In an interview with New Books Magazine Alentejo Blue (2006), Monica Ali explained the theme of

female oppression. She called Brick Lane as ''a classic novel‖ in which she used her experience from
childhood and narrated very interesting episodes about the plight of women. Monica Ali has focused on
the themes of cultural conflicts that impact the sensibility of women protagonists. The main plot of the
novel deals with the confrontation of Muslim immigrant with the alien culture of British society. The
novel depicts the atmosphere of fear, oppression and communal disharmony. The plot spins around
many themes such as sexual oppression of working women like Hasina and immigration problems
confronted by Chanu and Nazneen. John Marx published his article The Feminization of Globalization
contending that there is a trend towards the liberation of women. He took up the example of Nazneen
of Brick Lane who gets a new awareness in alien society. Alistair Cormack contends that Brick Lane ―is
particularly of interest as an examination of the double bind that female migrants face, treated as alien
by their host nation and as commodities by the men in their own communities‖ (Cormack 700). Sarah
Brouillette opines that Brick Lane gives a galaxy of characters struggling for emancipation from the
oppressive male dominated society. Monica Ali depicts a portrayal of women liberating from traditional
gender roles and being capable of supporting her daughters. (Brouillette 428) Simone de Beauvoir
warned the world women are not born; we are made (Beauvoir 5). Female body is taken as a site for
gender inequality by men. They exert their power to enslave and colonize women for their sexual
pleasures. Monica Ali has expressed her reaction against this in her novel. The plot of the novel Brick
Lane highlights the cruelties of women in a simple and lyrical style. Monica Ali covers all the social and
political events such as acid attack on women and also she dramatizes the scenes of domestic violence.
Women are often beaten, raped and mentally tortured. Monica Ali uses the technique of flashbacks to
structure the plot; the past and present are mixed to describe the inner turmoil of women. In the novel,
the letters of Hasina also supply a lot of information about the harrowing lives of working class women
of Bangladesh. Hasina‘s letters give an insight to the status and identity of women. The plot begins with
the life of Nazneen in Bangladesh. Chanu calls her a twenty-year old "unspoiled girl from the village",
she is married to Chanu who is twice to her age, ―having a frog like countenance‖ 30 (Monica Ali, Brick
Lane 17) looks like her uncle but she has no other choice but to concede to the will of her father. Her
arrival in London with her husband is the real beginning of the plot as she dominates most of the events
of the plot. The readers are interested in her struggles in the alien country. She represents the diasporic
women who leave their home land and suffer. Chanu married her because of her hard working nature
and rural simplicity: ―Nazneen was an ―unspoiled girl‖ from the village. She was not very beautiful but
neither was she ugly. She had broad bug head with eyes a bit bright. She had broad big forehead. Not
beautiful, but not so ugly either. She had broad face with big forehead. At home she was a very hard
working worker, cleaning and cooking efficiently. She had poor communication skills and didn‘t know
much English language‖ (Monica Ali, Brick Lane 22-23) Nazneen is not comfortable with the ugly and
lonely environment of Tower Helmet in London. This colony is notorious for the rapes; prostitution and
drug trafficking. White and Blacks live in this colony and most of the women are from Bangladesh.
Women in this colony discuss the stories about suicide; women who jumped off a building or about
divorces of women. They discuss about physical violence of women and about the scenes of rapes and
prostitutions. Monica Ali explores sexuality and dilemmas of the diasporic women. Women are often
humiliated and are prostituted but no resistance is shown by them. Monica Ali uses the metaphor of
―silence‖ in the novel. The main theme of the plot is about the silencing of women. Nazneen never
dares to ask a question to Chanu as she is suppressed and her voice is controlled by Chanu. She knows
only two words, ―Thank You‖, and ―Sorry‖. In the letters of Hasina the silence is visible as she silently
endures all the tortures from her lovers. All women of Brick Lane are haunted by the emotional and
philosophical ambiguities as they are seen groping in the darkness in the alien land. They are forced to
suffer sexual exploitation. Nazneen is a lower middle class heroine with simple life style; who recognizes
the power of patriarchy and is a faithful care taker of as her husband, Chanu. She is destined to marry an
aged husband because of patriarchal oppression 31 while living in Bangladesh she had no choice.
Monica Ali has traced all the circumstances of Bangladesh society that crushed the independence of
Nazneen. She is taken to London after marriage and in Brick Lane colony of London she feels quite
alienated because there is no one to talk to her. Monica Ali begins her novel with the early life of
Nazneen in a small village of Bangladesh. She is happy with her mother Rupban, and her aunt, Mumtaz.
The prominent themes are oppression of women; treating them as discarded piece of furniture, denying
them the right to speak and marrying them for sexual gratification. In the Bangladeshi community
domestic violence is very common. Polygamy is commonly promoted in Bangladeshi culture. Women are
treated as inferiors and are treated as the ―Other‖. Nazneen becomes aware of the women
empowerment only when she indulges into adultery with Karim. She lashes at the conventional morality
committing the sin of moral transgression. She in fact punctures the traditional morality of Bangladesh
expressing her sexual liberty. She is a religious woman; reads Quran regularly and loves her husband
sincerely. She struggles to adjust with the harsh environment of her colony and passes most of her time
in cleaning rigs; dusting books and cooking. She comes in contact with Islamic organization but soon she
discovers that her freedom is blocked by rigid religious culture. Nazneen expresses her resentment thus:
―If it is true that this is England. You can do whatever you like‖ (Monica Ali, Brick Lane 492). All the
critics of Monica Ali opined that Nazneen is a ―subjugated Muslim woman‖ who is controlled by the
oppressive cultural and social norms of society. Nazneen is portrayed as a trapped woman as the images
of loneliness and weariness are recurrent in the novel. Monica Ali comments thus: ―She looked and she
saw that she was trapped inside the body, inside this room, inside this flat, inside this concrete slab of
entombed humanity ―(Monica Ali, Brick Lane 76). The flat of Nazneen is a haunted place as she is
always sick to see the tattoo woman from her window. Chanu is a representative of orthodox patriarch
who has a very poor opinion about the women of Bangladesh. He calls them ignorant and close minded
and illiterate. Chanu is indifferent to the emotions and passions of Nazneen: 32 ―He talked and she was
just the listener; often she would think something else and would not pay attention to what he was
saying. She remained silent in conversation or her answers were very short and to the point. She would
never argue with him and listened silently. He smiled at her but his eyes were always searching as she
was a face in the crowd singled out for only a moment‖ (Monica Ali, Brick Lane 42). Nazneen is virtually
sexually exploited by Chanu who looks and behaves like traditional Bluebeard of the old French tales. He
believes in male domination and enjoys sadistic pleasure in torturing and snubbing Nazneen in petty
matters. He ridicules her for her illiteracy and brags that he is very much liked by the British people. In
Brick Lane colony Nazneen confronted the alien culture that threatened her identity. Her Bangladeshi
cultural norms clashed with the alien cultural practices. There was a volcano brewing inside Nazneen but
she struggled to suppress her thoughts as her inner self is torn: ―Every participle of skin in her body
prickled with something more physical than loathing. It was the same feeling she had when she used to
swim in the tank and came up with a leech stuck to her or to her stomach‖ (Monica Ali, Brick Lane 42).
