Abstrict
The 1979 Urdu release of Intizar Hussain's book "Basti" was followed by an English translation. It was written against the backdrop of the 1971 political tension, as well as the 1947 events of the establishment of Pakistan and the division of India. The article looks at issues like identity, displacement, and the socio-political changes people went through at these raging times in history. Discourse is taken for analysis from the translated novel by Frances W. Pritchet with the same name, Basti. The research is qualitative in nature and the text is analyzed in the sociopolitical domain of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The study deals with the application of Fairclough’s version of the Dimensional model of CDA. Furthermore, it unearths notions like social, cultural, and political besides memory loss and despair in relation to the aforementioned text.
Keywords
Three Dimensional Model of Fairclough, CDA, 1971 War, Sociopolitical Identity, Displacement, Despair, Basti
Introduction
The renowned Urdu writer, Intizar Hussain (1923-2016) is regarded as one of the most renowned authors of the generation. He was born in India and moved to Pakistan in 1947 as part of the Partition, an event that had a significant impact on his writing. Themes of remembrance, nostalgia, displacement, and the loss of cultural legacy are frequently present in Hussain's art. His storytelling, which mainly draws from mythology, history, and folklore, combines modernist techniques with classic narrative traditions. Intizar Hussain originally released the novel "Basti" in Urdu in 1979. It was subsequently translated into English by Frances W. Pritchet The story takes place against the backdrop of South Asia's sociopolitical changes, with an emphasis on the political tension of 1971 and the 1947 division of India and subsequent foundation of Pakistan. sociopolitical setting that infuses "Basti's tale requires an awareness of these events. This novel is a moving examination of the human condition set against the turbulent environment of Pakistan during the partition. Hussain skillfully creates a narrative tapestry that probes deeply into the socio-cultural fabric of a nation undergoing transition through vivid images, complex characters, and dramatic prose. Fundamentally, "Basti" is a discourse—a multi-layered dialogue that tackles age-old issues of identity, memory, longing, and belonging—rather than just a story about specific characters. The discourse of this novel seems in immense grief which the writer skillfully handled using metaphors, similes, and other devices which makes the discourse of this reading more attractive and interesting.
There are various definitions for the word discourse. In linguistics, discourse refers to how members of a community speak and use language, dialects, and accepted assertions. Analyzing anything involves dissecting it in order to evaluate it. Discourse analysis is the linguistic examination of related written and spoken language. Discourse analysis is primarily concerned with how language is used in social contexts. Using Fairclough's analysis, this article offers a critical discourse analysis of the socio-political environment of the novel Basti. in order to untie the discourse elements that drench "Basti's" narrative environment, we will travel through the city's winding streets in this study paper. Using a discourse analytic method, our study sees the novel as a dynamic site of interpretation and meaning-making rather than a static text. We seek to investigate how language, power, ideology, and political and social context interact to influence the novel's meaning production, drawing on the robust theoretical framework of discourse studies.
Basti" revolves around Zakir, the main character, as he makes his way through these times of tremendous social and political change. As Zakir and his village deal with the effects of these past cataclysms, his journey is a moving examination of identity, displacement, and memory. The psychological and emotional suffering that those caught in the crossfire of political battles and cultural upheavals endure is vividly depicted in the novel.
"In 'Basti,' Hussain masterfully employs the cityscape as a metaphor for the complexities of post-partition Pakistan. Through his lyrical prose and keen observational eye, he renders the Basti not merely as a physical space but as a microcosm of the nation's collective psyche, where the traumas of history are etched into the very fabric of everyday life."
Hussain's multi-layered storytelling in "Basti" combines aspects of myth and folklore with realism to create a more nuanced representation of the characters' internal and external worlds. With its non-linear timelines and abrupt changes between the past and present, the novel's structure depicts the broken nature of memory and history and represents the fragmentary experience of individuals who lived through these terrible times.
