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Item The cybernetic eye(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Iman FatimaThis research delves into the post-humanist study of George Orwell’s 1984, focusing on the suppression and dehumanization of identity wrought by panoptic power. It underscores the unchecked political power and the erosion of personal emancipation, drawing on Katherine Hyles’s post-humanist paradigm, particularly her insights into cybernetics, surveillance, and disembodiment as described in her work, “How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics”. The study aims to cover the subtle themes of post-humanism, technological power, and consciousness in Orwell’s dystopian novel. The research posits the implications of omnipresent surveillance that alter individual perception of their identity and autonomy, leading to profound disembodiment of individuality. The research evaluates the intersection of power and technology that serves as a tool of supremacy and dominancy in the state of Oceania. The research attempts to evaluate the implications of omnipresent surveillance in suppressing individual identity, the role of language in extinguishing thought, and the overarching hazards of totalitarianism. This research contends that the human real self is defined through interaction with technology by challenging traditional humanist perspectives and the need to reconsider the boundaries between mankind and telecommunications. Ultimately this research contributes to a detailed understanding of the intersection between dystopian literature and the post-humanist framework of Katherine Hyles. It sheds light on the pervasive effects of technology on human behavior, and social dynamics, offering a nuanced dimension on the integration of technology into human uniformity and social propensity. This analysis provides valuable insights that extend beyond the boundaries of literary investigation.Item Monarchial mosaics(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Manahil AbrarThe research explores the elaborate interplay of epigenetics and mental health, specifically focusing on the character of King George III in the book Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. It scrutinizes the fictional and historical portrayal of King George's mental health struggles and employs how epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and histone modification, influence the mental health and overall behavior of the King. The research also examines the impact of environmental conditions on these epigenetic changes, highlighting the intricate connection between genetics, environment, and mental health. The study bridges the gap in the existing literature by applying epigenetic theory to a historical figure which accentuates our knowledge about mental health and how it was perceived and managed in the past. The study uses a qualitative methodology, including texts, historical documents, other literature, and the novel's narrative. By combining these sources, the research provides a refined analysis of King George III's mental health, illuminating the importance of epigenetics in understanding historical mental health issues. The major findings suggest that genetics and environment; all parts of the epigenetic theory play a vital role in King George’s mental health struggles. It dissects the influential impact of relationships and power dynamics on his mental health. It indicates that factors like stress and trauma likely played a crucial role in shaping his mental state. It not only contributes to the field of epigenetics but also offers a fresh perspective on the life and struggles of King George III, highlighting the applicability of this approach in both contemporary and historical analyses of mental healthItem Identifying stages of grief(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Ramsha Zafar GulzarThis research aims to establish a nuanced view of how the behavior of the protagonist changes with the passing time and what psychological consequences she had to go through with the lens of Kubler Ross’ grief theory. Then She was Gone by Lisa Jewell addresses the story of the protagonist who experiences loss of her young daughter. Throughout her journey she faces multiple difficulties and trauma. This theoretical framework of understanding the grieving process of a person involves five stages of denial, anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance. Kubler Ross in her theory proposed the idea of a person going through all these stages but the question arises if these are a step-by-step stage, occurring one after another or not? To find out this perspective, Ross’ grief theory is applied to a contemporary fictional text Then She was Gone. The selected text highlights the struggling nature of the protagonist Laurel who lost her fifteen-year-old girl. Jewell presents this suspense novel by making the protagonist unaware of what exactly happened to her daughter and how she disappeared. She continued to mourn her death and experienced grief stages. Right when she reached the stage of ‘acceptance’ she met the daughter of her lover Poppy who looked like Ellie, which again gave rise to ‘denial’ of her