Chanu is a narrow minded Bangladeshi migrant who denies all liberties to Nazneen; she is virtually
imprisoned in the shabby apartment of Chanu. He has a rigid opinion about women as he says: ―If you
go out, ten people will say ‗I saw her walking on the street.‘ And I will look like a fool‖ (Monica Ali, Brick
Lane 27). Nazneen is silent in the beginning but soon she comes out of the shell and goes out in the
open to explore her. Her friend Razia helps her to explore her identity. She comes in contact with a
young Karim; enjoys sexual pleasure with him and defies all barriers of traditional Muslim morality
(Monica Ali, Brick Lane 220). Nazneen tries on Chanu‘s trousers and imagines herself with a handbag
(Monica Ali, Brick Lane141). Razia.-Nazneen‘s daughter one day takes her mother out for skating. This is
a new experience for since she has never gone outside. She had lived in a cage for a long time dusting
the books 33 of her husband or cleaning his carpet. But now she is exploring her life expressing her
confidence and freedom: ―She saw the shining blocks of a huge white circle, it was a dazzling scene for
her she looked at the ice and tried to find a new meaning in the ice blocks. The ice started revealing
secret meaning to her. The criss-cross patterns of a thousand surface scars appeared before her. She
saw a woman swooping by one leg without wearing shorts or skirts. She was not wearing any jeans
either. She raced on, on two legs‖ (492). Nazneen turned around and then Razia told her that she was in
England and here she could anything that she liked. Monica Ali uses the metaphor of ice to explore the
inner tensions of Nazneen and her awareness of liberty for the first time in London. Nazneen for the first
time realizes that her status is not better than a waiter. She feels sad when she compares herself with a
waiter. She is also at the beck and call of her husband who orders her and she has to carry out his
orders: ―But now the waiters were at home asleep, or awake being waited on themselves by wives who
only served and were not served in return except with board and lodging and the provision of children
whom they also, naturally, waited upon‖ (34). Nazneen found that she has been subjected to all forms
of pressures by her husband. There is a growing awareness in her soul as she starts understanding the
mystery of human relationships. Her life is like a silent volcano: she says: ―Anything is possible. She
wanted to shout it. Do you know what I did today? I went inside a pub…See what can I do? … It was her
heart that was ablaze with mutiny‖ (62-63). Nazneen is passing through a period of crisis; her sister is
lost and she is finding problems to adjust with Chanu. She is pregnant in an alien city but there is no
moral support from anyone. Chanu does not allow his wife to send any money to Hasina who needs
money desperately. He ridicules her giving her mental torture: 34 ―My sister. I would like to bring her
here.' Chanu waved his thin arms 'Bring her. Bring them all. Make a village here!' He shook his delicate
shoulders in a show of laughter. 'Get a box and sow rice. Make a paddy on the windowsill. Everyone will
feel at home‖ (183). In her world she had no individual identity but she was treated like garbage. It is
quite interesting to note that Nazneen is simply a passive agent. Chanu was all in all and he acted like a
superior master. She had no say even in her family matters. ―She could love him. Perhaps she did
already. She thought she did. And if she didn‘t, she soon would because now she understood what he
was, and why. Love would follow understanding‖ (42). Nazneen marries a person chosen by her father
and tries to be a traditional wife as her role model is her mother. The plot of the novel depicts the
journey of Nazneen from slavery to emancipation. She learns step by step the inner world of Chanu who
is orthodox and dogmatic in his attitude. Nazneen had tried to be an ideal wife throughout the years of
her married life. She is a devoted Muslim girl reading Holy Quran all alone. Nazneen falls in love with
Karim who is a young boy and an activist. The scene of adultery of Nazneen is symbolical of her revolt
against male domination. She begins her journey of self-realization because she slowly learns that life is
full of mendacity and women in society have no security and stability. Nazneen watches other women
who are liberty drunk; she found the British society quite in favor of women empowerment. She hits
upon a plan to hit back patriarchy with full force. She throws the sexual trap on Karim who is a religious
devout. Karim falls in the trap of Nazneen and develops intimacy with her. Karim likes Nazneen because
he believes that she is young Muslim girl struggling to find a space in the alien society. Nazneen enjoys
the fruit of adultery to puncture the patriarchal morality. She has sincerely endeavored to use adultery
as a tool break the shackles of patriarchy. Karim is a religious extremist who also wishes to marginalize
Nazneen. When Mrs. Islam intimidates her for the first time Nazneen expresses her full confidence. She
tells her that husband knows everything and she cannot destroy her happiness any more. Mrs. Islam is
outwitted by Nazneen as she has grown confident and bold. Chanu is a total failure in life; he was a
failed husband; he could never settle at one place. He was a 35 shifting guy and went on changing jobs.
Nazneen gathered all information about Chanu who looks defeated and misfit in the British society. At
last he decides to go to Bangladesh. Now is the time for Nazneen to be firm in her decision and declares
openly that she will not go back to Dhaka. Chanu is shocked to know about all this since he had never
expected Nazneen to be so bold and expressive. Monica Ali depicts Nazneen as a woman who rises from
the destructive forces of imperial culture. She declares that she will remain in London and will look after
her daughters alone without the support of her husband. She wants her daughters to gain knowledge
learning tube independent in life. She doesn‘t want them to suffer the patriarchal oppression. Nazneen
has started liking the free and open environment of British culture and is strongly committed to educate
her daughters in British society. Nazneen realizes that Karim also believes in male domination as he
holds orthodox ideas Nazneen has explored the inner psyche and mindset of Karim and it is no wonder
that she refuses even to stay and marry with Karim for he is no better than Chanu. She has gained adult
experience in her very first sex experience with Karim. She doesn‘t want him to be the dominator of her
life any more. She has come to the conclusion that after marriage with Karim her status will be the
same; meaning that Chanu will go and Karim will come. She decides to be a single parent to look after
her daughters. She gives all her love and affection to her daughter Razia and maintains friendly relations
with her. Alistair Cormack is of the firm opinion that Nazneen has confronted her oppression within the
discourses of gender, race, and religion. She has gained knowledge about the male psyche exulting in
exploiting woman. They treat female body as a medium for sexual gratification (Monica Ali, Brick Lane
695) Chanu is a failure in life and Nazneen has watched him struggling to assimilate in British culture. He
went on changing the jobs but never felt settled in one job. At last he has no option left but to pack the
luggage and go back to Bangladesh. Chanu is a total failure and Nazneen has observed him very closely;
she found him the victim of his own internal mental disorder. He is shifty by nature and sticks to one job;
he is over confident and has been treating her like a rejected piece of furniture. The cycle had come to a
full swing and now it was her turn to reject him forever. Nazneen‘s experience in the Brick Lane colony
had been wonderful; she had been a watcher and 36 an observer but after some time her confidence
grows as she starts asserting herself and taking bold decisions. Brick Lane is a study of Nazneen‘s
growth; her repressed sexuality; loss of freedom and her struggles to assimilate in the alien culture. At
the end of the novel she emerges as an emancipated women; she transcends the barriers of sex and
morality and lives by her own perceptions and findings. The novelist also gives the scenes of fallen
women who are raped and tortured by men. The female body is treated as a salable commodity in this
novel. Monica Ali has taken up the traumatic experiences of the women in Brick Lane. The plot unfolds
the sexual oppression and domination of women by men. Women are used and abused; often beaten if
they resist. The novel highlights the theme how Bangladeshi women in London are treated as the
―Other‖. They are not given status and respect in London society. Monica Ali also depicts her concern
about Islam and the link between Islam and theory of patriarchal oppression. The Islam regards women
as secondary citizens as compared to men. Karim is a religious fanatic who loves Nazneen; enjoys sex
with her but is rigid about the rights of women. The plight of Hasina begins with her elopement; she
goes on changing men in quest of money and home. She comes in contact with Hussain who is a pimp
―Hussain still looking out for me. He the one making sure I get the money. If he not look out anyone
take what they like and not pay…‖ (119). Hussain is another representation of the male who takes
advantage of the inherently low worth of women in Bangladesh. Hasina is tormented and sexually
abused by three men, Malik, Hasina‘s first husband, Mr. Choudhury and Hussain, the pimp. Hasina
rebels against the traditional Muslim patriarchy and leads life independently. Briefly stated; in this study
the sexuality; the abuse of female body; alienation and the fractured identity of women will be explored
in the subsequent chapters.