'Basti' emerges as a powerful meditation on the enduring legacies of partition and the quest for identity in its aftermath. Through his protagonist Zakir, he navigates the labyrinthine streets of memory, longing, and loss, offering readers a poignant reflection on the complexities of belonging in a fractured world." Some important quotes are important to mention here; Faruqi, Mehr Afshan. "Intizar Husain's 'Basti': Mapping the Margins of Memory." Annual of Urdu Studies, vol. 20, 2005, pp. 110-124. "In 'Basti,' Intizar Husain invites readers to embark on a journey through the recesses of memory, where the past and present converge in a delicate dance of remembrance and forgetting. Through his richly textured narrative and vivid imagery, Husain paints a portrait of a nation grappling with the ghosts of its past, haunted by the Specter of history."
According to Fawzia Afzal-Khan. "The Partitioned Imagination: Literature, Politics, and Culture in Pakistan." University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997. "Intizar Hussain's 'Basti' occupies a central place in the literary landscape of postcolonial Pakistan, offering readers a window into the complexities of identity, memory, and nationhood. Through his evocative storytelling and nuanced characterizations, Hussain deftly navigates the terrain of partition-era Pakistan, shedding light on the enduring legacies of colonialism and the quest for meaning in the aftermath of historical rupture."
These quotes provide insight into the critical reception of "Basti" and its significance within the broader context of Pakistani literature and postcolonial studies. moreover, the narrative emphasizes events' effect on Zakir over their physical characteristics, presenting them in an unsettling, half-lit manner rather than replicating reality. A sense of dramatic immediacy is created by the story's expressive vocabulary and the lack of comprehensive physical descriptions of the characters. The narrative's fluidity is enhanced by the smooth transitions between first-person and third-person omniscient narration.
Research Questions
1. In what ways does "Basti" illustrate the socio-political ramifications of India's Partition on personal identities and social relations?
2. What part do cultural identities play in the conflicts shown in "Basti"?
3. What effects does the characters' displacement have on them on an emotional and psychological level in "Basti"?
Since the examination of the TEXT content is the main focus, these questions can be examined further. The motifs were discovered by analyzing the word choices made by the author. The primary means of expressing power and demonstrating resistance against the dominant groups' socially enforced authority is deemed to be language. his project focuses on the people to utilize language to challenge the hegemonic attitude of people who are socially and politically oppressed. The researcher examines the author's use of stylistic techniques, such as metaphors, in order to convey the viewpoint of the people who are subject to migration by using CDA to evaluate the discourse, social and political dynamics between people of INDO-PAK examined from a broader socioeconomic and political standpoint, revealing how tension and depression were on board.
Literature Review
Discourse is a broad term with several facets that refers to many ways that people communicate in particular situations, such as through language, text, and social behaviors. It describes how social, cultural, and historical elements both shape and are shaped by language and communication, affecting how we perceive the world and relate to others. Discourse is defined as a system of language use that is governed by social norms, conventions, and rules. It includes non-verbal modes of communication like gestures, facial expressions, and visual symbols in addition to spoken and written communication. Khan et al. (2017) have expressed that CDA is an approach to expose the strategies of materialists. Ramzan and Khan (2019) suggested that stereotyped ideologies are exposed with the help of CDA. Ramzan et al. (2020) have confirmed that the manipulation and exploitation of powerful people can be exposed by using CDA in the language domain. Bhutto and Ramzan (2021) have claimed that the collusive stance of print media is likely to be highlighted by the CDA. Nawaz et al. (2021) explain that power is exposed in CDA. Ramzan et al. (2024) have explained that style matters in literary discourse.
Components of Discourse
Context: At its foundation, discourse is the exchange of ideas and meanings through language. This covers the structure and interpretation of language within certain speech communities as well as vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and semantics.
Text: Written or spoken texts, which can include essays, speeches, interviews, ads, and media portrayals, are also included in the discourse category. Texts have ideological, rhetorical, and narrative components that influence how they are understood and interpreted. They are generated within certain socio-cultural settings.
Social Practices: Power dynamics, behavior patterns, and beliefs are influenced and reflected by discourse, which is ingrained in social practices and institutions. This encompasses social interactions in daily life, rituals, rituals, and rituals, as well as institutional activities in the fields of politics, media, education, and law.
