Monica Ali's novel "Brick Lane" published in 2003 marked her literary breakthrough as a female Muslim writer of the second generation. She, like many of her male predecessors such as Hanif Kureishi or Salman Rushdie, chose London as the literary region to reflect matters like migration, immigration, assimilation, cultural and religious backgrounds which she linked to classical matters of female writing such as emancipation. One of the results from this was not only an insight into the Bengali community of the Tower Hamlets or the role of Muslim women in general but a double vision of (Muslim and Western) life in Great Britain.
The choice to focus on the Greater London Area also helped to concentrate on the new approach by Muslim writers of the second generation to work with the former notion of the 'postcolonial city' in a new way while presenting London as a multicultural place. This decision at present is accompanied by the second choice of these writers to also include former British colonies in order to better reflect the double background of their main characters.
Kia Abdullah - like Ali - also stems from the large Bengali community of the Tower Hamlets in London and it was no surprise that the presentation of her main female character Kieran Ali also provoked criticism and protest from her own community. Her novel "Life, Love and Assimilation" (2006) must, however, be seen as the more provocative novel since her main character chooses and lives emancipation in a more radical way. This option is simply possible because Kieran – unlike Nazneen, the main character of "Brick Lane" – belongs to the generation of Muslim girls and teenagers who were born and raised in Great Britain.
Both books can therefore be linked in the sense that they seem to start a discussion of female Muslim emancipation of immigrants (Nazneen) and girls being born and raised in the British Muslim community which still produces cultural and religious pressure on women.
To write about this and to show the role of women under Islam is, of course, provocative but this provocation is honest and necessary to discuss the present status of Muslim women in general. The fact that both novels are based on an autobiographical background makes them even more convincing. It does, however, also show that both sides East and West still have a long way to go to tear down traditional religious concepts which still consider the female to being inferior to the male.
Table of Contents
I. Contemporary Muslim Writing
II. Contemporary British Literature and the Role of Muslim Writers
III. Postcolonial Writing and the Position of Muslim Writers
IV. Selected Literary Parameters
IV.1 Identity making
IV.2 Gender
IV.3 Diaspora
IV.4 Globalization
V. Close Analysis of Brick Lane
VI. Close Analysis of Life, Love and Assimilation
VII. Outlook
Objectives and Themes
This critical essay examines the representation of female Muslim existence in the West, focusing on the dichotomy between traditional cultural/religious expectations and the pursuit of individual emancipation. By analyzing the novels Brick Lane by Monica Ali and Life, Love and Assimilation by Kia Abdullah, the work explores how second-generation Muslim writers navigate the complexities of identity in post-9/11 Great Britain.
- Literary strategies for depicting Muslim female identity in diaspora settings.
- The role of religion and Islamic fundamentalism as identity markers vs. obstacles to emancipation.
- Impact of the "postcolonial city" and the concept of the "third space" in contemporary migrant fiction.
- The clash between traditional patriarchal family structures and Western liberal values.
- The emergence of a "fiction of Muslim feminist existence" as a new literary genre.
Excerpt from the Book
V. Close Analysis of Brick Lane
Monica Ali’s novel Brick Lane gained an enormous popularity within a very short time. For the book Ali was awarded literary prizes such as the US Award of the National Book Critics’ Circle or the Booker Prize. The novel, however, was not only a commercial success, it also placed the author next to Kureishi and Rushdie. Ahmed/Morey/Yaqin (2012) on this: “Monica Ali’s Brick Lane (2003) is perhaps the most well-known work by a British Muslim author since Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia (1990).” (Ibid.: 165)
Apart from this positive reaction by many critics, Ali saw herself confronted with massive criticism of her own community that accused her of having painted a negative picture of Banghladeshis living in the UK. Thus, at the same time BL turned out to be the most controversial work of fiction to have been published since Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988). This criticism centered on accusations such as the allegedly negative portrayal of Muslims as uncultivated and old-fashioned or Ali’s presentation of a female character who uses the West to emancipate herself from traditional and male-dominated family structures. This progressive description of a Muslim woman irritated western readers alike, who simply did not know such a type of character who tries to be a modern and a Muslim woman at the same time.
