GLOBALIZATION, POWER, AND THE LITERARY RECEPTION: SHAPING CONTEMPORARY PAKISTANI ANGLOPHONE FICTION

Authors

  • Muhammad Imran Mukhtar Associate Professor, Department of English, Government S. E. Graduate College, Bahawalpur
  • Dr. Sohail Ahmad Saeed Professor, Department of English, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur

Abstract

This article examines the interplay of globalization, power dynamics, literary reception, and postcolonial legacy in shaping contemporary Pakistani Anglophone fiction, focusing on ten key works: Moni Mohsin’s The Diary of a Social Butterfly (2008), Uzma Aslam Khan’s Thinner Than Skin (2012), Mohsin Hamid’s How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia (2013), Qaisra Shahraz’s Revolt (2013), Sorayya Khan’s City of Spies (2015), Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire (2017), Nadeem Aslam’s The Golden Legend (2017), Bina Shah’s Before She Sleeps (2018), Mohammad Hanif’s Red Birds (2018), and Sonia Kamal’s Unmarriageable (2019). Drawing on Lisa Lau’s concept of re-Orientalism, the study explores how Pakistani writers navigate the global literary market’s expectations, often conforming to Western stereotypes of Pakistan as exotic or chaotic, while striving to maintain cultural authenticity. Globalization enables these authors to reach international audiences, yet it imposes pressures to align with Orientalist tropes, as seen in narratives addressing terrorism, patriarchy, and migration. Power dynamics, rooted in colonial legacies, manifest in class divides, gender oppression, and geopolitical influences, critiqued in works like Hamid’s neoliberal satire and Shah’s feminist dystopia. Literary reception varies, with Western readers often focusing on post-9/11 themes, while local audiences emphasize cultural authenticity and national identity. The writers who use English, face dual challenges because the language provides them colonial privilege but simultaneously distances them from their native writing practises. The study reveals how Pakistani Anglophone fiction writers oppose or continue or defend against foreign and colonial powers when reshaping global understandings of Pakistan.

Keywords: Pakistani Anglophone fiction, globalization, re-orientalism, postcolonial legacy, power dynamics, literary reception, cultural identity, gender, Western stereotypes.

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Published

2025-05-16

How to Cite

Muhammad Imran Mukhtar, & Dr. Sohail Ahmad Saeed. (2025). GLOBALIZATION, POWER, AND THE LITERARY RECEPTION: SHAPING CONTEMPORARY PAKISTANI ANGLOPHONE FICTION. Journal for Current Sign, 3(2), 194–214. Retrieved from http://currentsignjournal.com/index.php/JCS/article/view/150