National University of Modern Languages Islamabad

Introduction to Pakistani Literature in English

Major Assignment

Submitted To:
Ma`am Huma Rashid

Submitted by:
Muhammad Hasnain
Topic: Influence of Child Marriage in the Development of the
Character of Dadi

Roll No: FM-32893

BS ENGLISH 5C Morning
In the realm of Post-colonial literature, several authors have used their pens to criticize social
evils like gender discrimination, class disparity, corruption, etc. One such issue is the practice of
child marriage where young females are driven into early marriage and then they are expected to
wear the responsibilities of mature women. Khalid Hosseini in his novel A Thousand Splendid
Suns, shows the lives of two young females Mariam and Laila intersect in a shared experience of
child marriage where the norm was for them to demonstrate mature behavior at the age of fifteen
and fourteen respectively. In the case of Sara Suleri`s memoir Meatless Days the character of
Dadi, a victim of child marriage, is presented as a poignant emblem of consequences of child
marriages.

Dadi was born in Meerut. She, after the partition came to the Punjab of Pakistan. She was against
the traditional festivities of Independence as she recalls her harsh memories with it. About that
era she would only say, looking up sour and cryptic over the edge of her Quran, ‘And I was
also burned.’ She always regards Satan as responsible for Sara`s father's marriage to her white-
legged mother, for the death of her daughter in childbirth, and for her youngest son being sent to
Switzerland. She was married to the grandfather of Sara at the age of sixteen and was widowed
in her thirties. Getting married so young meant that her education and personal development
were cut short. As a child bride in a patriarchal society, she would have been expected to take on
domestic duties and submit to the authority of her husband and his family.

However, even with such a disadvantaged start in life due to the lack of autonomy that came with
child marriage, Dadi appeared to develop inner strength and resilience. The text notes that she
had taken on the role of matriarch, making difficult decisions for her family while they were
away and facing the uncertainties of being separated from her children. Taking such a leadership
position within the family as a mother and grandmother, when she would have been expected to
remain subordinate due to her gender and the patriarchal social norms, indicates Dadi had gained
influence and authority despite her lack of formal education and early marriage. She has been
portrayed as someone who holds her family together during difficult periods, taking on
responsibilities usually reserved for men in that society. As the only other woman in the house
besides Sara`s mother, with "Mamma and Dadi, the only women in the house, the one
untalking, the other unpraying," she seemed to take charge in her quiet way.
Despite no education, she was capable of reading and writing and she had developed writing as
her hobby. Sara states, that in winter when she would not read or write, she would sew for her
delight. Dadi appeared comfortable asserting herself and going against social expectations of
submissiveness for women when necessary. The time when Shahid, Sara`s brother, would call
his sisters vile and disgusting women. Dadi would confront him and tell him to never call her
granddaughters women. Shahid would reply should I call them men? To which Dadi would reply
“Men! There is more goodness in women`s little fingers than in the benighted mind of men”
Sara also states that Dadi had never addressed them without conferring the title of lady “Iffat
Begum, Sara Begum, Nuzhat Begum” which symbolizes the expectations from the girls for their
age. This is due to the reason that Dadi herself was a wife at almost the same age as her
granddaughters. Thus, she had to act responsibly according to the social norms of a patriarchal
set-up. Hence, she expects the same maturity from these young girls.

Her confidence in her status within the family hierarchy tells of the power and respect she has
earned over time. She was merely impossibly unable to remain unnoticed. Her authoritative
nature had such a profound effect on the family that when she died, they state they all forgot to
grieve over her death. Moreover, we can also notice the negative impact of the exploitation of
her in a child marriage. She had shown the same kind of exploitation towards Sara`s mother she
would constantly call her a white-legged woman. She was not ready to accept her as a family
member at all. Thus, Dadi has maintained the status quo as she faced various hardships in her
marriage and now, she is doing the same with Sara`s mother.

To sum up, Dadi's character development from a child bride lacking autonomy to a
formidable matriarch figure exerting authority late in life demonstrates how adversity can
strengthen one's inner resolve rather than weaken it. Through facing immense hardships early on
like child marriage and the responsibilities of motherhood without a proper education, and later
enduring traumatic injuries in the partition, she seemed to cultivate qualities of resilience,
defiance, and quiet leadership. She has been portrayed as someone who grows into a powerful
presence within the family dynamics who does not hesitate to assert herself and challenge
conventions, gaining influence through her strong will and taking charge despite the many
obstacles that could have broken a lesser spirit. Her story is a testament to the human ability to
adapt and even flourish when faced with immense challenges, carving out space for oneself even
within the constraints of a patriarchal system.