INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

Analysis of an American Brat as a post colonial text by

Submitted to:-

Maam Amal Sayyid

Submitted by:-

Anam Nawaz
Naila Akram
Sehla Nawaz
Sehrish Shaheen
Sanam Afsar
Anila Mumtaaz

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Date August 17, 2010
 In literary theory, Post colonialism deals with the reading and writing of literature written

in previously or currently colonized countries, or literature written in colonizing countries. This

deals with colonization or colonized peoples.

Post colonialism focuses particularly on:

 the way in which literature by the colonizing culture distorts the experience and

realities, and inscribes the inferiority of the colonized people.

 Literature by colonized peoples which attempts to articulate their identity and

reclaim their past.

Bapsi Sidhwa is one of the popular post-colonial writers. In her writings, she has dealt

with the experiences and realities of the colonized people. She is widely recognized as one of the

most prominent Pakistani-Anglophone novelist writing today. Critics regard Sidhwa as a feminist

post colonial Asian author whose novels including The Crow Eater (1978), The Bride (1981),

and Ice-Candy Man provide a unique perspective on Indian and Pakistani history, politics, and

culture.

Her recurring themes include human relationship and betrayals, the coming of age

and its attendant, disillusionment, immigration, and cultural hybridity, as well as social and

political upheavals. Sidhwa skillfully links gender to community, nationality, religion and class,

demonstrating the ways in which these various aspects of cultural identity and social structure do

not merely effect or reflect one another, but instead are inextricably intertwined. Sidhwa has also

been highly regarded as a feminist postcolonial author who effectively addresses issues of

cultural difference and place of women in Indian and Pakistan society. An American Brat is a 1
good example of Bapsi Sidhwa s post-colonial novel in which most of the above mentioned

themes are discussed.

United States, is the story of a young Parsee girl s Americanization. Sidhwa interweaves a

commentary on Pakistani politics, an exposition of Parsee society and religious rights, with the

immigrant theme. In addition, as in all her writings, she is concerned with the marginalization

and the discrimination against women.

An American Brat tells the story of Feroza Ginwalla. The time is the late 70s; Zulfikhar

Ali Bhuto is in jail, and Islamic fundamentalism is growing in Pakistan. Disturbed by the affect

that fundamentalism is having on her daughter; Zareen Ginwalla packs Feroza off to the United

States where Feroza s uncle Manek is to take care of her. Feroza s first experience of the United

States is her encounter with the emigration official who badgers her, Feroza is so upset that she

ends up in tears, shouting that she will go back to her own country. Another aspect of the United

States that Feroza finds surprising is the amount of crimes in this affluent society. Visitors to the

United States are often warned by well meaning women, friends and relatives about how they

should conduct themselves on streets and parking lots if they do not wish to be rape or robbed.

After a horrifying experience in YMCA buildings, Feroza finds herself in a very different world

from the bright shopping centers where Manek had taken her. Though repelled by some

experiences, Feroza is attracted to America s charms and decides to stay on as a student. She

enrolls in a small college in Twin Falls. Feroza learns about the American lifestyle from her

friend Jo, who is her roommate. Further the novel traces Feroza s falling in love with a Jewish

guy David, Feroza s mother s journey to America with a purpose to change her daughters mind

about David .Feroza s relation with David ends in a break up but she decides not to leave

America. 2
 As for as the stylistic analysis of the novel is concerned, a thorough reading of the

novel helps the reader to extract the specific elements of language used by Bapsi Sidhwa. She

has used irony, Parody and slang to create humor. She has used the technique of appropriation as

used by the post-colonial writers to portray their native culture. Sidhwa has used un-translated

word; these are the words that a writer uses from his native language without giving their

meanings. By using the Un-translated words Sidhwa is actually promoting her native culture.

Throughout the novel we find ample of un-translated words taken from either Urdu or Gujrati.

Some of the examples are as follows.

“Goondas”, “mullas”, “landa bazaar”, “shalwar qameez”, “jana”, “yaar…”, “gurdwaras”,

“kaka”, “paisa”, “pani”, “pakorhas”, “haweili”, “jee”, “haye Allah”, “gora chittas”,

“omahara baap”, etc.

Glossing is another technique used by Bapsi Sidhwa, in this technique the writer uses

indigenous words along with their meanings in English language. By using this technique the

writer not only celebrates his/her culture but also provides the readers with an opportunity to

understand the native culture and language. In An American Brat, Bapsi Sidhwa has used this

technique in almost all of the chapters, for instance,

“o baap rey! Oh my dear father!...”, “roti, kaprha, makaan—bread, clothes, shelter”, “bas kar

—stop it”, “boochamai…little girl”, “thana—police station”. “ulfat kee naee manzil ko

chaley: embarked on a new mission of love”. Etc. 3

Ginwalla sends her daughter Feroza to USA so that she may become civilized as she says,

“I think Feroza must get away,….Travel will broaden her outlook, get this puritanical rubbish

out of her head.” (page 14)

But on the contrary she becomes more uncivilized as she uses slang language and makes

friendship with boys and forgets all about her moral values and traditions taught by her parents.