Contextualizing Female Body And Sexuality In Monica Ali’s Brick Lane Monica Ali was born on 20
October 1967 in Dhaka, Bangladeshi. She immigrated to England in 1971. Her mother Hatim was a
teacher and father Simon Torrence was a British citizen. She was educated in Oxford and her debut
novel Brick Lane was published in 2003 and she got Man Booker Prize for this novel. She became an
international celebrity because of her concern to raise the cry of women suffering alienation and sexual
oppression in the patriarchal society. The main focus of this 112 chapter is to investigate the role of
female in the novel of Monica Ali relying on the various ideas propounded by the theorists. It is found
that sexuality theory is applied as a concept and a driving force for identity formation of the
protagonists. Heath (1982) was the theorist who used the term sexuality in 1800. He used the term in
connection with the plants and animals exploring the reproductive function. But in 1889 the term
sexuality was first used to define and determine the sexual powers of human beings. In the last years of
the Victorian age the term sexuality was used in science of psychology and sexology. In English fiction
D.H. Lawrence pioneered the sex literature creating sensation in the world when he brought out his
novel Sons and Lovers (1913), Lawrence propounded his theory of religion and sexuality and wrote his
Women In Love (1920). Both the novels were banned in England by the Victorians. Lawrence continued
his experimentation with love and sex and he published two more novels Rainbow (1915) and Lady
Chatterley’s Lover (1928). The Victorians hit back Lawrence since he had propagated anti-Victorian
morality. Lawrence for the first time depicted in his novels the sexual drives governing human relations.
The identity of the protagonists was determined by his sexual behavior. The sexuality of an individual
and his object of desire were used as powerful tools in shaping the personality of the protagonists by
Lawrence. Sexual relations outside married life were considered a form of deviant behavior for the first
time. The novels of Lawrence opened the gates of the study of sexuality form scientific angle. In 1994 by
Laumann, Gagnon and Michaels further extended the sexual behavior of human beings. They opined
that sexuality can be expressed in terms of attraction and identity formation in human relations. Monica
Ali wrote Brick Lane to document the plight of Bangladeshi women who were subjected to violence; acid
attack and sexual subjugation. She explored the causes of the oppression of female body and her
sexualities. The main focus of the novelist is on the dramatic experiences of the immigrant women of
Bangladesh. Ritu Menon (1998) is of the opinion that women in India are treated like buffalo or a car.
She is no more than a piece of furniture and men are free to rape her. She is freely brutalized and
attacked by men. Men are proud of conquering the body of women. Her body is sexually molested and
oppressed. The historical investigation of Ritu 113 Menon highlights the role of violence and abduction
of women. The plot of the novel is packed with the episodes of widowhood and prostitution. It is ironical
that religious customs and old traditions of society are silent in cases of oppression of women. Ritu
Menon and Urvashi Butalia (2008) are two prominent feminists of modern era who lashed at the
religious institutions for gender discrimination. They have highlighted the plight of the working class
women of the South Asian women. The female body is used as a theoretical model to interpret the
oppressed women in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is needless to say that morality and
religion are used as powerful tools to dominate the female bodies. In the traditional language a woman
is considered as a symbol of love and purity in the Bangladeshi culture. But in practical she is subjugated
and colonized; raped and crushed. Biologically woman is inferior in power and strength as compared to
men. The Bangladeshi women are treated as the ―Other‖ in society. Bangladesh society gives absolute
powers to men to control and regulate the body of women after marriage. Women are rated as fragile
and highly vulnerable by patriarchy. Before marriage her female body is controlled by father and brother
and after marriage her husband becomes the owner of her body. Monica Ali uses patriarchy as a model
to construct women as inferior and fragile. Ali clearly develops the idea that she is nothing better than a
domestic cat chained and controlled by male. Monica Ali also depicts poverty and gender discrimination
prevalent in society. Ali exposes illiteracy and inheritance laws of Bangladeshi society that exploit of
women. In the post-colonial fiction many women writers have created women as victims of male
violence. They are treated as economically dependent; slaves of males for their sexual pleasures. They
dare not violate the Islamic code (Patricia Jeffery). Mohanty (2003) argued that the colonized women
are different from liberal feminism of European society. Monica Ali exposes the reality about class,
sexuality and persecution of women. No one can ignore the role of gender transforming the identity of
women. Mohanty avers that biology doesn‘t determine the identity of woman but her geography,
history and social laws. Since antiquity, woman has been struggling against colonial domination. Bordo,
Grosz, Turner and Ritu Menon published books to explore the causes of abuse of female body. Brick
Lane reflects the struggles of Nazneen and Hasina are oppressed in Bangladesh and in England. The
world of Brick 114 Lane is populated by women who are freely traded as commodities in the open
market for sensual pleasures. Born in Dhaka, Monica Ali settled in England with her father. She was
caught in the web of two cultures, i.e. British and Bangladeshi. The setting of the novel is in the rural
village of Bangladesh. John Marx in his article The Feminization of Globalization opines that Ali is
depicting the struggles of women in the globalized society. Alistair Cormack is also of the view that
Monica Ali expresses her deep concern about the migrants of Bangladesh who are treated not better
than commodities as sale of female body is prevalent everywhere in the colonized society. (Cormack
700). Sarah Brouillette avers that the novel ―is a gentrification tale‖; it is a poignant description of
women struggling for liberation breaking all the gender barriers (Brouillette 428). Monica Ali wrote four
major novels in her life: Brick Lane (2003), Alentejo Blue (2006), In the Kitchen (1009), and Untold Story
(2011). The plot of Brick Lane runs on many levels; it deals with all the serious issues such as identity
confusion, discrimination; sexuality and abuse of female body. Monica Ali also depicts the episodes
highlighting racial conflicts and cultural dislocation. The novelist takes the readers to the famous colony
of where migrants of Bangladesh live. This colony is known for slums and squalors. Most of the people
live in the old and dilapidated apartments. The colony is ill reputed because of prostitutes and
alcoholics. There are incidents of drug peddling and fights. No greenery is available in this colony. The
colony is populated by the white and Black people. Nazneen has white neighbors living in the next door.
