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THE ARBOREAL NARRATIVE: AN ECOLOGICAL POSTHUMANIST READING OF ELIF SHAFAK’S THE ISLAND OF MISSING TREES Title: The Arboreal Narrative: An Ecological Posthumanist Reading of Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees This research explores Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees (2021) from the perspective of ecological posthumanism. It investigates the strategies used for the configuration of ecological posthumanist elements in the selected text by focusing on the arboreal narrative of the novel. I invoke Serpil Oppermann’s concept of "ecological posthumanism" and Rosi Bradotti’s idea of "contemporary critical posthumanism" in order to analyse the selected text. Oppermann draws on Braidotti’s theorising which incorporates 'ecology' and 'environmentalism' with a special emphasis placed on all “earth-others''. I have been able to employ Oppermann and Braidotti’s concepts to advantage by exploring the arboreal narrative in Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees. I do it by focusing on the interconnectedness of humans and nonhumans (plants and animals) and subverting anthropocentrism through the idea of ‘becoming-with’. Thus, this study explores the mutual relationship between the two (humans and nonhumans) in an ecologically sustainable mode and the consequences of the problematic enmeshment of the two entities. For this research, I use Catherine Belsey's textual analysis as my research method. My analysis of the novel uncovers various strategies it employs to depict ecological posthumanist elements. These include the arboreal narrator, interconnectedness, becoming-animal, becoming-earth, and matter’s effectivity. These strategies decentralise human agency and challenge anthropocentric hierarchies. They also highlight the interdependence of human and nonhuman entities in an ecological framework. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that human-nonhuman enmeshment results in both harmonious and disruptive consequences; while mutual coexistence fosters ecological balance and sustainability, neglecting interconnectedness leads to disruptions in ecological equilibrium. The novel also explores ecological sustainability through symbiosis and regeneration. Since Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees has not been studied from the perspective of ecological posthumanism in the available critical scholarship, this investigation fills this research gap and contributes to the production of knowledge in this domain. It also contributes to discussions on ecological sustainability and narrative agency.
LINGUISTIC ERROR ANALYSIS: A CORPUS-BASED INVESTIGATION OF MPHILTHESES AT NUML Title: Linguistic Error Analysis: A Corpus-Based Investigation of MPhil Theses at NUML Error analysis is a systematic method for locating, classifying, and examining second language learners' errors. It closely examines both repetitive and sporadic errors to understand more about the learners' language skills. The present study has explored language errors in the graduate theses of second language learners in Pakistan (NUML). Using the pragmatic research philosophy, the present study employs case studiesto identify, categorise, and analyse language errors. Forty theses from the four departments of NUML (IR, GPP, Economics, and English) have been selected randomly. After downloading ten theses from each department from the NUML e-library, four corpora were made, which were then annotated with the help of TagAnt. Two corpustools, TagAnt and AntConc, have been used to identify the errors. Three categories of grammatical, mechanical, and syntactical errors have been adopted from PescanteMalimas and Samson (2018), which have been further analysed under the theoretical lens of Ellis (1994). A corpus-based error analysis found that grammatical errors were the most common among the four selected departments. Mechanical errors were not asrecurrent, whereasthe occurrence of syntactical errors mainly depended on the demand of their subject or the study area that students dealt with; the students from the economic departments focused on the statistical rather than syntactic or grammatical functions of the language. This study found that the students from English departments were writing long and descriptive sentences, which lessened the readers' engagement. The current research study contributes to the academic domains of English thesis writing by giving practical suggestions to students, teachers, and policymakers to significantly enhance the academic language in the graduate thesis. This study suggests organising academic writing workshops and seminars to enhance the students' writing capabilities and teach them to tackle various academic challenges.
FREE SPEECH IN PAKISTAN: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF PREVENTION OF ELECTRONIC CRIMES ACT (2016) AND PECA ORDINANCE (2022) Free Speech in Pakistan: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (2016) and PECA Ordinance (2022) In the digital era, where legislations are promulgated to meet the challenges brought up with technological advancements, Pakistan's legal landscape regarding electronic transactions and cybercrimes has evolved significantly. This study aims to critically analyze the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, and PECA Ordinance 2022, focusing on their impact on free speech in Pakistan. Using Wodak's Discourse Historical Approach (DHA) to analyze the linguistic and historical context of these legislations, the study reveals that these laws impose substantial constraints on free speech. The research considers the influence of political and ideological factors in shaping cyber laws, demonstrating how regulatory mechanisms can be leveraged to control narratives in the digital space. By analyzing public reactions at both national and international platforms, the study sheds light on the societal reception of these legal measures and their impact on democratic participation. Ultimately, the findings advocate for reforms that promote transparency, accountability, and a rights-based approach to digital legislations in Pakistan. The findings underscore the restrictive nature of these regulations, highlighting the tension between ensuring cyber security and preserving fundamental rights. The study's implications stress the need for a balanced approach that safeguards both digital security and the freedom of expression, contributing to ongoing discussions about policy reform in Pakistan.
