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Title Subversion of Sexist Stereotypes: A Historical Discourse Analysis of Mumtaz Shahnawaz's The Heart Divided

Author(s) Sanniya Gondal

Abstract This study examines the defiance of the sexism as it appears in Mumtaz Shahnawaz’s postcolonial novel The Heart Divided. The study adopts a Discourse Historical Approach (DHA), which represents an exploration of the ways in which Shahnawaz confronts traditional gender roles and attacks the patriarchal structures that deprive women of the opportunity to leave their domestic sphere, in a South Asian context. Two key research questions guide the analysis: firstly, how does the language in the novel shape and propagate the common sexist stereotypes? Secondly, how does Shahnawaz take the man with a turban stereotype and turn it on its head within the story? The study performs an analysis of the language used in the novel, which is the main data source for the study. The text is additionally analyzed due to DHA in order to see how it both creates and negates stereotypes of women. Role of characters, and system of apartheid within the family, like the Zenana (women's quarters) and Mardana (men's quarters) will be the main areas of inquiry. The result of the analysis is that Shahnawaz disrupts stereotypes with powerful female characters who go against society's norms and tackle the patriarchal system. In addition, the language itself topples down the patriarchal discourse. These conclusions show that Shahnawaz uses literature as a medium in which he describes and reevaluates gender roles. Such a study is not limited to the exploration of linguistic means for the reinforcement or challenge of stereotypes but also points to the literature as the main instrument for social change. Future research will be able to investigate similar issues in other post-colonial works or explore the historical background of the creation of the novel to understand why Shahnawaz wrote The Heart Divided and what the impact of the novel was in its specific social-cultural environment.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2025-02-25

Subject English Linguistics

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