Decoding Power and Patriarchy in The Pakistani Bride: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the construction, reinforcement, and occasional contestation of patriarchal power and gender inequality through linguistic practices in Bapsi Sidhwa’s The Pakistani Bride. Set against the backdrop of Pakistan’s socio-culturally rigid tribal regions, the novel provides a compelling literary space for examining how discourse reproduces broader structures of dominance, subjugation, and resistance. Employing Teun A. van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the research analyzes selected textual passages to reveal how linguistic features—such as transitivity patterns, modality, and lexical selection—shape the representation of male dominance and female marginalization. The study also sheds light on narrative strategies that craft subtle forms of female agency, including metaphorical expressions, interior monologues, and shifts in narrative perspective that allow women characters to challenge or renegotiate oppressive social norms. Findings indicate that patriarchal ideologies are embedded not only in explicit social hierarchies but also within the cognitive structures and discursive habits of both characters and readers. By bridging linguistic analysis with socio-cultural context, the research offers a nuanced understanding of the ways literature can reflect, critique, and reshape perceptions of gendered power relations. Integrating van Dijk’s theoretical model into literary discourse analysis, the study contributes meaningfully to feminist CDA, postcolonial literary inquiry, and gender-focused narrative studies. Ultimately, the research affirms that literary texts serve not merely as artistic expressions but as ideological instruments capable of influencing readers’ understandings of power, resistance, and gender dynamics within culturally specific settings.