Theoretical works from a variety of authors on the large interdisciplinary subject of CDA have been vividly elaborated, let's have a look;
According to van Dijk (1997); Speaking or writing, CDA is particularly interested in examining discourse from the perspective of discursive practices in society, including racial discrimination, hegemony, dominance, and inequality of basic rights. Its primary objective is to analyze the application of these techniques from a socioeconomic and political perspective.
According to Fairclough (1993), Discourse analysis techniques like CDA highlight odd relationships between different social and ethnic groups. His focus is on text and sequential events, which he links to a broader socio-cultural perspective of people's discourse in order to reveal power dynamics that are shaped by ideology and inequality. He looks into how elite ideology and the hegemonic mindset are applied to control society. in regards to this idea, Halliday (1978) holds that as language is used for social interaction, it is regarded as a social act. Society and language are closely related to one another in terms of communication. Our identities are shaped and constructed by language, or text this also applies to our situation.
Because they speak the same language as those in positions of social and political power, proficient English speakers are considered influential in both social and cultural circles. In this instance, the linguistic variable appears to have taken on the role of the class's identity.
Brown and Yule (1983); emphasize that language is used for action as well as description. Language is not just utilized for description. The study of CDA looks at how people use language in real-world situations and how their language choices reflect their racial, social, and cultural origins. They contend that the lexical and syntactic choices made in a language are a reflection of the varied social backgrounds of its speakers. The main focus of critical discourse analysis is on the ways in which their language reflects the binary relations' discursive practices. Gee and Sampson both stress how crucial language is to the construction of meaning and identity. Sampson's analysis might concentrate on the novel's linguistic elements, such as the characters' use of language devices, dialects, and registers. By analyzing the language employed in "Basti," we can learn about the subtleties of expression and communication that add to the thematic richness of the book.
Blommaert (2005) and Jorgensen (2002) claim that critical discourse analysis is a more comprehensive approach that examines how language functions in a society and how it affects discourses. According to them, language and social variables are intertwined in CDA research because, when we approach any text or discourse, we do so from a linguistic perspective and stress how language choice in a given discourse related to the socio-political context tries to analyze the discursive practices.
Ruth Wodak (2015); In order to comprehend how social dynamics work, the study of social sciences has shown a growing interest in how discourse reflects social realities and how individuals form them jointly. Discourse analysis has quickly expanded across fields as a method for studying a variety of phenomena. Specifically, By pointing to systematic oppression and inequities aimed at particular actors, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is used to "critically address" how discourse can disclose the power connections between individuals, groups, or other political institutions. This is done in addition to understanding these phenomena.
One of the key academics with a focus on CDA is Ruth Wodak, whose contributions to the field of discourse studies have been extremely pertinent. Consequently, this article explores the major ideas of Wodak's research.
The critical discourse analysis model developed by Fairclough provides a thorough framework for analyzing conversation in social contexts by highlighting the complex interactions between language, power relations, and ideological constructions. Three interrelated dimensions—text analysis, processing analysis, and social analysis—are explored by this model. Text analysis explores the language aspects of conversation, examining grammar, vocabulary, and rhetorical devices to understand how language creates representation and meaning. Processing analysis looks at how discourse is produced.
Linguist Norman Fairclough is renowned for his contributions to critical discourse analysis (CDA). A thorough framework for examining speech in social contexts is offered by Fairclough's model, which focuses in particular on the interaction of language, power, and ideology. Three interconnected components comprise his model: text analysis, processing analysis, and social analysis. Let's examine each dimension in detail:
Text Interpretation: This component pertains to the analysis of the text's linguistic characteristics. Analysis of the discourse's vocabulary, syntax, grammar, and rhetorical devices are all included.
Interpretation: This stage entails determining how language elements influence the way meaning and representation are constructed in the text. It takes into account how linguistic decisions affect the meaning being expressed and the identities created inside the conversation. Linking the text's linguistic elements to more general social and ideological frameworks is the process of explanation. It looks into the ways that language both reproduces and reflects social hierarchies, power dynamics, and ideological viewpoints in society.
