The Postcolonial Feminist Struggle of Nazneen in Monica Ali’s Brick Lane: An Intersectional Study

Abstract

The paper is an intersectional case study of the character Nazneen, the protagonist of Brick Lane. In an intersectional approach, the paper identifies the oppression of Nazneen in relation to her gender and cultural identity. Firstly, it studies the trials and tribulations of Nazneen from a feminist viewpoint, in relation to the theories of Simone de Beauvoir and Betty Freidan. Secondly, the research under a postcolonial lens locates the position of Nazneen in the diasporic society of Brick Lane, in relation to the theories of Homi K. Bhabha and Gayatri Spivak. Lastly, the paper in an intersectional lens, studies the character of Nazneen in relation to both the theories of Feminism and Postcolonialism. The paper identifies the double layers of oppression a female has to go through in a patriarchal diasporic society followed by her gender and her cultural identity. Finally, the research concludes that in order for a diasporic female to achieve emancipation, she needs to attain both economic independence and a hybridized identity.