daughter’s disappearance. This research figures out when and how these stages occur in a person. Keeping in view this aspect, this research also identifies the sequence in which the protagonist experiences these stages. Her grieving journey reveals the significance of her emotional disturbance. Not just this but her journey impacts her identity and her relations as well.Item Madness and hysteria(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Isha AamirThe research will provide a textual analysis of the selected poems of Emily Bronte and Sylvia Plath to trace perspectives on ‘Madness’ as an institutionalized mental illness theorized through Elaine Showalter’s book ‘The Female Malady’, while providing an emphasis on Gynocriticism. The selected works of Bronte and Plath provide an insight into the idea of the ‘madwoman’ and the way writing produces a discourse of resistance towards patriarchal pressures that throughout the history of medical and literary systems have produced ‘hysteria’ as a female malady. The research seeks to investigate feminine poetry as a sharp critique of androcentric discourse which dominates literary tradition. Emily Bronte’s poetry offers a gothic perspective on mental anguish and trauma, with afflicting atmospheric elements, a fantastic dystopian world, and images of prison cells. On the other hand, Sylvia Plath’s poetry, belonging to the confessional school of poetry, describes raw experiences of depression. Plath’s works dictate trauma and confront the hysteric connotations. The study will center poetic expression and female rage, in the selected works, within the context of Showalter’s ‘Gynocentricism’ theory, in contrast to androcentrism in literature, to reconstruct the narrative of female madness. The qualitative textual analysis of the selected poems provides an insight into the confessional aspect of poetry through its reflections of social oppression. The findings of the research develop around the clues of mental derailment in the selected poems, and the ability of female poets to produce counter-narratives of hysteria in their works, by writing about mental illness as subjected to them by society. This narrative associates with the selected poems which present Bronte’s gothic sense of feminist rage and Plath’s ‘psychic’ nature of poetic expression as a vital contributor to Gynocriticism and a liberator of their freedom from hysteric stereotypes.Item Entangled diasporic identity in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s admiring silence and the last gift(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Sughra BatoolThis research intends to explore the diasporic identities of the characters faced by the exodus in the world of globalization. In the novels of Gurnah, The Last Gift and Admiring Silence the protagonists immigrate to America for better prospects, they lived there for donkey’s years so, there is a change in their diasporic selves. Hence, the change in the identity of diasporas do not allow them to live at either place i.e., native homeland or settler community. This research intends to explore the entangled identities of the exodus that in turn leads to understand the fragmented, alienated, and lost identities of the characters in the immigrated communities. It further assists in finding out the problems of immigration that are imbibed in the relocated communities in the simple narrative of the novels. This research is significant as the entangled exodus identity unfolds the reality of the living conditions of expatriate communities for diasporas. Avtar Brah’s theory of Diaspora is used as a theoretical framework to explore the diasporic identities of the expatriate characters. This research using Brah’s Cartographies of Diaspora: Contesting Identities (1996) examines the split/fragmented identities of American-Zanzibar diasporas in Gurnah’s Admiring Silence and The Last Gift. Consequently, it has explored the complex diasporic identities created by immigrants and the difficulties, traumas, and conflicting emotions they experience, and profound explorations of the identities. Ultimately, the complexities of diasporic identities illustrate shame, guilt, and estrangement which eventually makes the characters rootless while living in refugees societies.Item Manto’s psychological universe(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Muhammad Muaaz SharifLeon Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory examines how individuals experience psychological discomfort when confronted with conflicting beliefs, values, or behaviors, prompting them to alter their mindset to achieve internal harmony. This research applies Festinger's theory to understand how Saadat Hassan Manto's cognitive dissonance was fueled by the brutal realities of his time, particularly his staunch opposition to the partition of India. Despite the widespread violence and misery of that era, Manto's resistance to the partition reflected his struggle to reconcile his personal beliefs with the harsh societal changes around him. By analyzing Manto's short stories, “Toba Tek Singh,” “Khol Dou,” and “Thanda Gosht.” This study explores how these literary works encapsulate Manto's ideological dissonance and his critique of