An Analysis of Western Male and Female Character Ideologies in Bepsi Sidhwa’s `The Pakistani Bride`

Abstract

The study aimed to critically analyze the Eastern female ideologies construed in the novel ‘The Pakistani Bride’ by Bapsi Sidhwa. The study used mixed-method approach for the analysis of the text. By using the technique of purposive sampling, the sample of 45 clauses was taken from ‘The Pakistani Bride’. Drawing on Systemic Functional Linguistic especially on the transitivity analysis, the critical discourse analysis of the sample text was carried out. The results of the analysis revealed that gender disparities exist in the novel, but the nature of the disparities was different. The transitivity analysis of the text of ‘The Pakistani Bride’ revealed that power disparities existed between male and female characters. The female character was on oppressed, sub-ordinate and subdued side. The male character, on the other hand, was dominant and authoritative. The Women were treated inhumanly, brutally, and were being considered children of the lesser god in ‘The Pakistani Bride’.