Analysis of Processing
This dimension pertains to the processes involved in the production, distribution, and consumption of discourse. It looks at the procedures used in the creation and dissemination of texts, as well as the functions played by various institutions and players.
Interpretation: In processing analysis, interpretation entails knowing how these procedures affect how various audiences receive and interpret discourse. It takes into account elements that influence the distribution and reception of texts, such as media ownership, audience demographics, and distribution routes.
Justification In processing analysis, explanation seeks to reveal the ideologies and power relationships that drive discourse production and reception. It looks at the ways in which organizations and individuals manage speech and the ways in which these power relationships affect how meaning is created and understood.
Social analysis: This dimension pertains to the positioning of discourse within the wider social, political, and cultural framework. It looks at the institutions, social structures, and historical influences that have shaped discourse. Understanding how discourse reflects and reproduces social interactions, power dynamics, and cultural norms is a crucial component of interpretation in social analysis. It takes into account the ways in which language is employed to negotiate social identities, give legitimacy to established power structures, and mold societal norms.
Justification In social analysis, explanation seeks to expose the underlying power structures and beliefs that support speech. It looks at how language is used to marginalize alternative voices, legitimize prevailing ideologies, and create and maintain social hierarchies.
Methodology
Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach is applied in this study, in conjunction with a qualitative technique to evaluate the novel "Basti" in the context of its socio-political setting. Three interrelated steps comprise the analysis process: textual analysis, discursive practice, and social practice. In order to gather data, important passages that highlight important sociopolitical issues, characters, and narrative styles are chosen. Particular attention is paid to dialogue, descriptions, and narrative devices that emphasize social structures and power dynamics.
In order to comprehend how language transmits ideologies and socio-political views, the research analyzes the novel's linguistic elements, such as vocabulary, grammar, cohesion, and coherence, during the textual analysis stage.
In order to connect the novel to larger socio-political discourses, the discursive practice stage examines the production, distribution, and consumption of the text. It does this by examining intertextuality, genre conventions, and audience placement. The book is placed in its historical and cultural context throughout the social practice stage, with special emphasis on Pakistan's political past, partition, and ensuing social transformations. In addition to analyzing the novel's influence and reception—particularly its part in influencing or upending socio-political norms—it analyzes prevalent ideologies and power dynamics that are mirrored in the book.
Selected passages are closely read, language traits and their ideological implications are noted, intertextuality and genre conventions are examined, and discoveries are contextualized within Pakistan's socio-political history. Accurately portraying the text and its sociopolitical context is one ethical concern; nevertheless, the subjective nature of textual analysis and the availability of secondary sources may provide challenges. By exposing how language, power, and society interact in "Basti," this research seeks to advance the area of literary and cultural studies by illuminating how the book both reflects and responds to the sociopolitical realities of its day.
Discussion and Analysis
Data was gathered by the researcher from Intizar Hussain's novel "Basti" and translated by Frances W. Pritchett. The expressive, relational, and ideational values covered by Fairclough's 3D model have been examined and applied. This methodology uses three interrelated aspects to critically investigate the text: the text's linguistic elements (textual analysis), the discourse activities that go into creating and consuming the text, and the socio-cultural practices that both influence and are reflected in the text.
A key component of using Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) methodology is text analysis. Analyzing Basti's text entails paying great attention to the language that the characters use in relation to their sociopolitical environment. This method, which was first known as "Critical Language Study," attempts to increase awareness of interactions that involve social exploitation with a particular emphasis on language. according to Basti, text analysis entails closely examining the following components:
Lexical Choices: Pay close attention to the words and phrases that the characters use, especially those that allude to sociopolitical topics like migration, division, and collective identity. For instance,
Abba Jan's reflections on the Khilafat Movement."
creates a nostalgic and melancholic contrast between the chaotic political climate of today and the orderly past.
Cohesion: Examine how various textual elements are connected to one another, making sure that the narrative flow and relationships between various sociopolitical concepts are evident.
Bi Amma! You’ve had a vision."
