2019

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A Baudrillardian exploration of hyper reality and simulation in steven Spielberg’s ready player one (2018) and spike Jonze’s her (2013)
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Anza Shahid
This study aims at investigating Baudrillard’s concept of hyper reality and simulation in the contemporary age of social media apocalypse, with reference of Steven Spielberg’s, Ready Player One (2018) and Spike Jonze film Her (2013). For comprehension, simulacra is the copy of a copy that can stand on its own and is far removed from the original. It is the perfect model of the real that supersedes the reality. When reality is replaced by fabricated images, one gets into the realm of hyper reality. This study unfolds the truth about the obsessive use of Simulacra in the world today. It investigates how virtual reality has led one through the threshold into the hyper reality. This study aims to portray how the lack of distinction between simulation and reality results in nihilism, identity crises and melancholia. The undertaken endeavor examines the progression of Baudrillard’s four orders of simulacra in Ready Player One (2019), and it investigates fragmentation of meanings and reality of virtual relationships in Her (2013). It also explores how our search of utopia led us to lose sight of reality. This thesis examines the question of technological dread asked in these films and that life, not rooted in reality, is not the life worth living.
A comparative study of political propaganda of sub-continental partition in Khushwant Singh’s train to Pakistan and holocaust in Markus Zusak’s the book thief
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Gulbadien Asghar
The purpose of the dissertation is to analyze the genocidal violence of Sub-continental partition in Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan and Holocaust in Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief as a political propaganda based on Ideology of Difference. According to Khushwant Singh, Mano Majra was once an ‘’Oasis ‘’ of peace as microcosm of the religion, caste and moral divisions but with nation’s rift everything exposed. In the framework of Arthur Schopenhauer ‘’original sin” this dissertation is discussed. According to Schopenhauer, we all are unconscious of the evil fate that may have in store for us mutilation, loss or sickness. The violence that erupted from India’s partition had less to do with outside influences and more to do with the willingness of people to succumb to pre-existing prejudice and hatred. Therefore the evil minds leads mano majra in “Train to Pakistan” towards “Shoah” as the German army leads Jewish towards complete burn, genocide of human brought shame to the human history. Besides, the researcher discuss the trauma and sufferings of Sub-Continent post partition time to recounting the essence to be as equivalent as holocaust was. In the end researcher stated the sub-continent massacre as “Sub-Continent Holocaust”.
A comparative study of the criminal psychology in Poe & Doyle’s works
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Muhammad Arqam
Crime fiction has been the genre of literature existing for centuries for constructive reasons of the society as well as for entertainment. The psyche behind the crime is so dark and devilish that the criminal ends up into a realm of no-return. The major driving forces to take these extreme steps have always astonished the man as these forces had always been hidden in the subconscious of a man. The unattended wishes and desires of a man during his childhood and adulthood lead him to a reactive personality and shallow morals. The person tries to fulfill his desires and wishes whenever he gets a chance and an opportunity. The characters of Poe and Doyle are the honest representation of criminal psychology revealing the inner-most feeling and desires of the people who do not hesitate to commit a crime and demolish the set moral and legal codes of the society. Characters of Poe and Doyle which are the major points of focus do not possess the devilish qualities as they have been shown very naïve and sensitive but overwhelmed by the criminal activities and immoral mind hidden in their mirrored personalities. This psyche is quite vivid in all of the works of Poe and Doyle especially in “The Tell-tale Heart” where the protagonist himself is the victim of unfulfilled desires of his childhood as well as adulthood. Similarly, The Masque of the Red Death by Poe show political criminals driven by strong id and hidden forces of their psyche. Psychoanalysis of a story (or any other work) helps to reveal the logic and reasoning behind the actions and discourse of a character as well as the author. The sufferings and problems faced by a character his during life and specially childhood is of great importance. Comparatively, both of the authors represent different criminal minds to better show that they’ve produced the works to decode the social ills and eradicate them from the society to make it a better place to live in.
