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Title "Exploring the Construal of Gender in Pakistani Fiction in English: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis "

Author(s) Faheem Arshad

Abstract ABSTRACT Thesis Title: Exploring the Construal of Gender in Pakistani Fiction in English: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis This thesis explores the construal of gender in selected Pakistani fiction written in English, positing that gender is discursively constructed and that fictional texts serve as significant sites for such constructions. Notably, while extensive research exists on gender representation through content analysis, there is a notable gap in analytical works focusing on Pakistani fiction in English from a feminist discourse analytical perspective. However, till the completion of the write up of this thesis, many works on Pakistani fiction in English, informed by feminist theories and approaches have started to emerge in the academic arena. This thesis aims to fill that gap by presenting a feminist critical discourse analysis of how gender is constituted through various gendered discourses in fictional texts. The research utilizes primary data comprising gendered discourses extracted from selected texts, analyzed using a range of linguistic tools, particularly aspects of van Leeuwen's Social Actor Network (2008). Key theoretical frameworks include Discourse, Post-structuralism, and Feminism. By employing van Leeuwen's model, the study explores the construction of gender within these discourses and identifies linguistic traces of gendered discourses using Sunderland's interpretive framework (2004). The analysis addresses two primary concerns: (a) identifying explicit and subtle language use in diverse gender-related discourses, and (b) examining the consistency of these gendered discourses with contemporary understandings of gender. The study critically examines the portrayal of 'gendered beings or subject positioning' of women and men in fictional representations, often rooted in traditional stereotypes of femininity and masculinity. While demonstrating that these representations are entrenched in socio-cultural practices that frequently render women powerless and silent, the thesis also highlights alternative discourses that challenge stereotypical gender constructions.

Type Thesis/Dissertation PhD

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2024-04-29

Subject PhD English Linguistics

Publisher Department of English (GS)

Contributor(s) Dr. M Uzair

Format As per departmental guidelines

Identifier Dr. Muhammad Haseeb Nasir (PhD English Program Coordinator)

Source

Relation

Coverage

Rights