Feminist Stylistics: An Analysis of Graphological Deviation in Afzal Khan’s Memoir

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to explore the way the postmodern feminist subversive text i.e. Afzal Khan’s memoir Lahore with Love: Growing up with Girl Friends Pakistani Style presents an alternative text while deviating at graphological level. The present research is based on mixed method. The research is mainly qualitative but quantitative data has also been provided for the confirmation of the data achieved through in depth analysis of the text of the memoir. Mills’ three-part-model (only at the word level) and Leech and Short’s Style in Fiction have been drawn on as a research tool to analyze the text. Mills’ feminist stylistics aims to rectify the way the gender is represented in the phallocentric texts into an alternative matriarchal language. Style in Fiction provides a platform to bring to light deviations. The analysis reveals that Fawzia Afzal Khan’s memoir is embellished with graphological deviation. The analysis at word level brings to light deviation at graphological level in the form of spacing, capitalization, hyphen, slashes and borrowing. Moreover, the analysis further suggests Fawzia Afzal khan has very dexterously and boldly challenged the male centric hegemonic historical narratives into an alternative female centric narrative both in content and form.