(Page 292)

Major irony lies in the fact that the colonizers consider themselves as more civilized and

developed nations and this is the justification of their colonial rule over the 3 rd world countries.

But when Feroza reaches America she finds totally different picture to the one she had made up

in her mind. In fact there is more corruption and immorality than in 3rd world countries.

(Page 162)

Another important aspect of irony lies in the fact that the purpose for which Feroza was

sent to USA i.e. to broaden her vision, is once achieved she remains no longer acceptable in her

own society.

“Feroza was disconcerted to discover that she was a misfit in a country in which she had once

fitted so well” (page 239)

Bapsi Sidhwa also uses slang language to criticize the language of the colonizers when

Feroza uses standard and mannered English; her language is not acceptable in that very society.

Then her friend Jo helps her to learn slang and informal expression. For example when Feroza

visits a satire and asks, “May I have this, please!” The saleswoman considers her to be asking

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for charity. At this point Jo helps Feroza to use a particular slang language in order to cope with

that society.
“ Y’ gotta learn! You don’t have to take shit from trash like her!” (Page 151

Some of the major post colonial themes Bapsi Sidhwa in her novel An American Brat,

has dealt with are religious fundamentalism, gender discrimination, cultural clash, cultural

critique, hybrid identity, impacts of neo-colonialism, and psychological impacts of colonialism

that are left upon people once marginalized.

In the very first chapter of the novel, we come across the theme of Religious

Fundamentalism and Neo-colonialism. Zulifqar Ali Bhutto is in jail and Zia-ul-Haq is in

power. In order to secure his dictatorship he has imposed upon the people, the Islamic Shariah.

The story of the novel revolver around all the characters from Parsee community living in

Pakistan. As they are a minority, they have to follow what Govt. imposes upon them. Something

which is allowed in their religion is prohibited in Islam and something that is negated in their

religion is Halaal in Islam. That's why we can say that the minorities like Parsee people are still

under the colonization of Majority in their free homeland. They are the neo-colonized nation who

has to follow what is imposed upon them in growing Islamization. That thing creates an anxiety

and depression in the Parsee society.

"That their most trivial conversations often took a political turn was not surprising. In

Pakistan, politics, with it's special brew of martial law and religion influenced every aspect of

day to day life." (Page 10)

Every now and then they recall the time of Zulifqar Ali Bhutto's Government and

appreciate him for his liberal attitude. As Zareen says,

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"It's absurd how things have changed. I was really hopeful when Bhutto was elected. For the

first time I felt it did not matter that I was not a Muslim, or that I was a woman. You

remember when he told the women in Peshawar to sit with the men? That took guts!"

(page 11)

Islamic fundamentalism by Zia-ul Haq has not only affected women but also the men

belonging to minorities. Even those were not leading a satisfied life as Cyrus says,

"And the idiot prohibited drinking in clubs" (page 11)

As highlighted by the other post colonial writers Bapsi Sidhwa talks about theme of

Gender Discrimination. The post colonial Pakistani society is the patriarchal one, in which the

women belonging to the Minorities are double colonized. At first they are forced to follow the

rules imposed by the government and then by the male members of their society. For example

Zareen cannot freely wear what she wants and what is allowed in her society also because of the

growing process of Islamization, as she says,

"…women must not show their legs, women should not dress like this, and women should not

act like that…..if everything corrupts their pious little minds so easily, then the Mullas should

wear Burqas and stay within the four walls of their house" (page 10)

Though she belongs to elite class and is modern, yet she cannot take any decision solely

by herself. For example when she wants to send Feroza out of the country, she has to ask her

husband to make the final decision. (Page 14)

This thing also shows the cultural and religious clash between minorities and majorities

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in a post colonial society. Minorities are not allowed to follow their culture and tradition in a free

manner, their culture suffers a downfall because the culture of the majorities influences it. For
instance visits Feroza in her school, Feroza complains about her mother's dressing because her

friend's mothers, who are Muslims, do not dress like her mother.

"Mummy, please don’t come to school dressed like that. 'She objected to my sleeveless sari-

blouse….i told her: 'Look, we are Parsee, everybody knows we dress differently." (Page 12)

Even the men in this patriarchal society face a lot of cultural clash as Drinking is not

prohibited in their culture, still they cannot drink freely in bars because Islamic culture would not

allow it.

Thus these minorities have Hybrid Identities. They follow their culture along with the

culture of the country they are living in. They even do not have a pure language of their own.

They speak English mixed with Urdu and Gujrati.

"they spoke in Urdu, with the odd words or sentences in English tossed in so naturally it

blended with the rhythm and the consonants of Urdu" (page 48)

The element of hybridity is highlighted through Feroza's character. She is influences by

the Pakistani culture while she lives in Pakistan, for example she criticizes her mother for her

dressing and hesitates to pick up the phone as she has learnt from Muslim culture. But when she

goes to American, she is totally changed. She dresses in jeans and t-shirts, uses slang language,

hangs out with boys, thus does all those things she could not even think of doing in Pakistan.