Print Media Coverage of the Kashmir Issue in Indian and Pakistani Newspapers after Abrogation of Article-370: A Critical Discourse Analysis Kashmir has been an enduring territorial dispute between Pakistan and India since 1947. Both countries try to portray the same issue in a way that gets their national stance on the issue international approval and recognition. Both countries lay claim to the valley of Kashmir and blame each other for instability in the valley. Since newspapers play a crucial role in the construction of political ideologies and their dissemination; therefore, newspapers of both countries portray the same issue differently to fit their political narrative. This research conducted an analysis of news editorials published in Daily Dawn, The Express Tribune, The Indian Express, and The Hindustan Times belonging to India and Pakistan. The data was retrieved through online database of newspapers through keyword search. The analysis focused on various linguistic features employed in the text and their connection with socio-cultural context. By analysing the linguistic features, the research has highlighted the political ideologies within the text and has studied how through linguistic features like nominalization, transitivity, rhetorical devices, emotive lexical choices, modality, and intertextuality, the newspapers build narratives of national importance and ideology. To study the media discourse in Kashmir conflict and to highlight the narratives and hidden ideologies, Norman Fairclough's 3D model was employed because of its emphasis on textual features and socio-cultural context. The research concluded that through employing a range of linguistic features the Indian newspapers construct a narrative that favours India and shows India as the rightful owner of Kashmir, whereas Pakistan is shown as an occupier and a terrorist state. On the contrary, Pakistani newspapers depicted India as an occupier that is committing gross human rights violations and Kashmir belongs to Pakistan and not to India. This comparison revealed that both stakeholders in the Kashmir dispute manipulate the language to present themselves in a positive light and the other in a negative light. Moreover, it reveals how language plays a major role in construction of ideologies in issues of national importance.
Formal and Informal Trends in Grammatical Patterns used by Intermediate Students: A Systemic Functional Linguistic Study The current study investigates the formal and informal trends of grammatical patterns among the intermediate learners. Further, the English language learners employ and opt for different modes and patterns in their writing. Based on qualitative research paradigm, the study is delineated to the theoretical framework of systemic functional linguistics proposed by Halliday in 1961. Moreover, the current study has benefitted from two different data collection tools, i.e., open ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Open-end questionnaires were filled by the learners and interviews were conducted from the teachers. The participants were selected via purposive sampling technique. The research has been conducted in Fazaia Inter College Jinnah Camp, Rawalpindi. The findings of the study demonstrated that the participants were more prone to the use of informal writing rather formal mode of writing due to the excessive use of social media and the use of texting with classmates and friends. It was also found that during the interviews the learners tend to use informal language as they consider it less time consuming. Learners found informal language more comfortable and easier to use. Therefore, it is recommended for the teachers and practitioners to instruct the second language learners to adhere to the established norms and conventions of academic writing.
Exploring the Pragmatic Functions of Deixis: A Case Study of Saraiki Speaking English Language Learners and Teachers This study explores pragmatics, which is used to bridge linguistic structure to contextual meaning and investigates the deployment of deixis by Saraiki speakers learning their target language, that is, English. Deixis is a primary pragmatic element that is integral to successful communication, for failure to use it properly can cause communication ambiguity or breakdown. It uses the qualitative approach and utilises deictic practices of Saraiki-speaking students studying in the BS English program at the Gazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, to discover their deictic practices. Multiple methods triangulated the data. I incorporate data gathered through semi-structured interviews with ten English department teachers, 5 teachers’ lectures that I observed in the classroom, and some recordings of informal interactions among 5 students. Collectively, these methods captured both formal and informal linguistic behaviours and an overall analysis of deictic usage across contexts. The transcribed data showed a strong reliance on personal deixis (1st and 2nd person pronouns) in academic interactions, with questions such as what role and what kind of relation the participants had with each other. For instance, spatial, temporal, social, and discourse deixis were used sparingly, suggesting a possible lacuna in learners’ contextual adaptation or awareness of these kinds of deixis. However, the results emphasise the relevance of pedagogical interventions that directly target deictic competence to equip learners to handle language use in a given context more proficiently. Furthermore, recommendations emphasise the collective responsibility of educators and students to cultivate metalinguistic awareness of deixis, and provide suggestions of immersive exercises that involve deixis within real-world communicative scenarios. Prioritising contextualised practice in practice reduces the likelihood of misleading practice and increases the accuracy of academic discourse in learners of the English language.
