2023

Permanent URI for this collection

https://escholar.umt.edu.pk/handle/123456789/11683

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 43

A Freudian analysis
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Maheen Babar
It is assumed that most of one’s actions are governed by one’s unconscious which makes it an important as well as dangerous part of one’s personality. Likewise, Japanese folktales particularly centered around the genre of ‘horror’ deal with the unconscious ‘animalistic’ desires to control the hierarchical structures of the society. The main problem arises when a person’s mind is influenced by the unconscious memories, which can be good or sometimes evil. When the evil unconscious memories or desires overtake a human's mind, it leads them towards mental illnesses and reclusiveness. By critically analyzing horror movie: “Audition (1999)” based on these themes, this research paper will show how Japanese horror movies are telling us about its society and its anxieties. Using Freudian Theory of Psyche, this paper will conclude how “Id” of the human mind can affect their behavior in a strange way thus leading towards problematic social structures.
A gynocritical examination of the unabridged journals of Sylvia Plath and the bell jar
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Hamna Sajjad
This research aims to explore The Bell Jar (1963) and selected pages of The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath (1982) through the lens of Gynocriticism. Gynocriticism is a feminist literary theory, proposed by Elaine Showalter in the article Towards a Feminist Poetics (1986). It is the analysis of female writers’ texts, including the traditions, and societal conditions that influence their writing. Showalter proposed four models in this theory, linguistic, biological, cultural, and psychoanalytic. These models aid in the analysis of the texts. However, this research is only concerned with biological and psychoanalytic models. The biological model focuses on how a female body marks itself upon the text. Moreover, the psychoanalytic model focuses on the female psyche. The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath manifests the life of Sylvia Plath, who wrote about herself as an illustration of all those women of 1950s America, who were struggling for their individuality. Secondly, in The Bell Jar, she speaks her heart out by using the character of Esther, a young student struggling with her career which leads her toward mental illness. By looking at all these aspects, the researcher will try to compare and contrast Sylvia Plath with the character of Esther. In what manner do both these texts offer an understanding of the world of women writers, their writing style, and the central themes they explore? Overall, this research is a portrayal of how the expectations of society and the human mind create chaos in women's lives and lead to the stages of alienation, anxiety, and self-hatred.
A gynocritical study of malala’s autobiography I am malala
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Muhammad Shah
This research paper investigates to understand the description and nuances of femininity in females’ writing in the book I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb by applying Elaine Showalter’s theory of Gynocriticism as a theoretical framework. I Am Malala is an autobiography based on the author's nostalgic childhood life struggle and harsh experiences. Gynocriticism is a feminist criticism that illustrates the feminine experiences and struggles for their very own quality writings to construct their own separate identity in a patriarchal environment. For ages, women were using and adapting males’ models of writing and theories to express themselves, but this narrative has changed over time, and progressively women are trying to seek writings and theories based on their own experiences and subjectivity. Along with the author’s personal experiences as a female writer, this research comprehends in what way women face obstacles to surpass the literary tradition phases suggested by Elaine Showalter that is ‘Feminine, Feminist and Female’ to speak for themselves in their language and to construct their own identity through their writing. This research also claims in what manner the harsh experiences of a female author are reflected in the text. This research further tends to highlight the delinquent atmosphere of particular rural society and culture in a comparison to metropolitan areas and the process of shaping the identity of female authors where they reside. Therefore, the objective of this research is why women need a text in their own voices to demonstrate their own experiences by replacing male's experiences and models of literary writings. Hence, this research will deduce how the internalized sexism about women can only be unveiled and addressed genuinely through women’s writing.