This illustrates how religious and communal beliefs play a part in coping with socio-political upheavals and crises, demonstrating the blending of faith and cultural behaviors. Coherence: Assess how well the work maintains logical coherence and connection to the larger topics while presenting a cohesive socio-political narrative.
The novel's protagonist, Zakir, frequently muses over his former existence in the village of Rupnagar, and these recollections are intermingled. The text's cogent emotional thread is created by the recurrent topic of longing for a vanished nation, which connects many story threads.
Characteristics: Recognize and analyze literary devices, like symbols and metaphors, that draw attention to social and political themes and support the novel's overarching theme. Such as Rupnagar, this village is a reminder of a bygone era when Hindus and Muslims lived in harmony prior to Partition. The in-depth explanations included in the first few chapters represent the prelapsarian world, Zakir's naiveté as a child, and the united India. This beautiful scene, which is now just in memory, highlights the great loss brought by Partition. The Black Temple and Local Karbala: The Pre-Partition India's cultural and religious syncretism is shown by these buildings in Rupnagar. The coexistence of Muslim and Hindu sacred sites symbolizes the communities' shared history and intertwined lives, which are subsequently destroyed by the sociopolitical upheavals of Partition.
Intizar Hussain skillfully combines language, storytelling devices, and historical background in Basti to create a sociopolitical embroidery that captures the nuances of division and its aftermath. The text is revealed through the use of Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) paradigm, revealing a wide range of lexical choices, cogent structures, and stylistic elements that highlight the socio-political issues. The text's cohesiveness and coherence are aided by the recurrent themes and phrases, pronouns, and narrative devices like flashbacks, which reflect the shattered reality of partition. Additionally, the novel's socio-political critique is grounded by its intertextuality with historical and cultural references, which encourages readers to interact with the larger context of nationalism, identification, and communalism.
The novel Basti exhibits a complex interweaving of language and narrative elements with socio-political topics, as demonstrated by multiple passages. To illustrate the long-lasting effects of the partition on the protagonists' identity and sense of belonging, the word "refugee" is used frequently to characterize them and their society. For example, the character Zakir emphasizes the uprooting and uncertainty his family suffered as he thinks back on his voyage to the newly constituted Pakistan and the "refugee camps" where they took refuge. The book also uses symbols and metaphors to convey deeper sociopolitical themes. For example, the recurrent theme of "roots" and "uprooting" represents the characters' identity crisis and the severing of family ties as a result of the split.
Analyzing Context
Historical
The novel is set against the turbulent backdrop of the Indian subcontinent's 1947 partition and the events that followed, leading to the establishment of Pakistan and, subsequently, Bangladesh in 1971. Millions of people were displaced as a result of the split, which also caused extensive community violence and one of the greatest mass migrations in human history. The work addresses themes of displacement, identity, memory, and nostalgia; an understanding of these themes requires an awareness of this historical background.
"He remembered the migrations when people from his city went there and people from there came here. He remembered the convoys of corpses, and the silence of fear.”
this part powerfully conveys the confusion and misery of India's 1947 Partition, emphasizing the widespread displacement and intercommunal violence that followed the event. And
“All at once, a series of pictures ran through his mind. He saw himself as a child running in the alleys of his mohalla. He saw the houses where Hindu families had lived, houses that now stood empty or had new occupants."
these lines demonstrate the strong ties to a multireligious, culturally diverse past that was upset by Partition by reflecting both individual and collective memories of pre-Partition times. and again, in the lines below there is an impact of history;
“This, then, was the end of that Empire on which the sun was never supposed to set. The British were gone, and in their place was a new map, full of borders and divisions."
This paragraph highlights the historical change and its long-lasting effects on the area by discussing the end of British colonial control and the new political boundaries that resulted.
Cultural Context
The rich traditions of South Asian storytelling and literature form the foundation of Basti's cultural milieu. Using Hindu, Islamic, and local cultural themes, the book captures the richness of Indian subcontinent culture. Its incorporation of folklore, Urdu poetry, and Sufi mysticism enhances the story and adds more levels of significance.
“Festivals in Rupnagar were a communal affair, with Muslims and Hindus alike participating in each other's celebrations, sharing sweets and joy."