Summary of Chapters
I. Contemporary Muslim Writing: Discusses the literary response of Muslim authors to the radical changes within the Muslim world and the West, highlighting themes like xenophobia and internal Islamic reflection.
II. Contemporary British Literature and the Role of Muslim Writers: Explores how modern literature serves as a platform for analyzing migration, the "making of identities," and the relevance of the "Third Space" in globalized society.
III. Postcolonial Writing and the Position of Muslim Writers: Examines the development of the English novel post-1945 and the integration of religion as a response to postcolonial tensions and immigrant experiences.
IV. Selected Literary Parameters: Analyzes the theoretical framework, including identity formation, failure, and powerlessness, within the hybrid settings of the selected novels.
IV.1 Identity making: Addresses how modern Muslim writers set their characters in a world shaped by rapid technological, economic, and religious fundamentalist shifts.
IV.2 Gender: Reflects on gender as a critical parameter, criticizing male-dominated Western and Muslim concepts of female subjugation.
IV.3 Diaspora: Investigates the influence of diaspora on postcolonial writing, focusing on the displacement, exile, and the struggle for cultural and religious identity.
IV.4 Globalization: Links the driving forces of global economy and postcolonial exploitation to the development of female Muslim literature.
V. Close Analysis of Brick Lane: Provides a deep dive into Monica Ali's novel, focusing on Nazneen's development from a traditional wife to a modern, emancipated woman.
VI. Close Analysis of Life, Love and Assimilation: Analyzes Kia Abdullah's novel, focusing on Kieran Ali's struggle with familial expectations, cultural identity, and radical steps toward independence.
VII. Outlook: Compares the thematic approaches of both authors and concludes that both works provide vital insights into the complexities of female Muslim existence.
Keywords
Muslim Writing, Female Emancipation, Diaspora, Postcolonialism, Brick Lane, Life Love and Assimilation, Islamic Fundamentalism, Identity Formation, Gender Roles, Migration, Third Space, Great Britain, Monica Ali, Kia Abdullah, Multiculturalism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
This work offers a critical comparison of the novels Brick Lane and Life, Love and Assimilation to understand the representation of the modern female Muslim experience in the West.
Which key topics are covered in the research?
The research covers themes such as migration, assimilation, cultural and religious pressure on women, the role of 9/11 in literary representation, and identity building in the diaspora.
What is the main objective of the author?
The goal is to explore how these female protagonists navigate the tension between their Islamic heritage and their desire for independence in Western society.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The essay utilizes literary analysis, postcolonial theory, and sociological perspectives to evaluate the characters' journeys and the broader implications of their social realities.
What does the main part of the analysis entail?
The main part involves a character-driven study of Nazneen and Kieran, examining their specific paths to emancipation from patriarchal structures.
How would you characterize the work with a few keywords?
The work is characterized by terms like Female Muslim Existence, Postcolonialism, Identity, Emancipation, Diaspora, and Hybridity.
How does the author define the "Third Space" in this context?
It refers to a hybrid, fictitious space where cultures and religions meet, allowing the characters to negotiate their identity without completely abandoning their background.
Why is the novel "Brick Lane" described as controversial?
It faced backlash from the Bengali community in the UK for allegedly painting a negative picture of their lifestyle and culture.
How does the protagonist in Kia Abdullah’s novel differ from Monica Ali's?
Kieran is a second-generation immigrant who is more radical in her approach, often adopting white middle-class modernism to compete with male-dominated structures.
Does the work suggest that religion is the primary obstacle to the female protagonists?
No, the work portrays the situation as more nuanced, suggesting that the conflict arises from the patriarchal interpretation of Islamic values rather than religion itself.
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- Dr. Matthias Dickert (Autor), 2016, Female Muslim Existence in the West. Failure or Emancipation, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/340703
