From the Oppression of Patriarchy and Inferiority to Freedom: The Reconstruction of Muslim Women’s Selfhood in Brick Lane by Monica Ali

Abstract

This study aims to explore patriarchy and inferiority as social oppression experienced by Muslim women, as well as the reconstruction of selfhood that Muslim women achieved despite the oppression inflicted upon them by patriarchy and inferiority. To achieve this aim, the novel Brick Lane (2003) by the contemporary Bangladeshi-British author Ali will be analysed, with a focus on the social dilemmas faced by the Muslim female character, Nazneen. Through the analysis of the selected novel, this study will underscore the powerful role of inferiority and patriarchy in unjustly oppressing Muslim women, while also highlighting the reconstruction of selfhood as a crucial pathway to their liberation.