Pakistani Identity and Kamila Shamsies Novels: An Analysis in Stylistics (Thematic Parallelism)

Abstract

This paper explored thematic parallelism in Kamila five of Shamsies novels i.e. Salt and Saffron, Cartography, Broken Verses, Burnt Shadows, and Home Fire. The paper identify here conflicts, depressions, identity fluctuations and a relentless machination of transformations by the powerful and resisting quarters of the region. The repetitive rule of military in Pakistan, the negative fallouts of engagement in Afghanistans resistance against the Soviets, the alienation of Muhajirs, the national and international catastrophe of 9/11 emerge as the strings that reflect the dilemma of the nomadism of modern times. The tyranny of destructive forces is amply reflected in the parallel desolation of places, characters and cultures. Karachi in its violence is parallel to Tokyo and New York. These parallels sublimate each other in conveying the poignancy of uprootedness and loss of identity. The lexical and syntactic parallels identifiable through corpus tools helped in identifying such parallels.

The Legitimized Use of Figurative Language: A Pragmatic Study of Multiculturalism and Political Intrigues of Shamsie’s “Burnt Shadows”

“…Doubt and political unrest brings disaster for the common people but it is an age of technology that is used destructively. "In past wars, only homes burnt, but this time, don't be surprised if even loneliness ignites [16].…”

“…The writer has deviated from the conventional style to make the foreign readers familiar with the language of Muslims by the utilization of different words that are agents of the representation of Muslim convictions and ethnicity. The words like murg musslam, naan, Aba, and chutney give a reflection of the Asian lifestyle [16]. "At the end of the table, a basket of naan was surrounded by various a chaat chutneys and the delicacy that Aba claimed Shakespeare had foretold:'' Such stuffed chilies as dreams are made on" [17].…”