Literary Context
A significant piece of South Asian literature that addresses the effects of partition is Basti, a classic of Urdu literature. Renowned for his skill in fusing personal and societal history, Intizar Hussain crafts a story that speaks to the universal human experience of loss and longing. The novel's fractured narrative approach and use of many perspectives mimic the wider collapse of communities and identities during and after partition, reflecting the fragmented reality of its protagonists.
"Once again it was spring. The city was filled with flower-laden trees. Only Zakir's heart was empty. There was no sign of spring there. And in the mind, the branches of memory hung dry and bare."
Political Context
Politically, Basti explores the intricate relationships between communalism and nation-building. The novel highlights the ongoing challenges of individuals who were displaced while critically examining the successes and shortcomings of the recently constituted states of India and Pakistan. It examines the political discourse and philosophies that influenced the history of the subcontinent and raises concerns about the effects of political choices on everyday people.
Here is an excerpt from the book, in the author's own words, demonstrates the political setting:
Zakir recalls the Turmoil and Dislocation of the Partition
Suddenly, everything was fragmented. The unity of the land, the wholeness of lives, everything split apart, disintegrated. On the streets of our towns and cities, people were running, blood was flowing, and houses were burning. The beloved land of our ancestors was being torn apart, piece by piece. We became refugees in our own country. The political leaders drew lines on maps, but those lines cut through our hearts. The pain of partition, the violence, the endless streams of displaced people—these were not just headlines in newspapers but the very fabric of our existence."
Crowds gather. Slogans echo. Cities burn.
“When Pakistan was still all new, when the sky of Pakistan was fresh like the sky of Rupnagar, and the earth was not yet soiled. In those days how the caravans arrived from their long, long journeys!”
These phrases offer an overview of the complex web of political and cultural life that "Basti" portrays.
Social Context
socially, Basti illustrates how division affects people's lives and communities. It illustrates the emotional distress and sense of alienation felt by those who had to flee their homes. As the protagonists try to make sense of their past and present, the book delves into issues of memory and nostalgia. It also explores how political events worsened religious and ethnic tensions, addressing problems of communal identity. For instance;
“Bi Amma, more Hindus are dying."
"Bibi, when cholera comes the Muslims die, when plague comes the Hindus die."
this conversation highlights how Hindus and Muslims live inextricably linked lives and how they suffer from diseases together, mirroring larger conflicts between social classes and religions.
Analysis of Discourse Practices and Socio-Political Aspects of Novel
The socio-political and cultural perspectives, as well as discourse practices, are two crucial components of the Fairclough (1992) paradigm. The application of social practices through discourse is referred to as discourse practices.
Social construction constantly shapes discourse, and vice versa. However, socio-cultural and political factors are also significant because they offer a comprehensive picture of the environments in which discourses are being created.
Three main categories can be used to analyze discourse practices and sociopolitical elements: genre, discursive analysis, and style. The researcher addresses every significant topic in relation to this aspect and how this specific aspect connects them to one another.
Basti by Intizar Hussain is largely classified as historical fiction, while it also has aspects of post-colonial and social realism. With the partition of India and Pakistan as a backdrop, the book uses the protagonists' individual experiences to realistically recreate historical events. It is a moving examination of collective memory and identity because it combines historical details with the subjective reality of people who experienced the upheaval. Social realism is included in the narrative style by portraying the challenges and daily lives of common people, with a focus on issues of migration, displacement, and the search for identity. Basti also discusses the violence of partition, the aftereffects of colonialism, and the ensuing socio-political unrest in the newly constituted countries of India and Pakistan as a post-colonial work. Basti's fragmented narrative structure and contemplative, nostalgic tone enable a profound examination of the breakdown of culture and the individual, rendering it a multifaceted piece that defies easy genre description.