A linguistic analysis of Kamli by Sarmad Khoosat through the lens of visual grammar
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Shajeeah Syed
This study aims to explore the linguistic and visual grammar aspect of Sarmad Khoosat’s Kamli(2022), with in depth analysis of shots from the movie. In the light of Kress and van Leeuwen’s Multi-modal Discourse analysis, the dissertation will analyze the role concrete and non concrete objects play linguistically in the movie. It will also explore the representational and interactive meaning the images from the movie convey. The study unravels not only the physical details of setting and props in the movie but also the psychological suffering of the protagonist of Kamli, by dissecting the physical details in scenes from the movie that has not been worked on yet, under the lens of visual grammar. No other film of Khoosat Film house has undergone a linguistic analysis in the light of visual grammar and Multi-modal Discourse. The scope of studying films with respect to the importance of visual grammar in the field of Linguistics in Pakistan, and the country’s film industry is rather low, which adds to the significance of this research.
A Marxist analysis of between clay and dust by Musharraf Ali Farooqi
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Abdul Haseeb
This research aims to analyze the struggle of different classes, in various aspects of their lives whether they are social, political, or financial while living in the newly established state of Pakistan. It examines various social issues faced by the lower class due to the subjugation by the middle class and their hard work to maintain their status in society. This research delves into the fact that the middle class helps the upper class to oppress all the people who do not match their status and position in society. Moreover, the current study explores how the middle class is using religion as a vehicle to exploit different cultures for their own benefit. This research also anticipates the negative influence of the capitalist system on the lower class in every aspect of their lives. Capitalists use their power and force to undermine the value of the lower class and alienate them from their essence of being humans by putting them in bad living conditions. Furthermore, this study underscores the social alienation of a class by society depending on their work, status, and caste. These claims are illustrated by Musharaf Ali Farooqi in his novels, Between the Clay and Dust (2012) and The Story of a Widow (2008). He highlights the social issues of common men while living in a capitalist society. Thus, Karl Marx’s Marxist theory is used to analyze these issues in both novels of Musharaf Ali Farooqi.
A psycho-social erg analysis of colleen Hoover’s novel it ends with us
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Eesha Izhar
The research aims to explore the psycho-social dimensions of the Novel It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover under the lens of ERG theory introduced by Clayton Paul Alderfer. The objective of the research is to analyze the characters’ psyche in connection with society and individuals in the selected novel and to examine the development of the characters and their survival in context with ERG theory. The theory is about studying individuals' behavioral changes towards another individual. The ERG theory stands for Existential, Relatedness, and Growth needs, which can be used to study characters. The study is a qualitative content analysis that is based on characters, situations, and behaviors in the selected novel. The research examines the lives of the characters who end up in toxic relationships, had a rough childhood or rough ongoing life but they still manage to survive after many hardships. In the selected novel, there are three major characters and some minor characters who build the story based on contemporary issues in the real world, such as trust, loyalty, domestic abuse, toxic relationships, etc. There are many difficulties that characters face in order to achieve their self-actualization and self-growth, and with the help of healthy relationships, they are able to achieve self-actualization. The research shows us the value of healthy relationships and the ways characters achieve their self-actualization by overcoming their hardships.
An exegesis of institutionalized racism
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) AREEJ ASLAM
This research comparatively analyses the short stories "Arrangement in Black and White” by Dorothy Parker and “Slave on the Block” by Langston Hughes. It investigates the penetration of racial discrimination in American society, its institutions, and social structures after the Harlem Renaissance in the early 20th century. Hughes and Dorothy both unveil the hypocrisy of White Supremacists who, on the one hand, used cultural appropriation to acknowledge Black Art, Literature, and Music and demonize them at the same time. This research aims to examine the social status of Blacks in American society after the abolition of slavery and how people of the White race deprecate them. The first and third tenets of “Critical Race Theory '' proposed by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic are used as a theoretical lens to put emphasis on how racial discrimination is institutionalized in American society and how Racism is a social construct not biological. The main objective of this study is to understand how racism was institutionalized in American society and how the segregated Blacks respond to it after the legal abolition of slavery. The aim of this research is to highlight how the same thematic concern of Institutionalized racism has been taken up and dealt with by the writers of two different races. It will also shed light on how White supremacists implicitly endorse racial segregation of Black through language, art, and music in the work of selected writers. The abolition of physical slavery had no effect on the White supremacists due to which the legacy of suppression and marginalization continued.
