01 Changing Images of Pakistani Women in Kamila Shamsie’s Salt and Saffron and Broken Verses

Abstract

The culture of Pakistan which is deeply entrenched in patriarchy has given rise to constructs of ideal feminity as devotion, endurance, loyalty and self-sacrifice. Literature is considered to be one of the most important means of perpetuating such images which seek to marginalize women and ensure male domination.  In this research “Images of women” critical approach was used to analyze and evaluate how Kamila Shamsie, an emerging Pakistani female writer has depicted female characters in the novels Salt and Saffron (2000) and Broken Verses (2006). The critical analysis of Shamsie’s selected fiction revealed the novelist’s keen observation and realistic presentation of Pakistan’s predominantly patriarchal culture, where women are still in the process of transition to break free from the moulds of ideal femininity. Shamsie champions women’s autonomy by portraying socially rebellious, strong-willed and courageous women as her central characters and deconstructs the ancient stereotypes of Pakistani women.