The narrative of the novel is lyrical and evocative, with a deep sense of nostalgia and contemplative sorrow. He uses a broken narrative structure to portray the chaos and dislocation of partition, mirroring the shattered experiences of his characters. Hussain skillfully combines aspects of folklore and mysticism with realism, enhancing the story with references to South Asian cultural and religious traditions. His use of rich imagery and metaphorical terms like "dust" and "roots" effectively portrays the themes of loss and displacement. The narrative voice shifts to give a complex picture of the character's inner lives and outer reality, while dialogues are designed to highlight the characters' varied viewpoints and socio-political tensions. With this complex, multi-layered look, Hussain produces a powerful piece of literature.
This book offers a moving examination of the socio-political upheavals brought forth by the division of India and Pakistan. The book explores themes of identity, displacement, and conflict within the community from the perspective of its protagonist, Zakir. It illustrates the devastating effects of migrating and losing one's own country on both personal and societal memory. The storyline of Hussain effectively conveys the fragmentation of societies and the continuous quest for acceptance and harmony within a shattered socio-political context.
Conclusion
The data used for the analysis of the research's interpretive paradigms is related to the study's constraints. Since handling the entire novel becomes quite challenging, only the socio-political portion of the novel is examined. There may be errors in the analysis and interpretation of the spoken excerpt. Numerous literary techniques are deftly employed in the book to portray social and political themes. The story has a well-planned framework, with recurring themes of memory partition and history. Even while word choices don't always line up exactly, they do a good job of expressing the values and backgrounds of the characters. the author uses metaphors to illustrate social and political relations and win over the disenfranchised without resorting to violence. The novel challenges readers to consider societal power dynamics by shedding light on institutionalized socioeconomic differences through its story. More investigation might look into other elements like social cognition in the discourse of the book. Through the use of alternative Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) methods, as advocated by academics such as Van Dijk and Wodak, researchers can further explore the qualitative character of the story. These approaches can reveal complex patterns, providing new perspectives on the sociopolitical issues that are portrayed in the book.
Closing with the Very First lines from the Novel
“When the world was still all new when the sky was fresh and the earth not yet soiled, when trees breathed through the centuries and ages spoke in the voices of birds, how astonished he was, looking all around, that everything was so new, and yet looked so old. Bluejays, woodpeckers, peacocks, doves, squirrels, parakeets -- it seemed that they were as young as he, yet they carried the secrets of the ages sigh
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Cite this article
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APA : Hassan, S., Khan, M. A., & Qaiser, Q. (2024). Socio-Political Underpinnings in Intizar Hussain's Basti: A Critical Discourse Analysis. Global Political Review, IX(II), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.31703/gpr.2024(IX-II).04
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CHICAGO : Hassan, Shamaila, Muhammad Akbar Khan, and Quratulain Qaiser. 2024. "Socio-Political Underpinnings in Intizar Hussain's Basti: A Critical Discourse Analysis." Global Political Review, IX (II): 37-44 doi: 10.31703/gpr.2024(IX-II).04
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HARVARD : HASSAN, S., KHAN, M. A. & QAISER, Q. 2024. Socio-Political Underpinnings in Intizar Hussain's Basti: A Critical Discourse Analysis. Global Political Review, IX, 37-44.
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MHRA : Hassan, Shamaila, Muhammad Akbar Khan, and Quratulain Qaiser. 2024. "Socio-Political Underpinnings in Intizar Hussain's Basti: A Critical Discourse Analysis." Global Political Review, IX: 37-44
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MLA : Hassan, Shamaila, Muhammad Akbar Khan, and Quratulain Qaiser. "Socio-Political Underpinnings in Intizar Hussain's Basti: A Critical Discourse Analysis." Global Political Review, IX.II (2024): 37-44 Print.
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OXFORD : Hassan, Shamaila, Khan, Muhammad Akbar, and Qaiser, Quratulain (2024), "Socio-Political Underpinnings in Intizar Hussain's Basti: A Critical Discourse Analysis", Global Political Review, IX (II), 37-44
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TURABIAN : Hassan, Shamaila, Muhammad Akbar Khan, and Quratulain Qaiser. "Socio-Political Underpinnings in Intizar Hussain's Basti: A Critical Discourse Analysis." Global Political Review IX, no. II (2024): 37-44. https://doi.org/10.31703/gpr.2024(IX-II).04