An exploration of technological singularity in the dystopian world of Margaret Atwood’s oryx and crake
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) CH Muhammad Sultan
The aim of this thesis is to critically analyze Margaret Atwood’s “Oryx and Crake” to explore the way through which Artificial Intelligence takes over the human world due to their Over-ambitiousness and an urge to transcend the boundaries of knowledge and human capabilities. This study investigates the increasing ecological destruction of the world where scientists decided to build a hybrid animal farm which became destructive to other life farms on the planet. A knowledge of Artificial Intelligence leads them into the post-humanism period, which has been occupied by clone people who have similar attributes as humans. This research further delineates the immense development of Artificial Intelligence in the Transhuman period, and its main purpose to create a new and better race that would be unconfined from all the complications and disorders of humans. This inclination fabricates the sense of superiority in the human mind that he could create anything that can perform in a better way than humans. By applying the theoretical framework of “Technological Singularity”, which is a branch of Post-Humanism, this study explores the inquisitiveness of humans, where they acquire cosmic knowledge through Artificial Intelligence, which steers them towards their own destruction. This term was first used by Hungarian American mathematician “John von Neumann” in 1958. Therefore, with the help of this concept, this research intends to find out the entrapment of human beings in their own net due to their over-ambitious and gaudy nature to achieve utopia. Furthermore, it’s an exploration of the utopian ways that leads towards dystopia when overtaken by Artificial Intelligence.
An exploration of unassimilated traumatic wounds of nazmiye in abulhawa’s novel the blue between sky and water
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Bisma
This dissertation aims to probe the horrendous impact of traumatic incidents on the psyche of individuals by exploring Susan Abulhawa’s The Blue Between Sky and Water through the lens of Cathy Caruth’s Trauma Theory. The objective of this research is to uncover the frightening impacts of the Israeli invasion on the psyche of Palestinians. Trauma theory deals with the impacts and the imprints that prevail in an individual's personality after having an encounter with a horrid event. Caruth has predominantly explained the various consequences of the trauma on the psychology as well as the individuality of a person. This novel deals with the impacts of the psychological trauma that prevailed on Palestinians due to sudden displacement, extreme brutality, bloodshed, and sexual harassment. Trauma theory states that many times, a traumatized individual is haunted by that catastrophic event in such a way that he is unable to get away from it and he/she regularly experiences that event through recurring flashbacks and illusions. The first objective of this research is to unveil the gruesome impacts of the Israeli invasion on the psyche of Palestinians. The life of characters like Nazmiye in Suzan Abulhawa's novel is driven by the effects of traumatic experiences. The presence of certain individuals like Mezan, makes her suffer the recurring happenings of a traumatic experience. Secondly, this thesis aims to channelize the unspoken and unexplored traumatic wounds that resided in the memory of the people of Palestine. Therefore, the research will unleash the frightful impacts of the extremely traumatic events that fracture the memory and unconscious of the individual, while leaving an imprint on his psyche.
Bram stoker’s Dracula
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Zahida Riaz
This study seeks to delve into the religious perspective of the novelist Bram Stoker and how he depicted the religious propaganda during the Victorian era through his characters, utilizing the framework of New Historicism as developed by Stephen Greenblatt. Additionally, the study aims to examine how the religious-political system led its followers to blind allegiance. The class system is processed as it is evident that individuals from different social strata exhibit varying responses. The research employs a theoretical framework that includes an examination of the historical context of religious corruption during the Victorian era, an exploration of elements drawn from the life of the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, an analysis of the gothic aspects of the novel, and an investigation into the role of religion in different class systems. To enrich the study, glimpses of Bram Stoker's life, Victorian Catholic practices, and their interactions with Protestant communities are provided. The Victorian culture and religious practices are scrutinized through the portrayal of characters in the novel, each representing a nuanced reflection of Catholicism and Protestantism, depending on their social backgrounds. Furthermore, this study considers the adaptations of Stoker's novel, focusing solely on key elements relevant to the research objectives. It harmonizes religious and historical events related to Vlad the Impaler and Bram Stoker's fictional Dracula to facilitate a comprehensive analysis. Gender roles are also brought into the spotlight. All these aspects are examined through the lens of Greenblatt's theory, providing a multifaceted exploration of Stoker's religious portrayal in the Victorian context.