Monica Ali observed in her interview that she used the material of the novel from her individual
experience. She took up the issues of cultural conflicts; sexuality and oppression of patriarchy. She
described her novel as a ―classic novel‖ based on her first hand childhood experiences. Monica Ali says
discusses all the circumstances that led to the creation of this historical novel: ―I contemplated for ten
years and continued in exploring the idea to write this novel. I was confused to about myself; what I was
and what the purpose of my life was. All ideas at that time were hazy and fluid. I 115 couldn‘t
understand who I am for twenty years? I couldn‘t know what is my status in the society? I think my
identity is so bound up in my family. It seems to me that Brick Lane is still a part of that haziness since it
calls for an ethnic identity‖ (Monica Ali, 55). The story of the novel In the Kitchen is set in London, but in
quite a different part than Brick Lane. The themes of life, death and loneliness are also apparent in In
the Kitchen, something that makes it an interesting companion to Brick Lane. Her novel, In the Kitchen
was published in 2009. Hotels are fruitful settings for fiction. They can act as reminders that none of us is
a permanent resident on this earth. Ali ties her story to two self-contained social structures that allow
her to trace Britain‘s fault lines: the busy kitchen of a hotel restaurant in central London, where Gabriel
Lightfoot is executive chef. Gabriel‘s dying father has worked all his life. Gabriel‘s kitchen is immigrant
Britain on display. Every corner of the earth is represented here, Hispanic, Asian, African, Baltic and most
places in between. As the novel begins, a Ukrainian kitchen worker turns up dead in one of the hotel‘s
subterranean passageways. His former lover, a sullen, waiflike pot-scrubber named Lena, becomes
Gabriel‘s personal reclamation project and his entryway to the underground economy, a shadowy world
of illegal immigration schemes, slave labor and forced prostitution. This is the New Britain. Gabriel
Lightfoot, who is known as Gabe, the Imperial's executive chef, presides over "a United Nations task
force all bent to their work". At 42, his life is on the cusp of change: he has backers ready to finance his
dream of opening his own restaurant and he has proposed to his girlfriend, Charlie. But with the
discovery of the dead porter, Gabe's certainties begin to unravel. The shadowy figure of Lena, a young
eastern European girl enigmatically connected with the death, begins to haunt him; she claims to have
been trafficked and Gabe offers her refuge. He learns that his father has terminal cancer, and returns
home to the dying Lancashire mill town of his childhood to hear some uncomfortable family secrets; the
financiers begin to get cold feet; Charlie learns of his affair with Lena and walks out. Gabe is the main
protagonist who struggles to find his true identity. In the Kitchen describes the difficulties for many
immigrants in England. Gabe, one of the only two English white males, has the role of being their
superior in the kitchen of a high class hotel in London, significantly named ―The Imperial‖ with its
connotation to the 116 British Empire. The novel is focused on the sufferings of diaspora faced by the
migrants. But in this novel also Monica Ali depicts the plight of women migrants. Lena is the main
woman protagonist in the novel. She is an illegal immigrant and a prostitute. Lena has been controlled
by men to a much greater extent than the other female characters. When she tells Gabe that she has
finally managed to escape from her pimp who wants to kill her, Gabe decides to take care of her. But
even Gabe starts controlling her. Lena says that Gabe is keeping her inside his apartment, comparing it
to a prison, a cage: ―You don‘t watch the news. You don‘t read newspapers. Where did you go today?
`She turned away from him. ‗I go out‘. ‗Yes. Where? Where did you go? Look at me, Lena. I said,
where.‘ She whipped round. ‗Why you ask me like this? ‗This scene went bad from here, as he
remembered. What could he do? He felt sick. He was sweating. All he had to do was keep his mouth
closed. ‗It‘s a reasonable question‘, he said. ‗You keep me here like... like prison. Like animal in cage‘.
He could see what he was doing wrong. He looked at himself with a mixture of pity and disgust. What a
sap. What a fool. Would he never learn? ‗Do I look you in? Do I beat you? ‗He should know better than
to shout. He did know better. But here we go again. Don‘t I give you everything you ask for and more?‖
(Monica Ali, Kitchen 341). This passage shows how Gabe knows what he is doing is wrong. But still, just
like Nazneen, Lena feels trapped due to the inequality in terms of power between her and Gabe, and
between women and men in society in general. Alentejo Blue as their Portuguese town has the highest
suicide rate in the country. "Alentejo Blue" is set amid the cork oak forests of the southern Portuguese
region known as the Alentejo. Its chapters are told from the points of view of different inhabitants of or
visitors to the region: an ancient, closeted gay pig farmer; a fat, dimwitted cafe owner; a poor, scatty
Englishwoman and her slovenly family; a predacious, alcoholic English writer; a local girl who wants to
be an au pair; vacationers of varying ages and conditions. Monica Ali published her novel Brick Lane as
the mirror of the psyche of women of Bangladesh who go abroad and suffer patriarchal oppression. Ali
gives an insight into 117 the Muslim marriage and prostitution through the character of Hasina. The plot
of the novel takes the readers to England where religion and Muslim patriarchy are on trial. The novel
begins in a depressing note; the birth of Nazneen and the appearance of Chanu are described in a subtle
style. The image of ―hawk‖ is very effective to describe the‖ uncertain‖ relations of Nazneen and Chanu
who had ―frog like face‖. He was forty and Nazneen was just nineteen. Monica Ali describes Nazneen as
―widefaced, watchful girl‖ (15). Nazneen was highly imaginative rooted in Bangladeshi traditional
culture. Ali also gives the image of ―natural disaster‖ to tell the readers that Nazneen‘s life in England
will be a road to destruction. Monica Ali gives the destructive image of death when Nazneen is about to
leave Dhaka for London with her husband Chanu. There was a tornado which brought huge destruction.
The villagers buried the dead bodies after a tornado. The whole scene is inauspicious for Nazneen who is
going to start her new life. The natural disaster is inauspicious for Nazneen as the writer is suggesting
that her life will be hellish and traumatic in London. The villagers are busy in burying the dead bodies
and many have escaped from the ―sight of destruction‖ (17). She didn‘t resist the marriage with Chanu
as she gave her consent: ―Abba, it is good that you have chosen my husband. I hope I can be a good
wife, like Amma‖ (16). This remark of Nazneen is ironical because the readers know that her mother
never enjoyed her domestic happiness. Her father Hamid had illicit relations with another woman and
being depressed she committed suicide. It was a great setback to Nazneen. Hamid got the first stroke of
bad luck when Hasina eloped with Khulna. It gave great shock to Nazneen also since she was greatly
attached with her. Monica Ali gives the image of ―an owl‖ to depict her loneliness and frustration thus:
―Those nights, Nazneen lay awake listening to the rattling of the corrugated tin roof, starting at the owl
calls that no longer sounded like owls but more like a girl felled by an axe on the back of her neck‖ (16).
When the marriage was fixed Nazneen grew romantic and imaginative: ―She looked across the fields,
glittering green and gold in the brief evening light. In the distance a hawk circled and fell like a stone,
came up again and flew against the sky until it shrank to nothing‖ (17). 118 It is pertinent to observe in
the beginning of this chapter Monica Ali gives some very sensational scenes of physical violence; sexual
molestation; rapes and abuse of female bodies. Monica Ali uses the technique of flashbacks and the
letters of Hasina. When Nazneen reached London she became lonely and depressed because all the time
she had only the tattoo girl to wave and look at her. The tattoo lady looked an apparition symbolizing
the entire unanswered question in the novel. ―How can she just sit and sit? What is she waiting for?