Pandemic and Spiritual Awakening: A Study of Selected Characters in Hall’s Burntcoat and Picoult’s Wish You Were Here Pandemic literature is based on the lived experiences of individuals who have survived through it. A lot of work has been done in this field during the last three years during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The current study focuses on the impacts of Covid-19 and how it has affected the mental health of people around the globe. The study has explored the fictional works of Jodi Picoult Wish You Were Here (2021), and Sarah Hall Burntcoat (2021) to prove that spirituality allows you to explore yourself and the world around. This study has used the theoretical framework of spirituality by Lisa Miller and Forrest Rivers to analyze the texts under study. Miller claims that a spiritually awakened mind is more innovative and creative, and spirituality allows you to explore yourself and the world around (Miller 50). Forrest Rivers states that Covid-19 has made us face our “existential anxieties,” it has cleared the way for many productive and useful thoughts (Forrest 68). My study talks about the lack of focus on spirituality as one of the techniques which can help people come out of the crisis but also suggests taking challenging times as an opportunity. This study explores the thematic shift in literature because of Covid-19 pandemic and thus has adopted the thematic analysis methodology by Braun and Clarke as a technique for analysis. This study finds spirituality as one of the best techniques to deal with uncertain circumstances as it keeps an individual hopeful and optimistic about his/her life and future. The research concludes that spirituality and other therapeutic practices like Art as well as works of literature are a powerful source to inspire and motivate people who have been struggling with depression and anxiety due to the Covid-19 pandemic or life in general. This research also indicates that the social connections between people are of great importance as these help provide mutual support to each other.
Recreating Muslim Identity: A Study of Self-Compassion and Self-Reassurance in the Selected Muslim Young Adult Fiction This research aims at exploring the identity recreation of Muslim community living in the West. The study deals with self-compassion and self-reassurance as part of human personality. The study deals with two significant works of literature i-e Hana Khan Carries On (2021) by Uzma Jalaluddin and An Emotion Of Great Delight (2021) by Tahereh Mafi. This research is based on the Social Mentality Theory (2016) put forward by Nicola Hermanto and David Charles Zuroff. The research investigates how Muslim protagonists navigate sociocultural marginalization, Islamophobia, and internalized conflict while fostering psychological resilience. The findings of the study reveal that both the protagonists demonstrate the use of self-compassion to navigate grief and societal pressure. This research is also based on another theoretical perspective based on the role of religion. In order to prove religious stance, researcher has selected an article “Muslim women negotiating their identity in the era of Muslim ban” (2021). It highlights that religion plays a role as a buffer against anxiety and stress. Both the protagonists carefully negotiate their Muslim identities, showing that self-compassion and self-reassurance often involve setting boundaries while maintaining familial and cultural connections. With respect to this study, the future researchers can analyze the impact of literature on readers’ minds. Also, interviews and surveys can be conducted to analyze that how literature like these selected novels support self-compassion and identity formation.
POST-PANOPTICON AND ‘RIGHT TO THE CITY’: A STUDY OF SELECTED EUROPEAN GRAPHIC NOVELS Title: Post-Panopticon and ‘Right to the City’: A Study of Selected European Graphic Novels This research explores surveillance and policing in contemporary literature in English, specifically the graphic novels Soft City (2016) by Norwegian artist Hariton Push Wagner and Paris 2119 (2020) by Zep and Dominique Bertail. This study argues that the surveillance and policing in the urban spaces, in the narratives, create a disciplinary architectural space of post-Panopticon, which compartmentalizes and reterritorializes citizens into controlled and altered spaces, thereby denying the citizens' right to the city and their bodies. The theoretical concepts of post-Panopticon, coded desire, hyper-information, and reterritorialization by Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, along with Henri Lefebvre’s right to the city, help substantiate the argument. The methodology utilized by the study is the qualitative inquiry of the primary texts to investigate the city spaces reconstructed into post-Panopticon and resulting in the depravity of rights to these spaces. This study utilizes a social semiotic Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MMDA) devised by Kress and Van Leeuwen. In both narratives, urban spaces are deterritorialized and reterritorialized by the state-corporate into active sites of production through consumer seduction and information surveillance. In the continuous flow of surveillance, the natural interaction of citizens is brutally interrupted, resulting in the dismissal of human rights. Post-Panopticon is pivotal for the state-corporate in propagating the agenda of control, discipline, and conformity in urban spaces and among the masses. Citizens are reduced to commodities and data nodes.