Cheegha (the call) by daur under historical trauma by Michelle Balaev
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Nasim Ullah
This research aims to scrutinize the selected chapters of the book Cheegha (The Call) by Ghulam Qadir Khan Daur through the lens of historical trauma by Cathy Caruth, further expounded by Michelle Balaev. This thesis explores the gruesome impacts of war by studying the trauma inflicted on the people of Waziristan and the certain ways in which historical trauma shatters the identity and rich culture of a particular region. Cathy Caruth has put forward the idea of the trauma as a psychological wound that haunts a person and leaves lasting effects on one’s psyche. This theory shall be evaluated in terms of historical trauma. Historical trauma refers to a collective trauma experienced by a particular group of people due to war, forced migration or through deliberate manipulation of culture. It scrutinizes how war disintegrates the cultural values of people by casting deep psychological effects on the psyche of the residents of that specific culture. The text by Daur unveils the gruesome impacts of an imposed war on the psyche of Waziristanies. They witnessed their culture crumble, extreme bloodshed, and violence. This research aims to develop an insight into on the imprints of war on the psyche of people find their way to catharsis through the act of narrating and writing the poignant history. Further, it will also highlight the traumatic experiences of the people of a certain area affected by war and the ways in which trauma travels from generation to generation. Thus, it will delineate the fact that psychological wounds are much more daunting and disquieting than physiological wounds.
Child’s future as a manifestation of parents’ past
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Nimra Batool
This study explores how parents’ past experiences influence the psychological development of their children. It examines the adverse effects of a history of violence and injustice on parents’ behaviour, resulting in the victimization of their offspring. Moreover, the research focuses mainly on the negative impact of different parenting styles on the psychological behaviour of their children. It underscores the idea that reduced warmth and communication gaps between parents and children contribute to suicidal adolescent behaviour. The study also addresses the negative influence of intergenerational trauma on children’s psychological and emotional upbringing. Furthermore, this research highlights diverse risk factors of parents’ psychological distress, which subsequently become root causes for children’s depression, low self-esteem and anxiety. Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and Toni Morrison’s Beloved serve as illustrations of these claims. Morrison underscores the impact of parents’ history of violence and subjugation on the behavioural patterns of their offspring. She reiterates that the past of parents can bite their children’s present and can shape their present and future. In comparison to her, Plath presents children’s psychological challenges stemming from controlling and authoritarian parenting. Thus, this study anticipates the extensive influence of parents on wield across facets of their children’s lives, be they social, socio-political, familial or personal.
Cultural identity, selfhood, and marginality
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Anas Hussain
The study examines a post-colonial reading of the novel Homeland Elegies written by Ayad Akhtar. The theory is proposed by Homi K. Bhaba nearly in 1960centralizing the cultural, political, and economic legacy of marginalization,hybridity of culture, and mimicry of others. It seeks to demonstrate that instead of dealing with Ayad, the protagonist of the novel, as a victim of multiculturalism, and anti-patriotism, the author stresses the loss of cultural identity, and selfhood, providing little space for the projection of the marginalization perspectives. Ayad’s narrative aims to distort the identity of the Pakistani protagonist by transforming him into an American. He dismantles the foundations of Muslism identity and patriotism. On this basis, the novel promotes the multicultural narratives advocated by the Muslim and American communities. The research is descriptive and qualitative in nature and it is conducted through the textual analysis of Homeland Elegies being the primary text with the theory of marginalization and the articles based on cultural identity, and selfhood being secondary texts. It has asserted that Akhtar portrays his male protagonist in a way that belongs to a Muslim family who is immigrant and confrontsthe American self.
