A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PAKISTANI BRIDE BY BAPSI SIDHWA VS FASTING, FEASTING BY ANITA DESAI IN TERMS OF MARXIST FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The current paper analyzes the female figure in the novels Bapsi Sidhwa’s The Pakistani Bride and Anita Desai’s Fasting, Feasting. A qualitative research method is applied under the theoretical framework of Marxist feminism propounded by Heidi Hartman Robinson. Thematic analysis is a research tool used in this study. The patriarchal system and capitalism are major contributors to the persistence of male supremacy. Bapsi Sidhwa's novel The Pakistani Bride portrays a lady who is imprisoned within her home's four walls. She is regarded as a trustworthy asset. All societies, especially Asian cultures and customs, impose limits to keep women in check. Men from Pakistan and India regularly subject women to physical and psychological abuse. They are denied of their economic and social independence while claiming that their family, culture, and religion are being protected. Women have historically been marginalized by men in all spheres of life, but especially in Asia. In addition, males utilize marital contraction as a means of controlling and stifling women. The study reveals glaring parallels between Pakistani and Indian societies' representations of women.