A critical reception of the hunger games (2012) through Machiavellian standpoints of power and control in faction system
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Saleeha Noor
The purpose of this research is to trace out how the power dynamics work in the movie Hunger Games (2012) by applying Machiavelli’s theory on political power given in the The Prince (1532). Machiavelli’s theory revolves around cruelty and crimes to achieve certain goals and stay dominant as a leader. His political theory lacks all sorts of moral considerations and deals only with different villainous and cruel ways that can help a Prince to maintain his status. These rules include butchery, bloodshed, disloyalty and all sorts of ill ways to maintain one’s rule and superiority over the layman. The research is about the suppression of the people of Panem in The Hunger Games (2012) at the hands of the authority of the Capitol and how one class dominates over the other by using repressive state apparatus. Researcher will trace out the rules given out by Machiavelli in his book The Prince (1532) to all the princes’ of the world, specifically his own prince and see how these tactics are perfectly employed by the Governor of Panem. The researcher has used qualitative research methodology which comprises of descriptive and critical analysis. Machiavelli in his book proclaims ways to stay in command without being defeated by any external or internal rebellion. The basic objective of the research is to trace out how power is exercised to attain political purpose. It also investigates how faction system can lead to class consciousness and class struggle.
An atypical representation of star wars (1977), Leia as a female hero through the theoretical underpinnings of Sherrie Inness action chicks
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Aniqa Aslam
The research paper focuses on the Princess Leia, a female character in the “Star Wars (1977)” films. This dissertation will discuss basic ideas of portrayal of female character in the movie “Star Wars (1977)” in the context of feminism, subverting traditional gender roles and the character of Leia is analyzed as a female hero. This study will discuss the character of Leia that how it portrays strong feminist individual and how it affects the whole plot of film by applying Action Chicks theory which talks about the portrayal of tough female in popular culture. This research uses the qualitative method of content analysis to examine this portrayal of Leia as a female hero.
An eco-critical analysis of Ruskin bond short stories
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) SANIA NASEER
The aim of this research is to investigate the contribution of Ruskin Bond’s literary work to escalate the ecological consciousness of man. Ruskin’s work is analyzed in the light of Eco-criticism to preserve nature and ecosystem from fading away. The aim of Eco-criticism is basically to study the relationship between literature and ecology and Human-ecology is basically the study of the nature and man’s relation through the lens of literature. This term was introduced against the modern man’s cruel attitude towards nature. This research basically highlights that how Ruskin has expressed his concern towards ‘Nature’ and ‘Environmental crisis’ happening on the name of modernization. The reason of environmental crisis is because of the unawareness towards the protection of ecology. Along with that, this paper also questions that why Ruskin has used nature as main theme of his stories and what was his main idea behind supporting eco-criticism ideology. This research basically examines Ruskin’s concern towards ecology in his literary work.
Bacha posh as means of freedom in the pearl that broke its shell by Nadia Hashimi
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Sarah Azam
The fluctuating political condition as well as the war between Islamization and modernism kept women of Afghanistan downtrodden. The rules and regulations only conformed to the idea of a subjugated women. The Pearl that Broke its Shell by Nadia Hashimi discusses the factors that has been involved in women’s servitude. Where Hashimi has highlighted the injustices done to women, through her female protagonists Shekiba and Rahima, she too discusses the sources that a woman may use to free herself from patriarchy. In Afghanistan there is a common practice widely known as Bacha Posh, where a young girl child alters her appearance and lives a few years of her life as a boy, in short, leads a Double-life until she reaches puberty and ironically liberates herself from patriarchal conventions for a time being, this notion has been discussed by Judith Butler. She is of the view that sex is a fact and gender is a social construction, it is a façade that bears the meaning one’s sex has determined. The nature of gender makes it a free-floating artifice and both Rahima and Shekiba uses it to benefit themselves. This research aims to determine that to what extent does gender fluidity benefits Shekiba and Rahima in altering their naseeb and becomes a liberating experience for both of the women.
Bourgeoisie condition in the scarlet letter
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Gulraiz Falak
The Purpose of this qualitative research is to analyze the drastic effects of Bourgeoisie consideration about the Proletariats as a consideration of lower-class in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter in its relation. This paper is a venture to reveal how these binary oppositions work, throughout the story of the novel, to emphasis holy appearance as a mechanical tool for fixing puritanical codes of conduct and a crucial reality as a mechanism for fabricating new one empire. The recital of The Scarlet Letter whirls around the never-ending conflict of Hester Prynne versus society in which the recurrent theme of conflicts between appearances is middling into different elements of the novel. The gravity of this theme embodies corruption in the codes of religion through the hands of Bourgeoisie, wearing religious costumes and hide the sin and by a protagonist who claims objectivity and profanes the Puritanical codes. By applying Karl Heinrich Marx, the theory of Marxism, communism is needed to occur in the story of the novel. This treatise is about the revolution for communism over the society versus individual, Religion versus society, and love versus advantage with a look at the two major characters of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Conclusively, Capitalists wanted to dominate over the lower-class community for getting the productive advantages through their tough rules.
