Realization of female identity: a study of Ali's Brick Lane

Abstract

Ali's protagonist Nazneen in Brick Lane is victimized by Islamic male dominated culture which represents male as superior and females as inferior or the other. Through Nazneen, a Bangladeshi village girl, Ali is able to present the female's position which moves from a dependent, isolated and religious life to an independent as equal to male. Nazneen's dedication in work gives her courage to make decision. She knows that, only after being economically strong, the position can be established and the dreams can be fulfilled rather than depending upon males. On the one hand, she gets success to secure her identity in a multicultural society following the philosophy of work. Similarly, Hasina, following the same philosophy, denies the male dominated values through regular suffering. She is in the process of establishment of her identity which gives more values to the males and takes female as inferior. It takes long time for her to establish the position of Nazneen in the single and rigid Muslim culture.