the partition. Through this lens, the research reveals the depth of Manto's conflict and his unique perspective on the sociopolitical upheaval of his time.Item Psychocultural trauma in contemporary Kashmiri fiction(UMT, Lahore, 2024) AZKA CHAUDHRYThis research examines the effects of psychocultural trauma in contemporary Kashmiri fiction. By using the theoretical framework of Jeffrey C. Alexander, Neil J. Smelser, Cathy Caruth and Dominick LaCapra on individual and collective trauma, this research paper examines how psychocultural trauma is portrayed in Shahnaz Bashir’s The Half Mother. In the conflict zone of Jammu and Kashmir, how the Indian army brutally violent on the innocent Kashmiri people. It processes and analyzes the heart-wrenching experiences of Haleema, and it vividly captures the pain and loss of her father and son. This research shows the relentless violence in her homeland, fear, hopelessness and fight for freedom that defines the daily life of Kashmiri people. By exploring these traumatic experiences, this study aims to re-envision the traumascapes of Kashmir through a literary lens. This research unfolds the ways Bashir’s work not only represents the pain and suffering of a single person but also serves as a medium and voice of all the Kashmiri people and further understands and articulates the collective trauma and pain in the region.Item Womanism, black feminism and reproductive oppression in the color purple(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Saira IftikharAnalyzing the chronicle frame from submissive childhood to resilient womanhood in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, this thesis identifies the interplay of sexism, racism, oppression and empowerment. It explores the horrifying realities of Afro American women, gender inequality, misogynistic perspective of a male dominating society along with sexual enslavement experienced by protagonist, Celie. Black feminism and womanism contextualized as an instrument that unveils racist efforts regarding power imbalances in a community. Black feminism, a specific strand of socialist feminism, assists to restore the subjectivity of black women. Black feminism disrupts the power structure by challenging the traditional gender roles. Alice Walker’s womanism creates an incomprehensible space for self-expression and individualism. It investigates to build relationship between women within the same community to create a strong female bondage. Womanism and black feminism elucidates multifaceted struggle faced by black females, dismantling the oppressive structures to stimulate empowerment and resistance as portrayed through the character of Celie and Shug. The Color Purple, reveals Walker’s determination regarding female consciousness, highlighting the psychological, physical violence by portraying reproductive oppression as a significant theme. Celie uses her own will power to break away the patriarchy social structure by disregarding conventional social structure. This thesis aims to scrutinize the aspects through which oppression is used as a potent tool to undermine women’s right and their true sense of independence.Item Transgender narratives and taboos(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Tehmina RiazThe present study explores the transgender narratives and taboos portrayed in Faiqa Mansab’s This House of Clay and Water through the lens of social constructionism theory. Mansab’s narrative portrays nonconventional characters which contributes in marking the stereotypes regarding the Hijra community and representing the taboos. This study aims to explore the evidence of challenging societal notions regarding taboos and deceiving narratives in South Asian society and to highlight the exploitation of social constructions regarding gender and sexuality in South Asia. This research paper uses a qualitative approach while utilizing textual analysis to discuss the constructions and deconstructions of transgender taboos and narratives. This study draws the theoretical concepts of Social Constructionism theory to highlight the power of language and discourse, power dynamics and institutionalization, social assumptions, and deconstruction. This paper explores how socio-constructs influence and shape the identity and gender roles of specific genders which result in creating social taboos and metanarratives.Item Memory, trauma and displacement(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Maryam JavaidThis research paper examines the psychological trauma of the characters caused by war and displacement in Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin. It traces the individual as well as the collective trauma the characters face throughout the course of the novel and how these continued traumas lead the characters towards an existential crisis where they try to find meaning and purpose in the aimless existence they have been condemned to, by resisting in the face of atrocities and choosing their own path to struggle, but their efforts bear no fruit. The theoretical framework that has been applied in conducting this research is that of trauma theory. The approaches of the scholars Cathy Caruth, Pirrer Jenet, and Judith Herman were utilized in