What is there to see?‖ (87). Monica Ali gives the image of ―blood‖ in the novel when she arrives in
London. She is in the kitchen shopping onions in a routine manner but she cuts her finger and blood
starts bleeding profusely Chanu remains indifferent and Nazneen also doesn‘t take the Nazneen is
extremely upset to hear the views of Chanu about her on the telephone: ―What‘s more, she is good
worker. Cleaning and cooking and all that. The only complaint I could make is she can‘t put my file in
order, because she has no English. I don‘t complain though. As I say, a girl from the village: totally
unspoiled‖ (23). As Nazneen grew she heard many times this story of ‗How You Were Left To Your Fate‘
(15). She spent her time in dusting ―Chanu‘s books and papers.‖ She spent time in cleaning the rugs
and furniture (20). Nazneen had never seen such a furnished house with lot of tables and pieces of
furniture: ―There was a low table with a glass center and orange plastic legs, three little wooden tables
that stacked together, the big table they used for evening meal, a bookcase, a corner cupboard, a rack
for newspapers, a trolley filled with files and folders, the sofa and armchairs… Each one had to be
dusted. She wondered how the dust got in and where it came from‖ (20-21). Nazneen was almost caged
like a bird as she was not allowed to go out. Chanu never gave her the liberty to go out; she wanted to
complete English language course but Chanu opposed the idea. Chanu often would say: 119 ―Why
should you go out? ... ‗If you go out, ten people will say, ―I saw her walking on the street.‖ And I will
look like a fool. Personally, I don‘t mind if you go out but these people are so ignorant. What can you
do?‘ … ‗Besides, I get everything for you that you need from the shops. Anything you want, you only
have to ask‖ (45). Monica Ali presents Nazneen, Hasina and Razia who play prominent role in the novel.
The plot becomes very provoking because Monica Ali depicts the heart rending scenes of domestic
violence, suicide, prostitution and polygamy. Bangladeshi women bring traditions and religious practices
in England. Their identity is framed by their clothes and behavior. Women in Brick Lane didn‘t enjoy
much respect the colony was infamous for prostitution, dirt and squalor. The plot revolves around
sexism as the sexual suppression was recurrent events in Brick Lane society. Hamid wanted Rupban to
give birth to a son but when Nazneen was born he was disappointed (14). Monica Ali highlights the
gender oriented society of Bangladesh in the very beginning of the novel. Nazneen also suffered the loss
of her first baby; Nazneen came under the wave of depression. Hasina writes a sentimental letter
wishing Nazneen that she will have more sons (149). Thus Monica Ali is very sensitive to the gender
discrimination in the novel; the struggles of Hasina with the male dominated society compelled her to
say in desperation: ´I do my best but I am only a woman` (163). In this chapter all these issues
concerning the abuse of female body; her sexual oppression and male domination is analyzed and
examined in detail. A woman is always objectified; all her activities are closely monitored by all male
members of society by father and brothers before marriage and by her husband after her marriage.
Woman is a symbol of disgrace in Muslim society is clearly depicted by Monica Ali in her Brick Lane.
Chanu calls all the women of Bangladesh as ―Uneducated, Illiterate and Close Minded.‖ These
derogatory remarks of Chanu provoked unprecedented controversy in the press and media. These
derogatory remarks of Nazneen sum up the oppressive patriarchy. Women in Bangladesh are not
allowed to do many things. In addition to going out and changing dress, work is another affair prejudiced
by Bangladeshi people. In the first months in London, Nazneen hears a dialogue between Mrs. Islam and
Razia also pass derogatory remarks against the Bangladeshi women who are money minded and crazy.
―The husband is working but still she cannot fill her stomach. In Bangladesh one salary can feed
twelve…‖ (29). 120 When Nazneen was born special medical facilities were not available. Banesa was
the only midwife who helped more than hundred women during their pregnancies. Nazneen reports
later on that: ―Amma didn‘t make a single sound when I was born‖ (71). Monica Ali gives the metaphor
of silence to depict her poignancy. Rupban bears all the sufferings silently as she was burdened by the
guilt of her husband. Rupban was sexually oppressed as Hamid physically assaulted her. Rupban
expressed her sufferings through her tears and silence that was heart rending. Rupban was passing
through a period of acute crisis when Nazneen was born. The fatalistic birth of Nazneen brought untold
miseries to Rupban. She kept quiet and silently resigned to the will of God. Monica Ali reports the scene
in the poignant language thus: ―On the fifth day, when Rupban in spite of herself was beginning to wish
that Fate would hurry and make up its mind, Nazneen clamped her mouth around the nipple so that a
thousand red-hot needles ran through Rupban‘s breasts and made her cry out for pain and for the relief
of a good and patient woman‖ (15). Rupban‘s sufferings symbolize the pain and anguish of millions of
women sexually oppressed by men like Hamid. Rupban was a mother she performed the duty of an ideal
mother as she endured all pain and anguish silently. Monica Ali has created a mystery about the tragic
death of Rupban: Mumtaz discovered ―her who had fallen on the ground leaning over the sacks of rice;
she was under huge stress and eventually It looked as if she was still falling‖ (46). In one of her letters
Hasina also reveals to Nazneen about the suicide of her mother. Nazneen passionately loves her mother
Rupban as she was her role model. She religiously followed the instructions of her mother who advised
her to accept the Grace of God, ―What could not be changed must be borne‖ (11). The punch line of
Rupban was ―If God wanted us to ask questions, he would have made us men‖ (64). This line of Rupban
symbolizes the oppressive force of gender discrimination. The theme of sexuality of women and the
abuse of female body is based on gender difference. The plot is structured around the stories of
Nazneen and the informative letters of Hasina. Nazneen‘s perspective is feministic; her sexual
experiences symbolize the destructive mood of religion and patriarchy which are accomplices of the 121
marginalization of women. Hasina‘s informative letters give a running commentary of the social evils of
society where woman is sold in the open market and her sexual oppression is witnessed and enjoyed by
all. Bhabha and Spivak have propounded the theories of the marginalization of women and when the
present researcher investigated the lives of Hasina, Rupban and Nazneen it was observed that women
are considered as the ―Other‖ in the Bangladeshi society. Monica Ali has narrated the whole life history
of Nazneen from birth to her traumatic experiences in England and her ultimate awareness at the end of
the novel. Women are denied all human rights; they are married off for social promotion; love affection
and feelings are disregarded by parents in marriage transactions. Domestic violence and extra-marital
relations are very common in Bangladeshi society and women are forced to bear all anguish silently. No
woman dares to oppose the will of her husband as she is considered a second class citizen in society.
The world of woman is secluded; male domination and sexual molestation is very common. Nazneen
often recollects her golden days of youth when she and her sister Hasina lived in Gouripur in Bangladesh
on the border of Bihar; their childhood was idyllic: ―In Gouripur…, she was always a girl and Hasina was
always six. Amma scolded and cuddled, and smelled as sweet as the skin on the milk when it had been
boiled all day with sugar. Abba sat on the choki, sang and clapped. He called out to them and took them
on his lap, and sent them away with a rough kiss on the cheek…‖ (45). Nazneen learns the domestic
chores but the tragic death of her mother gave her a big jolt. She remained restless for many days as she
was deeply attached to her mother. The train of her sufferings begins with the tragic and untimely death
of her mother. Her father was a dominating patriarch; a hypocrite who had developed illicit relations
with another woman. Hamid‘s infidelity brought poverty and instability in the family. Hasina exposes the
cruelty of her father in one of her letters depicting the sexual lust of Hamid. She vividly describes the
cruelty of her father whose indifferent attitude resulted into the silence of Rupban and her ultimate
suicide. She writes thus: ―He go to other women. He want to take other wife but she give threat to kill
own self‖ (156). Rupban‘s death remains mysterious to all but the real truth is revealed to us by Hasina
who reports thus in her poignant tone: 122 ―I tell you at the end only she act. She was under stress.