Broken relations and navigation of mother ship
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Ali Haider
How do you leave a mother who associates her life’s meaning and fulfillment to you and your achievements, without breaking her heart? How do you surrender all your passion to a lover while leaving some for the woman who gave birth to you, reared you, and loved you? This paper analyzes D.H. Lawrence’s semi-autobiographical novel Sons and Lovers which displays the pendulum of a young man’s love swinging to-and-fro from his deep bond with his mother to his passionate relationships with his lovers. It is a fragile pendulum that slowly cracks and inevitably breaks. It is a beautiful account of a man who is unable to choose which impulse to follow. The situation is picked up from Lawrence’s life itself, and as Jessie Chambers, the girl on whom Miriam was based, describes, it was simply that while loving his mother with an almost romantic passion, he had nothing left to give to a lover. A careful study of this text by Lawrence shows us an extreme case of Oedipus complex. Since Paul was a baby, Mrs. Morel treated him in a special way that had led in time to a pretty tight bondage between them. The mother-son love pushes the normal limit of familial affection, becoming almost erotic.
Deconstructing phal logocentrism in Herland by charlotte Perkins Gilman and sultana’s dream by begum Rokaya
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) MEMOONA AYAZ
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain an Asian writer who belonged to India and Gilman an American writer, both aimed to embrace feminism and are well known for their feminist utopian writings, Sultana’s Dream and Herland, respectively. Demands for women’s rights are fictitiously portrayed by using a very unique technique like utopia in both texts. The novel and the short story have been analyzed on the basis of Cixousian concept of L’ectriture Feminine, in which she reverses the binary opposition where man is privileged and women are oppressed. The pivotal aim of the research is to analyze the deconstruction of the stereotypical roles attached to the female identity under the umbrella of the Phallogocentrism, the concept introduced by Jacques Derrida and Lacan according to which in the binary oppositions most particularly in the system of man/women binary, the term on the left side [man] is always privileged. By deconstruction of this Phallogocentric system, this research aims to focus on the reconstruction of the feminine identity in a female framework and discourse that is free from male presuppositions. Helene Cixous in her essay ‘The Laugh of the Medusa’ tries to reconstruct the shattered and derogatory women’s identity. With the help of the same framework the main objective of this research is to highlight the traces in the aforementioned texts, where the stereotypical notions of gender have been deconstructed in order to reconstruct feminine identity
Endurances and deprivations of black women in maya Angelou’s i know why the caged bird sings
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Ans Habib
In America the experiences of black women in have been harsh and inhumane over the course of past four centuries. Brutally raped and used as a property, the black women have seen double marginalization. One, being a woman and the other is of being a black person. The patriarchal and racist society of America snatched the very right of living from the black people specially the women. The study focuses on Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing as with the perspective of feminism to highlight issue of black women’s double marginalization. The feminist movement, along equal rights movements by the black, gave a breathing space to the colored women who had been treated as livestock for centuries. The study aims at the Maya Angelou’s semi-autobiographical novel, in which she wrote her autobiography in fictional style. The prime consideration for the study has been feminist theory to study the novel in a broader perspective. The art of autobiographical novel and writing about self-suffering has been knitted tightly in the novel which narrates the story of marginalization and drawback of being a black woman, quite vividly.
Female voice and transnationalism in home fire by Kamila Shamsie
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Ayqa Jamil
This paper examines the struggle of a women living far from her homeland, the dilemma of an immigrant and the way she has been treated by the global world in Shamsie’s Home Fire. The culture of Pakistan profoundly digs in male centric society and promotes male chauvinism. Literature is one of the most important means of questioning such images which seek to marginalize women and ensure male dominion. The investigation of Pakistani fiction is a prolific ground for feminist fault finders, looking to uncover the political elements of portrayal and to undermine male centric underestimation of women. This paper contends that Shamsie depicts a world loaded with nationalistic motivation. The life of Shamsie’s female characters is replete with struggle and they face issues on both local and global ground. She also encompasses the female constraints ranging from covering one's head to the regular cross examination. Focusing on the concept of transnationalism by Sasskia Sassen this paper highlights the struggle of being a women in a postmodern world where hegemonic structures are shifting and female voices are emerging out.