REINSCRIBING POST-SPACE: A STUDY OF SPATIAL METAPHORS IN THE POETRY OF TAUFIQ RAFAT AND RIZWAN AKHTAR Title: Reinscribing Post-Space: A Study of Spatial Metaphors in the Poetry of Taufiq Rafat and Rizwan Akhtar This study examines the poetry of Taufiq Rafat and Rizwan Akhtar, emphasizing their engagement with the representation and reclamation of spaces in postcolonial Pakistan through reading of spatial metaphors present in their poetry. This research argues that these poets, through their poetic works, reinterpret spaces which are marked by colonial histories, connecting them to pre-colonial cultural practices and converting them into spaces of resistance and identity formation. This spatial reclamation not only challenges the colonial legacies embedded in the landscape but also creates a distinct voice for Pakistani English literature within global literary discourse. The research employs textual analysis as a research strategy in order to read the spatial metaphors in the poems and extract the spatial representation embedded in them. By employing the theoretical frameworks of Russell West-Pavlov’s concept of “spatial metaphors,” W. J. T. Mitchell’s concept of “ideological map,” and Sara Upstone’s concept of “post-space,” the study highlights the political and cultural dimensions of spatial representation in Rafat and Akhtar’s poetry. While Rafat’s poetry explores the historical and cultural shifts in rural and urban landscapes, reflecting the tensions that are present between colonial erasure and indigenous resilience, Akhtar, in turn, portrays the fragmented contemporary spaces, blending personal and collective experiences to reclaim urban and rural spaces of cultural significance. Together, their works emphasize the centrality of space in postcolonial identity and cultural renewal. This research underscores that Rafat and Akhtar’s poetry not only critiques colonial spatial practices but also redefines the postcolonial landscape by reclaiming it for cultural memory and continuity. Their contribution positions Pakistani English literature as an evolving field that negotiates history, identity, and spatial politics on a global stage
Negotiating the Poetics and Politics of Difference in Post-9/11 Pakistani Poetry: A (Post) Memory Study Title: Negotiating the Poetics and Politics of Difference in Post-9/11 Pakistani Poetry: A (Post)Memory Study This research examines the forms, characteristics and thematic concerns of (post)memory of 9/11 and its offshoots in Pakistani poetry produced in the last two decades (2001-2020). During this period, a number of Pakistani poets have translated the events of 9/11 and the subsequent developments such as the ‘War on Terror’ into individual, communal, public, prosthetic and transcultural memories of violence, and determined their own paths to manage the turmoil different from the one witnessed by the post-9/11 American poets. This research negotiates with the poetics and politics of difference while highlighting the polyphonic aesthetic structures of (post)9/11- memory in Pakistani poetry. It entwines trauma, memory, and cultural studies, and scaffolds its argument upon the four concepts of public fantasy, communal memory, identity displacement, and transculturality. Squaring the theoretical canvas, it traces the repercussions of 9/11 beyond trauma in prosthetic contexts. It further maps how natal alienation – a disconnection of historical memory from the cultural context – not only augments mnemohistory in subjectivity but is also indelible in influencing social, political, and territorial contexts of analogical 9/11 memory. Negotiating with vernacular narratives through their poetry by contrasting them with Anglophone poetry, which is widely praised in Pakistan and the world at large, this research provides an indepth understanding of the ways post-9/11 poetic memorials are constructed in Pakistan. Here, within the canvas of memory studies and South Asian studies, the parenthesized ‘(post)’ provides theoretical space to the diversity of Pakistani poetic voices to 9/11 and its offshoots. This research fills the absence of local narratives in the mapping of vernacular and national memories. A detailed glossary of the terms used in this thesis is provided at the end.