She was neglected by father. She silently cried but there was none who could listen to her. She think all
her paths are closed. She take a very daring step to kill herself. I am telling you sister my mother didn‘t
die a natural death; my father killed her. I am telling this secret to you as the secret was hidden inside
me for a long time and I feel you must also know the truth…. Then she moves the rice sacks she grunt a
bit but she never look around‖ (434). No sensible woman can tolerate the neglect and infidelity of her
husband. In such circumstances she feels lonely and dejected. Monica Ali has taken special pains to
describe the pain and anguish of Rupban as she is the first victim of patriarchal oppression. Homburger
Erikson observes thus in his book Identity. Youth and Crisis: ―Mothers are always crazy of love. They
don‘t dare to distribute this love between others. They feel insecure and often become desperate‖
(Erikson 177). The troubles of Nazneen started when her sister Hasina eloped with her boyfriend
bringing disgrace to the family. Hamid was very upset because it became a talk of the town. He would
sleep with an axe beside him; he cursed his ―whore-pig daughter‖ and vowed he would sever her head
―the moment she came crawling back‖ (6-7). He took hasty steps to marry off Nazneen with Chanu who
was forty at that time. Hamid didn‘t want to take any risk as Nazneen had crossed twenty years of age.
London brings trials and tribulations in the life of Nazneen. She had been very active in her village but in
Brick Lane colony she became lonely and desperate because she had no friend. Her only friend was the
window as she looked through it for recreation. The world outside the window was glamorous full of
activity but her world was dreary and lonely. She had no contact with the outside world and she passed
the whole day and night withdrawn all to herself. Monica Ali gives a powerful symbol of ―black
wardrobe‖ to dig out the inner wounded world of Nazneen. Wardrobe becomes a symbol of her past
sins haunting her all the time. She keeps dreaming about its destructive part. In her imagination she
thinks ―she was locked inside it and hammered and hammered but nobody heard‖ and soon the
wardrobe will fall on her crushing her body. The closet symbolizes death in the novel; it is similar to
coffin and 123 she fears she will be engulfed by it. All her dreams and fantasies have no impression on
Chanu (24). Nazneen gives birth to Shahana in England but she becomes nervous and dejected. Hasina
describes in one of her letters the nervous breakdown of Nazneen: ―You must take all the medicines
prescribed by the doctor; I do not know how your sadness can be cured by medicine?‖ (184) Nazneen
dreams that the bird of her aunt will fly away one day; someone will catch it and will break its neck. This
dream of Nazneen is very powerful conveying her pent up feelings. Hasina writes in her letter to ―fly
away like her‖ (335). She sees only the ugly side of her environment because she is lonely all the time.
Her main companions are a tattoo lady with witch like appearance, a defecating dog. Monica Ali depicts
her miserable alienation thus: ―In all the eighteen years of her life she never spent her life alone. But
after her marriage with Chanu she spent most of her time alone in London. There were multi-colored
activities outside but she was stuck up in the four walls to wait and watch the appearance of the tattoo
lady‖ (12). In England Nazneen was not comfortable; she got an opportunity to know about the
multicultural society but she spent most of her time alone. In her village she was like a flying bird; was
free to go anywhere. In London, she had to face the indifference of her husband who always talked
about his promotions and the attitude of his boss. Nazneen had no interest in his talks as most of them
were beyond her comprehension. In the morning she would open her eyes with thoughts: ―If I were
the wishing type I know what I would wish‖ (18). The main problem with Nazneen is she is a psychic
case. She often compares her life in London with her care free life in Bangladesh and suffers dislocation.
Then there is the communication barrier in her life. She doesn‘t know English language and has to
express her ideas and thoughts only in Bangla language. She knows only two phrases: ―sorry and thank
you‖ (19). She makes up her mind to learn English but Chanu discourages her. Monica Ali gives the
imagery of ―metal window frames‖, ―glass‖ and ―brick‖ (6) to depict her inner world. Nazneen feels
that she has become tough like the ―metal frames‖ she doesn‘t find any hope and bright future in her
life as metallic about everything. Her mind goes back to the open fields of her village where she enjoyed
a life of bliss and innocence. 124 ―She would go with Hasina to school; skipped and enjoyed the
conversation on the way hearing the sweet sounds of mynah birds gazing at the goats grazing on the
fields. Everything looked heavenly as she was free with heaven above her‖ (10). Nazneen leads a
mechanical and artificial life in London with her husband Chanu who has no deeper attachment with
her. She becomes a sexual toy to give sexual entertainment to her husband. The metallic environment of
her apartment makes her sick and despondent. She has become a soulless being; the animals on her
pottery had eaten her soul. She was all the time cleaning and dusting, books, files and papers but had no
time to dust her rusted soul. Nazneen is lost in her old memories and thinks that her relationship with
Chanu is like the relation between a waiter and his wife. ―But now the waiters were at home asleep, or
awake being waited on themselves by wives who only served and were not served in return except with
board and lodging and the provision of children whom they also, naturally, waited upon‖ (34). She learns
so many practical things of life from Dr. Azad. He is sick of his wife who drinks and smokes unlike
innocent Nazneen. But Nazneen takes great interest in watching the ice skating scene: ―Nazneen stared
at the television. Her chest pumped up and down as if her heart would shoot out and she smiled pure,
gold joy. She must be terrified, thought Nazneen, because such things cannot be held, and must be lost‖
(37). After the scene Nazneen switched off the television and was lost in her imagination. Her two
daughters observed change in her behavior. Nazneen tried to explore herself as she wanted to know the
causes of her growing disillusionment. Razia helped her a lot; her friendship with her acted as a catalyst.
She urged her to open the shutters of her mind and observe everything objectively. 125 ―Nazneen
looked at the sky; she looked at the ice and started identifying with the block of ice, she was like the
multicolored crisscross patterns of a thousand surface scars. Soon a woman jumped it on in one leg. She
was wearing jeans and looked free. She raced on, on two legs. She said, ‗But you can‘t skate in a sari‘.
Razia was already lacing her boots. ‗This is England‘, she said. ‗You can do whatever you like‘‖ (492).
The entire scene has symbolical significance for Nazneen. It symbolizes escape from life. The block of
hard ice reveals to her the real purpose of life. She must go on facing all the hardships of life. The colors
that shift and change symbolize the varieties of life. Nazneen is going to skate in her sari. Nazneen
doesn‘t want to be a dependent. Nazneen is in the grip of her metaphysical loneliness in the alien
country giving her a sense of insecurity. She is caught in the web of dilemmas; she cannot forget the
scenes and sights and the active life of Bangladesh and at the same she wants to be loyal to her husband
settling in London. There are two important episodes in the novel which bring total transformation in
the life of Nazneen. The first event is about her entry into the outside world for the first time with Razia
to buy clothes. The second event is about her intimacy with Karim who gives her new sexual awareness.
