sherazi
Women empowerment has been the genre of literature existing for centuries for constructive reasons of the society. For the progress and higher development of the nation, it is vital that both men and women are provided with equal opportunities and equal rights but unluckily in traditional African society, the role of a woman is limited to produce children. As a woman, she is provided with respect and value based on her fertility. The character of Nnu Ego has absorbed these values and it is the utmost desire of her to be an honored woman. Nnu Ego is the true representation of the women empowerment revealing the inner most feelings and desires of a woman. The character of Nnu Ego is the major point of focus who knows her identity and her completion is dependent on having many children, especially boys. Even in the modern world, the sufferings and problems faced by the women and how she survives and shelters her family is the honest example of women empowerment. The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta explains will power of women that how she supports her family when her husband is not with her. This story also reveals that despite a lot of hardships and sufferings a mother faces to raise her children, man always blames woman if children are doing something wrong. The author tries to explain the pain of a mother in this novel. It is the top most duty of children to take care of their parents when they are old as their parents cared about them when they were young and make the society happiest place to live in.

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