conducting this research. The works of these theorists is based upon the ideas of Sigmund Freud, that the traumatic events are the ‘stimuli’ that break through the protective shields of the individual’s mind, causing the victim to lose their sense of morality and identity, while shattering their human relationships. It explored fragmentation of identity and relationships and the desire to escape the baggage of generational trauma. This research has been conducted through qualitative research method and the data has been acquired through the close textual reading of the novel and the theoretical texts. The research unfolds that the traumas faced by the characters of Dalia, Amal, Yehya and Yousef are actually the traumas that has been embedded in the collective consciousness of all the Palestinians as they navigate through their aimless existence, hoping to one day return to their homeland.Item Double edged sword of oppression(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Kshaf SiddiqueWomen suffer at the dissecting borders of patriarchy and racial segregation in a world that looks forward to silence femininity to quench the eternal thirst of the flag bearers of colonisation. However, women have shown sheer resilience in the face of occupation of their bodies, land and belongings. The paper critically analyses Susan Abulhawa’s Against the Loveless World, particularly Nahr’s struggle to liberate herself above the pedestal. Extending that, it critically evinces the exceptional story of Nahr, the female protagonist, who falls prey to displacement, racial slurring and prostitution. The research accentuates the challenges faced by Nahr as an embodiment of women suffering at a broader level extending temporal and spatial boundaries. Edward Said’s Orientalist approach provides the theoretical underpinning for the paper as it critically overviews instances from the novel that subjected Nahr to a torturous life. The research has contributed to the greater knowledge of gender and colonialism highlighting the challenges faced by women being doubly colonised. The study critically overlooks the intricate patterns of gender biasness in the looming shadows of colonial regimes. The study has explored the identity crises faced by women as well as the resistance in context of the feminine agency. The research has voiced the snubbed women living on fringes in the contemporary middle east and has used Nahr to pinpoint this gender issue at a broader level.Item Social and psychological alienation in Saadat Hasan Manto tales(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Maryam IdreesThis research paper attempts to study the Alienation and miseries of women in Sadat Hassan Manto‟s works, primarily converging on his short stories that are masterpieces of South Asian literature through the lens of Karl Marx theory of Alienation as major as well as taking insights from the Michel Foucault views on power and surveillance. Through the stories of Manto Sonaral and The Gunshot, this research paper will highlight how these women experience both psychological and social alienation, primarily due to a deep sense of disconnection from themselves as well as society. By implementing ideas presented by Michel Foucault on power and surveillance this study inspects how societal structures and power dynamics subsidize to the alienation of women as well as the descriptions that lead to the alienation of individuals in Marx‟s book Economical and philosophical manuscripts 1984. In this study, Sadat Hasan Manto‟s short stories Sonaral and The Gunshot are analyzed through a qualitative approach employing methodologies such as thematic study and narrative analysis to scrutinize how women were subdued, repressed, and alienated in the late 1900s as well as how these themes are still relevant today.Item Navigating trauma, alienation, and neurotic needs in the patriarchal world of the bell jar(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Jaweriya HassanThis thesis deploys Karen Horney’s theory of neurotic needs as a theoretical tool to analyze Esther Greenwood’s personality in Plath’s The Bell Jar. The theory of neurotic needs proposes that human consciousness seeks ways to satisfy the neurotic anxieties by developing coping mechanisms that are damaging to the personality. The neurotic need to be compliant, detached, sometimes aggressive are the strategies that psycho-neurotic people adhere to so that they can navigate through life. Horney argues that the environmental factors shape a person’s personality that often times get damaged due to the past traumas. The theory of neurotic needs evinces that a damaged personality leads to the development of the neurotic desire to attain an idealized self that is humanly impossible to achieve causing neurotic people to feel alienated from their real self. Esther Greenwood’s neurotic needs stem from her unfortunate childhood experiences following her inability to fit into the society as an adult. Esther’s childhood traumas cause a rift in her personality consequently making her an apathetic sycophant towards the people around her. The patriarchal society threatens her self-worth by upholding double standards for men consequently oppressing women which instills immense fear in her mind causing her to develop a neurotic personality. This thesis aims to analyze Esther’s neurotic needs while scrutinizing the causes of alienation from her real-self, asserting that her neurotic behaviour stems from the influence of her environment rather than the biological factors being responsible for her psychologically damaged personality.Item Narcissistic personality disorder and intimate partner violence(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Ayesha Sana AslamThis dissertation is based on the nexus between Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in the novel It Ends With US by Colleen Hoover. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is associated with the selfish greed of having unlimited success, high social status, and omnipotence. Narcissists have charming personality traits like good looks and success which attracts people towards them. Because of these traits, they are less likely to be rejected when it comes to short term relationships. But they are usually unlucky when it comes to long-term relationships. After some time in the relationship with a narcissist, the euphoria descends and the romantic partner starts seeing the toxic traits of the narcissist. This study highlights the tactics employed by a narcissist to manipulate and control the female protagonist. These tactics include love-bombing, gaslighting and use of their as well as their partner’s trauma as a manipulative tool to make them stay longer. In addition to this, this research will discuss the role of “Transgenerational Phantom” in distorting one’s reality. This is based on the concept of hauntology by Derrida where the ghost or phantoms of the past – trauma, intrudes the present, disturbs the psyche and brings discomfort to its bearer. When the victim re-lives the trauma, their conscious shatters, leaving them confused, as the boundary between past and present blurs.Item Gender essentialism and Mustafa I materialistic eco-feminism in D.H. Lawrence’ s lady Chatterley’s lover(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Ajwa MustafaThis thesis investigates the horrifying effects of industrialization in 1920s England: capitalization, destruction of natural landscape, women’s oppression along with the sexual constraints experienced by the tyrannized Connie in Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Materialistic Eco-feminism, a specific strand of Socialist Feminism, posits that the exploitation of women and degradation of natural environment are affiliated through patriarchal, capitalized system. Simone De Beauvoir, an eco-feminist critic, analyzed eco-feminism as a renewed attempt to pin women down to their tradition role. Gender essentialism renders that legitimate sex is a primary factor in determining gender of a human as men and women are biologically different. Eco-feminism scrutinizes women as nurturers and men as the dominant creatures of society, thus reinstates gender essentialism. D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover considers women’s oppression and exploitation of natural scenery as a product of capital society, experienced by the young, free-spirited, protagonist, Connie – grappling to escape the inheritance of her misogynistic, war-stricken, disabled husband. Female sexuality – in association to authentic identity postulates that sexual authenticity has temerity to challenge capitalistic orthodoxy. The thesis aims to achieve women’s liberation along with nature’s preservation by applying specific strands of Socialist feminism in order to abolish male dominated capitalist oppression.Item Analyzing character development in Austen’s and Wilde's Emma(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Harim FatimaThis dissertation provides a comparative analysis of character development in Jane Austen's novel Emma and Autumn de Wilde's 2020 film adaptation Emma, how Wilde portrays these characters on screen and how these characters have been transformed from the 19th century to the contemporary world has been explored by using Linda Hutcheon's adaptation theory as a framework. Hutcheon's adaptation theory emphasizes on the relationship between the source text and its secondary form in any medium. The study focuses on the chosen film in relation to its source text. The focal point of this dissertation is to explore how the essence of Jane Austen’s original creation is preserved in the making of contemporary Emma Woodhouse. This research inspects various elements such as visual techniques which include all kinds of cinematics, narrative techniques, and also portrayals of characters to understand the variation of character development both in text and film. By comparing the novel’s depiction of Emma’s journey towards social understanding and self-awareness with film, the research reveals the forms in which cinematic conventions influence the portrayal of characters. This thesis also examines invented scenes which are there to show characters more comical than the actual novel and previous adaptations, the dialogue wording, and the narrative shift. Wilde's adaptation is more strongly set on entertainment than GP or KB films.Item Julie’s transformational