Nazneen goes with Razia to buy clothes and this gives her an opportunity to open her heart to her new
friend. She gives vent to all her pent up feelings and feels much relieved. Monica Ali gives the image of
sari to describe the symbolical significance of the event of shopping. Just as she unfolds a sari similarly
Nazneen is disclosing all her secrets to Razia layer by layer. She allows Razia to dig out her inner
turbulent souls and feels freedom for the first time. This scene has wider significance as it reveals her
economic freedom and independence from the trapped four walls of her husband Chanu. Nazneen also
got awareness when she had a chance to pass through a roundabout. She identified her life with a
roundabout and decided on that day that she would come out of the traumatic trap. The roundabout
was fenced around with two layers of grey metal barriers didn‘t find any chance to escape from
existential reality‖ (278). The symbol of the roundabout articulates the trapped situation of Hasina and
Nazneen in the novel. Whenever they try to break the trap some unknown hindrance blocks their way.
They are stuck inside the cage as they lack strength to break it. 126 Nazneen is disgusted being caged in
a steel metal as she is not allowed to make her independent decisions (430-431). All women have to
whirl around like the roundabout of life. He is a politically radical thinker; speaks only in English and
stammers in Bengali. Nazneen comes in his contact in connection with his uncle‘s garment business.
Karim is an active member of Bengali Tigers; a radical Muslim organization. Nazneen-Karim sexual affair
is a very important episode in the novel. Karim was born in England and his father was a bus conductor.
Karim was not very educated but had seen all the aspects of life. Karim tells Nazneen that ―we oppose
a person who opposes us‖ (257). Nazneen is lonely as she needs company; she likes Karim who is a good
entertainer with his conversation. He is a dashing personality as he is fond of wearing jeans, trainers and
shirts. He often wears Punjabi-pajama with gold chain around his neck (409). Nazneen enjoys dating
with him and soon flirtation begins. Nazneen falls in love with Karim to end her alienation. Her sexual
drives result into her adultery. Her female body is sexually abused and she breaks all the vows of
marriage. Her moral transgression is an important aspect of her personality. Her sexual seduction brings
new enlightenment in her as she gains new freedom and emancipation from the traditional conventions.
Her adultery symbolizes her rebellion against the traditional patriarchy. Nazneen also gets a job and
learns many English words from Karim. Nazneen was very young while Chanu was much senior in age;
she enjoyed the sexual pleasures for the first time from a young Karim who doesn‘t regard adultery as a
sin. Nazneen closely observed the actions; thoughts and ideas of Karim who proposed her for marriage
after Chanu leaves England. She had realized that Karim was another Chanu, dominating and assertive;
proud of her male potency and power. Her first sexual affair taught her the reality about Karim who
used her in a commanding manner: ―Get undressed‖ he commanded ―and get into bed‖. He left the
room… She pulled the covers up to her neck and closed her eyes‖ (288). Nazneen takes a historical
decision of her life for the first time independently. She thinks that Chanu and Karim have the similar
habits; both are dominating and oppressive. Monica Ali gives the images of cobwebs spreading around
the computer to describe his mental stagnation. He is worried all the time of his promotion but he feels
unsettled in any of his jobs (318). 127 Chanu lives in illusive world as he acts like a tourist. He is uprooted
by missing his prayers and drinking alcohol (110). He seems to be stuck between two cultures; ―if you
drink you risk being an outcast. In London, if you don‘t drink you risk the same thing" (110). He is full of
contradiction; he fears that his son would get spoiled in colonial environment (111). Nazneen decides to
live alone to look after her daughters. She doesn‘t need any male to look after her; she can manage
without a husband. Nazneen for the first realizes the truth about Karim because she feels he is the other
Chanu the dominating and oppressive. Nazneen observes that Karim was also Chanu type; she
developed sexual relations with him but she was not willing to continue her affair with Karim. He ―was
a born foreigner. When he spoke in Bengali, he stammered.‖ Karim was also a displaced person like
Chanu and there was no sense in living with him (448). Nazneen left Karim because ―he didn‘t have a
place in the world‖ (448-449). Nazneen is forced to admit that ―How did Karim see her? …A Bengali
wife. A Bengali mother‖ (454) Nazneen experiences a compounded sense of loss but this loss is
welcoming to her. She expressed her double minded thus: ―Her every nerve was strained; she had
grown double minded. She thought of her children who would not be happy in Bangladesh. She at last
decided to take the bold decision and refused to go with Chanu (430). Monica Ali articulates the
compounded sense of alienation and fear of Nazneen thus: ―Nazneen, hobbling and halting, began to
be aware of herself. Without a coat, without a suit, without a white face, without a destination. A
leafshake of fear—or was it excitement?—passed through her legs‖ (56). Monica Ali has focused on the
emotional and psychological ambiguities of Nazneen. She gets time to comprehend the causes of her
dilemmas and alienation. She gets a chance to break the ice coming in contact with Razia and Karim.
Two people open her shutters and she is able to evolve her independent perception of life. Her
emancipation from the caged life is her great achievement. The critics of Monica Ali observe that
―Nazneen is projected as a ―subjugated Muslim woman‖ who dares to break all the shackles of the
cultural and social rules controlling her life. Chanu is a failure in life and his failure symbolizes all the
trials and tribulations of the migrants in the colonized society. 128 The female body of Hasina is attacked
repeatedly by many men in the novel and she is reduced to a prostitute in the novel. Hasina is the most
persecuted woman as her letters reveal her harrowing experiences in the world of men. The traumatic
journey of her life begins when she elopes with her lover to Khulna breaking all the barriers of morality
and decency. She is sexual; passionate and adventurous. Her quest for liberty and independence proved
counter-productive as all men who came in her contact sexually raped her and battered her body.
Monica Ali deals with the theme of sexual aggression on the female body through the life history of
Hasina. She doesn‘t follow the command of her mother and makes her own decision to survive in male
dominated society. Hasina claims in her first letters that she is happy but in reality she is beaten by her
husband and all men ill-treat her. She is considered as a commodity that can be easily purchased with
money. She deserts her husband and comes in contact with Mr. Chowdhury: ―he is rich and powerful
man he know Top Brass people‖ (163). Hasina is innocent; her weakness is she can trust anybody. She
fails to judge the evil intentions of Mr. Chowdhury. He narrates in one of her letters how Mr. Chowdhury
raped her: ―Thursday evening Mr Chowdhury come here… I sleeping on my mat in underclothes and a
knock coming on the door. I call out and he reply then bang with his stick. Just a minute I tell him I
getting dressed. But he kick the door and break catch. He yelling…‗let me see her. Let me see the
whore.‘ He shout again. What you have done to me? You screwing every motherfucker in the factory!
Did they put roof over your head? Did they treat like daughter? What did they give you? What did I
get?‘… he put lamp down and he starting to take off shirt… then he take off trousers. I say nothing I do
nothing and then it done and he sit in the chair. He ask me to rub feet and I do it. He tell me not to cry
and I stop. He ask if it he who taking care of me and I say yes it him‖ (165-166). Mr. Chowdhury destroys
her innocence but she is silent as she doesn‘t dare to oppose him. Her sexual oppression symbolizes the
plight of Bangladeshi women in the novel. He degrades Hasina articulates her agony thus in one of her
letters: 129 ―This is what happen and afterwards I cry. All the time I thinking my life cursed. God have
given me life but he has curse it. He put rocks in my path thorns under feet snakes over head. Which
way I turn any way it is dark. He never light it. If I drink water it turn to mud eat food it poison me‖ (166).