Feroza enjoys the freedom which she has in America.

"How many did she know in Lahore---or anywhere---who could decide just like that, to move

out of their homes to spend a night in a motel? To Feroza it was an unimaginable feat

accomplished, a lottery won" (page 186) 7

America. She equally criticizes both the cultures and does not show a biased attitude, for

instance when she compares the rate of corruption, poverty, and immorality, she concludes that

the developed countries are somewhat ahead in all this. On the other hand she also criticizes

Pakistan at certain places in the novel for example when Menak says,

"None of them had any idea how impossible it was to live on the income, the state bank of

Pakistan allowed a student." (Page 199)

Because of these hybrid identities, the characters in the play suffer from identity crises.

Manek is the major example who is the victim of identity crises. Though he is a Pakistani, yet he

negates the Pakistani traditions or even some of the tradition of his own Parsee community. He

spends only four years in America and considers him to be a part of that society. He criticizes

Pakistani politics, Pakistani culture and Pakistani people. Even being a Pakistani himself, he calls

them third world citizens. For example, during a telephonic conversation with Feroza, he says,

"Why do you Third World Pakis shout so much? Everybody is not deaf…"

Feroza in turn criticizes his identity as she replies,

"…and what do you mean, 'Paki'. What are you, some snow white English man?"

Manek also refers to the "Gora Complex" from which the people of third world

countries are suffering. Feroza, who is influenced by the Muslim culture negates the concept of

discrimination within the human beings, she says,

"…black, brown, white are all the same to me…we are all God's creatures" (page 26)

Manek also goes against the rules of Parsee community, when he says to her sister Zareen

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to allow Feroza to marry a Jewish boy, while it is strictly prohibited in Parsee religion for a girl

to marry outside the Parsee community. (Page 252)

own traditions and customs, does not accept him. They still consider him to be a Third World

citizen.

They make fun of his accent, his lifestyle and his culture. For example when Feroza

arrives at the airport and Manek goes to receive her, he has to go through a long inspection by

the airport authorities in order to prove his identity and relation with Feroza. (Page 61 - 64)

Another issue that Bapsi Sidhwa has highlighted in her novel An American Brat is that of

mental colonization of the Pakistani people. They are still under influence of the colonizers in

some way or the other. They consider the English culture as superior and perfect.

Zareen, the mother of the protagonist wants to send her child Feroza to America in order

to civilize her. She has the strong belief that her daughter can be civilized only if she is sent to

America.

Not only this, when Zareen herself goes to America, she enjoys the liberty which United

States provides her. She starts adopting their culture.

"Zareen was as happy as a captive seal suddenly released into the ocean…her heart pulsed to

the seductive beat of the new world, and her ears, throbbing to the beat, stopped hearing the

council of her distant Lahori relatives." (Page 286)

Manek also suffers from mental colonization. A few years in America make him believe

that he is an American citizen, this all happens because of his state of being mentally colonized.

In his unconscious he has believed that America and Americans are superior. They are always 9
right. The land of America is full of opportunities for the people to start the lives. He says,
"America is a paradise"

Feroza also is very excited when she hears that she is being sent to America. Because

according to her also America is like a fantasy land providing liberty to the women, liberty she

has never enjoyed in Pakistan.

"…she repeated to herself, ' I am going to America, I am going to America!'…to the land of

glossy magazines, of "Bewitched" and "star trek", of rock stars and jeans…"

While in Pakistan she appears to be a shy and naïve girl, under the influence of the

dominating culture. But her life in America is totally different from the one , she was living in

Pakistan. The impact of colonization is so great on her unconscious mind that she blindly accepts

and adopts the culture of USA. She mimics the American accent, culture and lifestyle.

In a nut shell we may say that, Bapsi Sidhwa has now become one of the best writers in

English language from Pakistan. "An American Brat" is just another one of her classics. Starting

in Lahore: One of the most historic and beautiful cities of South Asia the book moves to United

States. The story revolves around a Parsee religion girl and her life. The story highlights the

political instability in Pakistan and takes place in the time when Bhutto govt. was overthrown by

martial law that imposed Islam on every citizen. To avoid another religion's effects on the girl

she was sent to America.

The themes of identity crises and hybridity are highlighted through the characters of

Feroza and Manek. Because of the influence of the colonization on the major characters of the

play, the themes of cultural critique and cultural clashes are generated.
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 Sidhwa uses a flowery language to bring some delicate issues to the surface. With an

unbiased attitude, Sidhwa gives a realistic picture of both the Third World country Pakistan and

the developed country America.

With an effective use of appropriation, abrogation, and irony she has written a novel on the post

colonial grounds. She touches the delicate issues in a mocking style and a satire on the society is

also evident through the text.

“An American Brat is an exceptional novel . . . funny and memorable.”–Los Angeles Times

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