ASTRAL PROJECTION AND BLURRING OF BOUNDARIES BETWEEN REAL AND UNREAL: A STUDY OF ARCHETYPES IN BEHIND HER EYES AND STRANGER WITH MY FACE Title: Astral Projection and the Blurring of Boundaries between Real and the Unreal: A Study of Archetypes in Behind Her Eyes and Stranger with My Face This research examines Sarah Pinborough’s Behind Her Eyes (2017) and Lois Duncan’s Stranger with My Face (1982), focusing on how archetypal influences, rooted in the collective unconscious, drive the use of astral projection and consequently distort the characters’ perception of reality. The study draws upon Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes and Susan J. Blackmore’s exploration of astral projection to investigate the ways in which deeply embedded archetypal symbols guide characters’ behavior and psychological development. Archetypes, being a fundamental part of the collective unconscious, persist across generations and surface through individual psyches, shaping thoughts, emotions and actions. When characters engage with these unconscious forces, they cross into unknown territories where the boundaries between reality and illusion collapse, giving rise to liminal spaces that challenge their sense of self and the external world. It may also lead to identity confusion, behavioral transformation, and emotional disintegration. The study employs Catherine Belsey’s model of textual analysis to conduct a detailed analysis of the selected texts, examining how astral projection becomes a tool through which archetypal forces manifest and disrupt ordinary life. The findings reveal that characters such as Rob, Adele, Lia, and Laurie are deeply influenced by archetypal patterns, particularly the Shadow and Trickster, which push them towards actions that distort reality. Their psychological disconcertment, identity crises, and behavioral shifts result directly from their interactions with the astral realm, where they experience a loss of control over their material existence. This research contributes to both literary and psychological studies by demonstrating how speculative fiction provides a meaningful space to explore the influence of unconscious archetypal drives on individual behavior and perception.
Culture, Violence and Desire: A Study on Mimetic Desire in the Netflix Series Vikings This thesis examines the interplay of mimetic desire, violence, and religion in Viking culture as portrayed in the Netflix series Vikings. It posits that mimetic desire, a concept formulated by René Girard, serves as a fundamental driver of violence in Viking society, motivated by both cultural and religious aspirations. This study scrutinizes the depiction of Viking warriors’ pursuit of glory and the afterlife in Valhalla, elucidating how these desires manifest in acts of violence and the scapegoating mechanism. Through a detailed analysis of the first two seasons of Vikings, alongside theoretical insights from Girard, Per Bjornar Grande, and Wolfgang Palaver, the thesis explores the nexus of mimetic rivalry and sacrificial practices within the Norse religion. This exploration reveals the cultural and religious imperatives that shaped Viking behaviors and social dynamics, highlighting the complex interrelations between violence, desire, and religious beliefs. The narrative arcs of characters such as Ragnar Lothbrok provide profound insights into the mechanisms of mimetic desire and its role in sustaining social order through violence and sacrifice. This research offers a nuanced understanding of Viking culture and contributes to the broader discourse on mimetic theory and its application to historical and contemporary contexts.
NOMADIC FLOWS AND FEMINIST BECOMING: THE INTERSECTIONS OF DJINN AND WOMEN IN THE SELECTED PAKISTANI ANGLOPHONE SPECULATIVE FICTION Title: Nomadic Flows and Feminist Becoming: The Intersections of Djinn and Women in The Selected Pakistani Anglophone Speculative Fiction The research explores the subversion of traditional gender norms in Pakistani society through the lens of two Pakistani Anglophone novels: A Firefly in the Dark by Shazaf Fatima Haider and The Blue Room by Nafisa Rizvi. Both novels feature strong female protagonists who engage with mythical Djinn, which serve as symbols of empowerment and resistance. Through these supernatural interactions, the protagonists challenge and transcend patriarchal constraints, gaining agency and autonomy. The analysis draws on the theoretical frameworks of Judith Butler's concept of "performativity," Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's notion of "becoming" and "nomadic flows," and Judith Lorber's understanding of gender as a social institution. A scrutiny of the texts employing the theoretical lens helps illuminate how the Djinn facilitates the protagonists' transformation, allowing them to subvert conventional gender roles and assert their identities in a patriarchal society. The research highlights the complex interplay between myth and reality in these narratives, demonstrating how they reflect and contest the dynamics of gender and power in Pakistan. Ultimately, the study underscores the profound agency and resilience of women as they navigate and resist societal restrictions, while overlapping with Djinns, offering new insights into the struggle for identity and autonomy within a culturally rich and traditionally bound society.