Hasina becomes a degrading female body; she is exploited by many men because of her poverty and
illiteracy. She works in a garment factory; she is sacked from there and again she comes in contact with
another man whose name is Hussain. She marries one of her customers because he promises her home
and a settled life. Hasina is so much sexually exploited that she becomes a prostitute at the end. Hasina
takes a bold decision and finds the job of a maidservant in a rich family. Having shamed the family, there
is no way back. Hasina suffers because she doesn‘t listen to others and is guided by her instincts and not
by her reason. She is a sexual doll and when a man meets her he comes under her sexual spell. Her
letters reveal her individuality and free mind. She gives a true picture of all the working women of
Bangladesh who were sexually exploited by men in a routine manner. It is ironical to observe that Hasina
―listened to no one‖ (16) and always toes her own line. Her multi-colored experiences with men of all
types show the plight of women and male hegemony of men who enjoy exploiting women. Monica Ali
gives the images of ―coldness‖ ―lost‖ and hunger to describe the plight of Hasina who dared to
struggle in the male dominated society of Bangladesh. Nazneen describes her plight through the images
of ―cold‖ and ―hunger‖ and pain: ―She had got herself lost because Hasina was lost‖ (58). Hasina has
practical knowledge about the sexual drives of men. Hasina appears as a sensitive and naïve woman.
Silvia Federici (2004) avers that the entire plot of the novel is about the destruction and pollution of
female bodies. The sexual exploitation culminating into prostitution is the main interest of the novel.
Men enjoy controlling women‘s bodies; master and colonize them. Men enslave women through
marriage but in all man and wife relationship man are oppressor and woman is the oppressed. (Federici
92). Hasina comments thus about the sexual weakness of men: 130 ―They come close and they melt.
How they can help this thing? It is you who must take care.' Later on in another letter, she says of one of
her colleagues in the garment industry who describes her as ―the rotten one‖ by going to close to
whom one can go ―bad‖‖ (158-159). Monica Ali has portrayed Hasina as an oppressed woman.
―Hasina was lost…Hasina was in Dhaka. A woman on her own in the city, without husband, without
family, without friends, without protection‖ (58). She represents millions of unemployed working class
women who are tortured, raped and sexually oppressed by the cruel male members of society. The
plight of Hasina is not limited to her alone; women like Hasina are found everywhere. Monica Ali has
sociological approach in her treatment with the theme of rape and sexual assault perpetrated on
Hasina. Consider for example the statement of Hasina against. Mr. Chowdhury who is a big gun of the
town but he has mean and degrading intentions to exploit Hasina. ―He ask to comb hair. I did and I
massage feet. […] Evening time I cook the meal and I serve‖ (162,164). Hasina is raped and sexually
assaulted because she cannot resist being a poor working woman. She was a beautiful girl with her
―pomegranate-pink lips and liquid eyes‖ (50). Nazneen is shocked to know that such a beautiful and
innocent woman becomes a victim of the rotten system. In one of her letters Hasina introspects and
tries to ascertain the causes of her sexual oppression. She comes to the conclusion that the real cause of
her alienation and sexual molestation is her longing for liberty as she confesses: ―God forgive me. […]
Everything has happen is because of me. I take my own husband. I leave him. I go to factory. I let Abdul
walk with me. I the one living here without paying‖ (166). Nazneen is always worried about Hasina; she
even asks Chanu to bring her here in England. Monica Ali gives the images of ―rat‖, ―naked‖ man and
of a ―dog‖ to portray the hellish life of Hasina who remains jobless and homeless in most of her life.
Her adventurous life results into her endless pain and anguish which cannot be articulated in words.
Hasina‘s life remains ambiguous as she is ―turning around and around‖, (Brick Lane 340) there is no
fixed rock for her, she goes on changing places and men fails to get stability of life. Hasina‘s adventurous
life is wrought with 131 confusion as no development of her is visible. All her experiments bring only
sufferings and pain. She often feels confused and bewildered in her journey of life. Her decision to elope
with her boyfriend is an expression of her moral transgression. She is impulsive and emotional; her
sexual drives urge her to transgress. But after some time she has to pay the heavy price because her
husband starts beating her and oppressing her. Her adventure turns into misadventure as she grows to
be another Hasina; sad and dejected. Hasina comes in contact with Hussain who plays vital role in
bringing pain and anguish in the life of Hasina. She was virtually starving when Hussain entered in her
life as she confesses ―In night he come to my room. I do not send away… Hussain give me sari some
ribbons and pretty box with pearl lid‖ (168). She remains silent for one year and after a year she
expresses her lacerated heart to Nazneen telling her how she virtually resorted to prostitution for
money and home. She praises Hussain who looked after her and would give money to save her from
starvation. Selling body became the sole strategy of Hasina to survive in harsh society of Bangladesh.
―He left the job. He was after young girls. He left me alone. Eight ten months past Hussain stop the jute
mill job. He have other girl over near Borobazaar and two other who go around for work. These he call
floating girl… best price for girls eleven twelve. He take good care‖ (169). In Bangladesh society the
working women are subjected to all forms of sexual molestation. Poverty and hunger compel women to
sell their bodies in open market. Hasina is fed up the polluting environment of big cities and longs to go
back to the village. She has realized that the cities are stinging. ―I like to smell the village again‖ (170).
She is raped by another man; she struggles to save her honor but there is another waiting to pounce on
her to fuck her on the street. Hasina is a naïve village woman and hardly knows the cruelty of male
world. Soon she finds that male power has destroyed her; the system is so oppressive that her life has
become a hell. Ahmed comes into her contact; he expresses his desire to marry her. Hussain encourages
Hasina to marry him to gain stability of life. He confronts her with the reality telling her ―My liver is
gone I cannot last much longer. Who will protect you if not him? I let you go. This life is finish. Begin
another‖ (171). He is a pimp but expresses his wish to help her. Hasina degrades herself accepting the
proposal. Hasina deludes herself about the new husband. Jamal Mohsin Islamel who states that: The
patriarchal society 132 is responsible in crushing the identity of women in Bangladesh. Women are
enslaved; raped and sold in the market because of poverty; their rights are denied; and patriarchy and
Islam have overwhelmed them‖ (Islamel I31). Hasina is torn in body and complains in a mild tone that
―I am a low woman. I am nothing. I have nothing. I am all I have. I can give you anybody‖ (171-172).
Fate gives a golden chance to secure a space. James and Lovely employ her as a maid servant to look
after the baby daughter. But soon the clash of cultures brings problems to her. Lovely becomes a
problem for her and once again her job is insecure. The world of Brick Lane is populated by working
women who are raped and sexually oppressed for money and promotion in a job. Monju, Aleya, Jorina
and Amina are bound to suffer in the oppressive male dominated society. Renu is lonely and frustrated
who got married at the age of with an old man who died just after three months. Her life becomes
hellish doomed to lead a lonely life selling her body for survival: She has run dry of hope and views her
life pessimistically, wishing she had never lived: Who will marry these bones? She wave her arms but no
bones showing is bracelets from wrist to elbow‘… She say there is no one to protect me. I must go here
and there always alone‘…‖ (151). Briefly stated the plot of the of Brick Lane deals with domestic
violence; abuse of female body; her prostitution and male subjugation. This chapter examines these
issues exposing the physical violence, double standards of patriarchy and sexual exploitation of women.
They alone suffer physical and psychological tortures as Foucault observes in The History of Sexuality
(1976) thus: ―The body, as much as other cultural objects, is the product and effect of various systems
of training, discipline and construction. Bodies are not the brute effects of a pre-given nature, but are
historically specific effects of forms of social and institutional production and inscription. Just as a history
of the production of knowledge is possible, so, too, is a history of the production of bo