Finding other reality in Sadat Hassan Manto’s short stories under the lens of madness and violence
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Zainab Qazi
The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the madness of Sadat Hassan Manto’s fictional characters through the lens of violence by considering his selected short stories like Kali Shalwar, Odor, Toba Tek Singh, Untie It and The Lump of old flesh. Manto scrutinizes the brutal inequalities which make the people of that time traumatized which was considered the mucky side of humanity. Binary opposition makes the line of demarcation between two factors which are totally opposite to each other. One is being highlighted and other is ignored by human beings. The factor which is being diminished totally depends on the world view of every human being. This research will deal with the theory of Michel Foucault which he calls “The Great Confinement” in his book “Madness and Civilization”. We are focusing the rational response to the mad, who had been consigned to society’s margins under the fact of spreading vulgar writings. The Characters portrayed by Manto were being ignored widely in the society by that time due to the writing style of Manto. This research tends to highlight “Other Reality” and the foremost role of social reality and the truth which is being treated as a puppet in hands of human beings. As a result the important things which are not evident to us but observable in our action will be clear to us. We’ll be able to analyze violence which is used as a mode to reveal the other side of coin which is called the other reality
Frailty, thy name is woman
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Mahboob Alam
The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze men’s imagination about women as imagination of animals in Shahid Nadeem’s Play Black is My Robe. The story of Black is my Robe revolves around the trafficking of Sundri through exchange of ox. Shahid Nadeeem employed ox symbol indirectly to unveil the image of repressed woman. According to Sigmund Freud, symbols stand for experiences of any individual having straight connection between unacceptable representations. Moreover, symbols expose outrageous issues of any community by engaging emotional filter. In context of Shahid Nadeem’s characters, the female characters mirror the stereotypical bestial notion of patriarchal society through traditional convention of Watta Satta. Furthermore, the dissertation will elaborate the Shahid Nadeem’s attribution regarding how he exposed the constructed myths about submissive status of woman in male dominant chauvinistic society through the performance of his plays in Ajoka theatre. Besides, the researcher discuss the role of Ajoka theatre to deconstruct the absurd myths about suppressed women in contemporary Pakistani society. In the end the researcher intends to suggest ways for women emancipation and empowerment how to demolish ridiculous ideals of patriarchy by employing moral verdicts.
From mourning to melancholia: a Freudian analysis of loss in Kanza Javed’s ashes, wine and dust
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Zaira Azhar
This research focuses on the concept of loss which is highlighted through the character of Mariam Ameen the protagonist of novel Ashes, Wine and Dust by Kanza Javed. This novel will be analyzed through Freudian lens of Loss which mainly deals with the idea of mourning and grieving for the loved ones. Freud in his famous essay in “Mourning and Melancholia” points out that these two major processes involves detachment from the loved one and he stresses on the point that the individuals who are suffering from grieving phase are in search for an attachment that has been lost. By following the concept of grief and mourning this paper contends that Mariam is a victim of grief and bereavement who after losing her beloved relations falls into a state of melancholy. Although this process of mourning and feeling pain for the loved one’s who are lost is a natural feeling, Freud argues that one should also focus on letting go of the things which is essential for moving on with life to recover from the state of depression and to return to normal life. Mariam who suffers from mourning state is struck hard by another loss which turns her into a melancholic person and this loss eventually causes her own death.
Post modern gothic
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Taheera Iqbal Mian
The purpose of this research is to analyze the approaches of Short stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the most eminent authors of the Latin American Community who have taken narratives to another new level. Through his stories, he not only highlighted the crucial subjects of his time but also introduced new techniques of storytelling that have transcended the art of storytelling. Through this research, we will discuss the important gothic phenomenon of abjection and sublimity and how through these forms, Marquez has expressed his view and reservations about the society in which he was living. As well, we will determine the nature of the political or social issues and how his stories were informing us more or less about the present-day world. This work will focus on the peculiarity of his work and what is the reason that makes the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez a literary masterpiece. In the end, it will discover how his work is timeless and will stay a great through the ages.