Digital populism
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Habibah Abdullah
This study aims at finding the strategies and their impact that Imran Khan has used on social media platforms to invoke populist spirit among the people of Pakistan. Thus, the answers to the following research questions were explored in this study: 1. What are most commonly employed ways on Imran’s Khan personal accounts that make him relatable to a Common Man? 2. What are the strategies employed by Imran Khan and his media cell via his social media accounts to justify that his efforts are in the interest of the people unlike those in opposition? 3. What are the responses of people on social media when they observe his strategies that make him relatable to a common man? 4. What are the responses of people on social media regarding Khan’s approach in making them believe that he is working in their interests unlike those currently in power? This study utilizes qualitative approach in which social media posts and their comments were collected as data. It is causal research where the photograph and video posts by Imran Khan and their responses in the form of comments from citizens were collected via convenience and purposive sampling subtypes of non-probability sampling for observation. Result of the study suggested that Imran Khan’s strategies include him taking religion very seriously, him knowing the issues of public, him not preferring any special treatment compared to others etc. and most people’s response to that was positive and trusting him to become their leader.
Existential absurdity in Mohsin Hamid’s novel the last white man
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Muhammad Shafqat
The research thoroughly investigates the novel The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid through the lens of Absurdism. The novel delves into the depths of an existential crisis of the protagonist, which leads to the themes of alienation and the absurdity of human existence. The research paper aims to explore Albert Camus’ Theory of Absurdism in Mohsin Hamid’s novel, The Last White Man which advocates the profound disconnection that can arise between one's true self and the expectations of others. The research objective is to examine the protagonist’s metamorphosis and its impact on his life, leading to internal and external conflicts. The research explores how the protagonist is being victimized by society’s brutal treatment, supposed as alien, objectified, and animalistic qualities given to him due to his transformed identity. He is tortured physically as well as mentally. The study signifies the facts of human essence from the absurdity of life in the novel and opens up new possibilities to explore this novel beyond the boundaries of racism, love, and loss. It also signifies how the protagonist's transformation deals with a stark recognition of the value of self-understanding, acceptance, and the quest of real existence. For future researchers, a comparative stylistic analysis of this selected novel can be carried out with any other novel from the perspective of absurdism.
Exploratory factor analysis of corpus stylistics
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Saadia Khan
This work explores corpus stylistics in the context of Bapsi Sidhwa's writings using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). This study tries to find and analyze the basic variables that contribute to the stylistic variances evident in Sidhwa's literary corpus by utilizing a comprehensive collection of her novels. The research intends to determine the latent dimensions that shape the distinctive stylistic qualities observed in Sidhwa's writings by extracting related linguistic features and applying EFA approaches. This case study's findings not only improve our understanding of corpus stylistics, but also give vital insights into the different stylistic characteristics found in Bapsi Sidhwa's literary works. This investigation adds to the larger area of literary analysis by providing a thorough assessment of the corpus stylistics in the context of a well-known author's work.
Exploring self-actualization and character building
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Maham Nadeem
This research aims to probe Abraham Maslow’s theory of the Hierarchy of Needs in Ana Haung’s book Twisted Love. The objective of this research is to trace self-realization and character-building through a sense of belonging and analyze self-actualization through the character of Alex Volkov and Ava Chen. Another objective of this research is to unfold the traumas and depression the characters felt because of the lack of parental love. It is clearly shown how love and a sense of belonging change our life. In addition to this, this research scrutinizes the events of trauma, and how traumatic nightmares and depression build in the contemporary world. The thesis fills the research gap as this thesis has not been scrutinized and analyzed as a source of love and emotions from the trauma embedded in the consciousness. Emphasis on the Hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow is the secondary source of this dissertation. This source unleashes the five stages to reach the level of self-actualization. Without completing one need, you cannot reach the other need. This dissertation is insightful for those who want to be motivated and reach the process of actualization. This research is qualitative and based on different articles and books.
