Brick lane

Monica Ali

OCTOBER 4, 2023
The city in literature
 Abstract

The first time I read the novel I felt that it is a deep recall of something that I experienced and

each one of us experienced in different stages of our lives, the question is? What does that mean?

To answer this question let me introduce her personality first:

She is quiet and contemplative, often keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself. Her

introverted nature is partly a result of her traditions as she grew up in a rural village in

Bangladesh which played a significant in role in shaping her soul on the novel. Nazeen is

observant of her surroundings an circumstances and the people within her community and

family. She often reflects on her experiences and the changing world around her. Her thoughtful

nature is evident in her inner consciousness and outer space, creating her own atmosphere.

Each one of us encountered a state of feeling like being lost between words, disconnected from

the inner universe that we used to live in into the outer universe that we create based on our

backgrounds and the wish to be part of both universes to understand us better thav one side of

thinking which is always captured and monitored by culture and society.

The second part is when you are connected by religion or policy, you are going have a state of

unconsciousness to see how you connect your past inner beliefs with what you are in at the

moment.

I think Nazeen sees London as an unfamiliar and sometimes strange citye. She is overwhelmed

by the busy city and feels isolated and separated from the people around he due to some cultural

and language barrier.

She sees the people in her community and her husband, Chanu, through a traditional lens,

adhering to the cultural expectations of her Bangladeshi hometown. She often defers to her

husband's views and opinions since she was a submissive wife according to the place she grew

up in where everything can be seen only through the eyes of family and traditions.

By time she started to have some significant changes as we all feel when we become older and

older, Nazeen becomes more independent and self-reliant. She starts taking English language

classes.

She becomes more and more assertive and straight in expressing her thoughts, feelings and

desires. She begins to have an inner rebellious voice regarding her opinions and stands up for

herself, in her interactions with her husband, Chanu. This interesting weird guy, and her desire

ambition and her to contribute to her family's income by sewing clothes from her background

experience.

The clash between her cultural heritage in Bangladesh, the small little limited place and the

modern, multicultural environment of London, leading to a deeper exploration of her own

identity in place and time

Later on the novel she began to change dramatically, new experiences and a forbidden

relationships. Her involvement with Karim, a younger man from her community, leads her to

challenge social norms, cultures and explore thechance of a different kind of relationship.

She realized that she has a deeper understanding of the complexities of life in London and the

changes of experiences among its residents. Her interactions with people from different

nationalities to see the world from different viewpoints.

More and more readings I found that the death of her son shaped a new Nazeen in the novel. This

tragic event has a significant impact and effect on Nazeen's character and personality
(psychological), then shaping her emotional and psychological development through the novel,

source of grief and loss for Nazeen, she became to be emotionally vulnerable after her son's

death. She is able to express her emotions and feelings, , which is a detour from her earlier

conservative culture. She started to question the significance of certain cultural, focusing instead

on what truly matters to her only which is a huge change for a submissive wife.

There is more to explore regarding he evolution in the novel mentally and physically

And we all encountered this state of uncertainty when w move to a different place, therefore, this

novel touched my heart deeply and I could feel every single word of the novel as mine.

Rami Ibrahim