Probing psyche and personality in the scarlet letter
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) M. Saleem Altaf
The dissertation aims at exploring The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne through the lens of Psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud. This novel has always been a celebrated work of literature. It contains various themes related to daily lives of the readers as depicted by the characters within the novel. The novel by Hawthorne has potential of generating multiple meaning. The psychoanalytic theory proposed by Sigmund Freud claims that human mind is a very complex phenomenon. It has the potential of examining human mind and psyche under various conditions. Those conditions are found under the novel as research suggests. The research examines the psyche and mentality of the main characters of the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The research focuses on the changing psyche and personality of the main characters of the novel like Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. The research examines the novel with in-depth details and incidents that show the changing psyche or personality of the characters. Sigmund Freud also talks about the different states of mind that are conscious and unconscious or subconscious part of human mind. The researcher describes the characters of the novel with respect to their changing mind that lead to their changing psyche. The researcher applies the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud on the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The researcher discusses Freudian model of psyche that contains id, ego and superego. The researcher applies these modes of psyche or human personality on the characters of the novel and tells about their changing psyche and personalities with the help of comments of critics and references from the novel.
Sartrean reading of nihilation and heterosexual dynamics of gaze in dystopian feminist science fiction the handmaid’s tale by Margaret Atwood
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Rameen Ijaz
This research paper aims to scrutinize the nihilation of feminity in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood interconnected with the heterosexual dynamics of gaze in Sartrean Ontology. Atwood has unwillingly privileged masculinity over feminity and has reduced the female sex into the disgusting Sartrean female body of holes and slimes. Feminist scholars like Luce Irigaray put forwards the fact that vision and gaze are interrelated to the construction of gender and subject/object dichotomies and the entry of women into a dominant environment is ultimately her fall into passivity. Furthermore, it is the masculine only that in the battle of gaze nihilates the Other, that is the feminine and reduce it to the state of being-in-itself and ultimately enjoys the supremacy over the feminine sex. The emphasis is laid on the detailed exposition of Atwood’s privileging of the subject and to map the process through which the author of the novel equates masculinity with subject hood and feminity with object hood, through the appropriation of Sartre’s mind and body dichotomy. The analysis of the study shows that Atwood has equated the consciousness with the activity of looking, has constructed the gaze as the privilege given to the masculine and has reduced the feminity into a passive object of male’s attentive gaze in her novel.
Socio-political environment in Androcles and the lion With the application of CDA
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Fakruddin Taj
George Bernard Shaw’s plays are the utmost representation of the Victorian society, due to his real depiction Shaw was the most renowned figure in the history of English literature and his plays are still performed world widely. In his writings we can find the Victorian anxieties such as political issues, social issues, injustices and unbearable reality of the Victorian epoch. Shaw arouse the Victorian anxieties through different believers and different characters, the eccentric behavior of the roman emperor depicts the uneducated capitalists who used to torture and make slaves of common people and manipulate them. Mostly critics agree about the consequences happening in the play and appreciating the work for the real depiction. The main target of the research was find out the problems and the operation of Victorian era and the persecution on common people, religion conflicts and Shaw attitude towards the Victorian society. The research work will try to reach to the closest possible meaning of the text through the application of critical discourse analysis theory. The different discourses of ‘’critical discourse analysis’’ have been explained to support the theory. Through the application of CDA principles on the play the research will try to come up with a new understanding of the play Androcles and the lion.
Subjugation through hate speech in the heart of darkness
(UMT, Lahore, 2019) Komal Manzoor
This qualitative research intends to unfold the traits of hate speech presented in Exciteable speech by Judith Butler in the novel Heart of darkness by Joseph Conrad. This study is a short journey to reveal that how the hate speech can be traced through the brutality and miserable situation of the Africans. The language of the novel has been discussed beyond the literal meanings as it has different meanings too. Throughout the novel, the hate speech has been witnessed in different situations, characters and language too. It also fixes the double standards of British to fulfill their greed. Their wrong doings have been revealed through the lens of hate speech. The antagonist of the novel Mr. Kurtz has been discussed as the mastermind behind all of the savagery and barbarism. The ultimate hate for Africans and the greed for their precious belongings in British is a center of this study. Their hate and greed made them do every possible and impossible cruelty and brutality into the Congo region. Hate has been explained with several different interpretations. By applying the theory hate speech by the butler, the novel heart of darkness has been described exclusively and uncommonly. The subjugation of the Africans, self-praise of British, supremacy of white over black on the name of colonialism is the discussed themes uncommonly.

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