Exploring the problems faced by english language students and teachers regarding learner- centered instructions at intermediate level education in pakistani ESL context
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) TALHA MAHMOOD
This study aims to examine the challenges and issues associated with introducing learner-centered instruction (backward design) to English language students and teachers in Pakistan. The main focus of this research revolves around the question of the problems faced by English language teachers and students when implementing learner-centered instructional education. This paper explores the rationale behind learner-centered education and investigates the challenges of this instructional design according to Pakistani English language teachers and students. A questionnaire was administered online to 120 selected English language students using convenient sampling. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 teachers to gather more data. The study is limited to English language students and teachers in Pakistan. The findings indicate that both teachers and students perceive the use of learner-centered curriculum at the Intermediate level in Pakistan as a challenging task. Therefore, policymakers and educational managers should provide training for English language teachers and guide them in supporting their students to meet the academic and social demands of learner-centered instruction.
Exploring the unspoken wounds of genocide trauma
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Tuba Naeem
The research aims to explore the use of literature and art as an ointment to traumatic wounds present in the memory of Lithuanians through Cathy Caruth’s trauma theory in Ruta Sepety’s Between Shades of Gray. The objective of this research is to unveil the impact of the gruesome and traumatic experiences of the Holocaust on the unconscious of individuals through microscopic analysis of the characters, Lina, and Jonas in Between Shades of Gray. Another objective of this thesis is to unfold how the traumatic events of the genocide of the Baltic people have influenced the writer, Sepetys, to rewrite the poignant scenarios of history as a catharsis from the trauma residing in the memory of Lithuanians. The study scrutinizes the impact of trauma in shattering the identity of characters and traces of traumatic events in contemporary individuals of the same cultural groups. The thesis fills the research gap as Between Shades of Gray has formerly not been scrutinized and analyzed as a source of hope and catharsis from the trauma embedded in the consciousness of Lithuanians. Emphasis on the Trauma Theory of Cathy Caruth is the secondary source of this dissertation. This thesis unleashes the fact that extreme traumatic experiences of individuals fracture both language and consciousness by leaving a mark on the psyche of traumatized people. This research is qualitative and based on the information collected from different articles and various other sources.
Generational perspectives of gas lighting in the shadow of the crescent moon by Fatima Bhutto
(UMT, Lahore, 2023) Ehsan Elahi
Since the beginning of the war on terror, Pak-Afghan relations have not been functioning properly. This has destabilized Pakistan internally, especially Pakhtoons, foreign attacks on their lands have made them hostile to the Pakistani government. Although national solidarity makes its way toward this issue, the conditions of both sides should be involved while taking drastic measures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of the war on terror on the psyche of the people and how it changed their perspective toward the state. Throughout the novel, the characters like Mina, Sikandar, Samara, and several others characters are going through psychological pressures because of war. It also highlights the state manipulation and how it is playing a puppet in the hands of the elite class and especially for America to get political and economic support and put the life of their people in danger. The state failed to protect the fundamental right of the people who were living near the Afghan border. The novel Shadow of the Crescent Moon gracefully highlights the problem and suffering of the people and the state’s failure for not taking any steps for them. The novel presents Pakistan as a state where lawlessness is abundant and fundamental rights are seized. This research tries to answer the questions regarding the issues of the people of FATA and Waziristan and their desires for freedom. The qualitative research method is used for data analysis and several scholars’ perspectives are analyzed with the theory of cultural hegemony. This research would hopefully answer all the questions which are raised in the research. The answers would hopefully explain the questions that are long due in these lines.

Browse

Browsing 2023 by Title

Results Per Page

Sort Options