struggle(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Momina ArifThe research has focused on the character of Julie in Thao’s You’ve Reached Sam who underwent a powerful psychological transformative journey, from being grief-stricken and disoriented to finding a fulfilling purpose in life after the death of her boyfriend, Sam, analyzed through the lens of Maslow’s theory of “Hierarchy of Needs” (1943). The sense of loss experienced by Julie’s character is examined as her humanly needs were threatened by Sam’s sudden accidental demise, leaving her to cope up with the unfulfillment of the basic, physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization needs, as Maslow placed them. While living among her loved ones, the protagonist clinged to the non-existent past through the phone calls with Sam as her needs are satisfied there. Under this theoretical framework, Julie’s actions were placed under a lens to be examined as they were molded according to the needs they lacked. Finally, towards the end she reached her highest form by achieving the state of self-actualization as all her needs were met in the proposed hierarchy of needs along with the gradual development of Julie’s character.Item Narrative as a social construct(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Bushra ShahidThis study explores the impact of the narrative in making the realities we live in. It discusses the relation of power and narrative how narrative is power and power is narrative. The upper ruling class holds the narrative, but it ends up misrepresenting the lower class, and then stereotypes are formed about certain classes. Firstly, by contextualizing the importance of narrative and the class binaries which are created because of narrative; the ground is provided for analysis. The referential analysis of narrative power is provided through the application of Marxist Narratology on J.M. Coetzee’s novel Waiting for the Barbarians. Two theories Narratology and Marxism are combined for theoretical framework. The qualitative narrative analysis method analyses how in the novel the narrative is in the hands of only one person, which further explores that narrative gave the narrator absolute power to constantly represent the roles of certain people to be in power and others being under them. The study investigates the power politics of narrative on three levels. Firstly, the power which one gets because of the narrative in one hand; secondly, the upper class holding the narrative and thirdly, men dominating the narrative representing women in a certain pattern as they wanted them to be. This study claims the idea that everyone must write for themselves and make their true representation in the present so that the stereotypes can be changed. This study provides the avenue for future researchers to focus on the research areas that affect practical life and work on a more experimental level with narrative.Item Intersectional subjugation(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Rubab FatimaThe research identifies the profundity of ecofeminist threads in An Abundance of Wild Roses underpinning the patriarchal constructs, exploiting women and nature. The study brings forth the pattern of social decrees and injustices mastered by the patriarchy, retrospecting the feminization of nature and the naturalization of women. It navigates the cultural binds that privilege male supremacy in subjugating the inferior sphere, positioning their consciousness. The character of Moosa Madad in the novel serves as the patriarchal tool, normalizing the unjust dominance over women and nature, subsequently. The narrative encounters the holistic connection between women and nature, confronting the cultural framework, and prompting an inclusive biosphere, where people and animals live in harmony.Item Voices of tradition(UMT, Lahore, 2024) Izna SalmanThe study examines unheard voices, practicing unconventional traditions of patriarchy in the 21st century. The novel presented by Shazaf Fatima Haider How It Happened was the perfect example of portraying the true colors of patriarchy. While employing theory of ecriture feminism presented by Helene Cixous in her essay the laugh of medusa. This study claims to normalize the image of a good girl while doing a love marriage as it has been considered a contradiction in the patriarchal world. This research aims to examine the factor of generational gap in characters' lives that lead them to breaking the traditional norm assigned to them. Where ecriture feminism focuses on reclaiming female voice, challenging traditional gender norms through female writing, this research intended to unravel the empowered women that have a strong and unlike opinion and redefines traditional literary conventions. The study also focuses on how society makes women guilty, how women that were suppressed are now breaking up the silence while speaking up for themselves, and how “love marriage” has been considered as a taboo for a girl living in the contemporary world. A qualitative method has been used for this feminist analysis of Haider's novel resulting in how female characters navigate and reshape their identities within a patriarchy.
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