Asia Pacific Journal of Research Vol: I Issue XII, December 2013

ISSN: 2320-5504, E-ISSN-2347-4793

CONSERVATIVE EAST VERSUS MODERNIZED WEST: A STUDY OF BAPSI

SIDHWA’S AN AMERICAN BRAT

1
G.Sheela, Research Scholar, External Ph.D, Annamalai University
2
Dr.K.Muthuraman, Professor and Head, Department of English,
Annamalai University

Bapsi Sidhwa is the first English writer in Pakistan to receive international acclaim.
Sidhwa started writing, at a time when there was no tradition of either woman’s literature or
English language literature in Pakistan. She may be considered a pioneer in both the fields.
She made best of her varied experiences of life - as an eight year old girl having witnessed
the horrifying scenes of violence at the time of partition, as a young bride in the city of
Bombay, as an active social reformer, as a Parsi woman and as an expatriate in America.
All her novels explore women’s condition in particular settings, and chart the
development of South Asian women from passivity to the life of action. Her fourth novel
An American Brat focuses on the life of a young Parsi girl in USA, who challenges the
patriarchal and religious norms related to women’s issues.
Parsi life comes under close scrutiny in Sidhwa’s An American Brat, which
chronicles the adventures of a young Pakistani Parsi girl Feroza. Sidhwa highlights the
transformation of Feroza from tradition-bound conservative one to modernized one.

Sidhwa writes about the United States from her own perspective as a
Pakistani immigrant. Some US reviewers have found the American passages less satisfying
than those set in Pakistan. Certainly, in An American Brat Sidhwa succeeds in defining the
American experience, first as Feroza views it, then as her mother reacts to it, even though
Sidhwa admits that it is not easy to portray the nuances of a culture one is not born to. The
outward differences that the characters face in their old and new worlds give the novel a rich
texture as well as a comic streak so familiar in Sidhwa’s previous accounts of the Parsis and
at the same time it wonderfully portrays the challenges faced by the immigrants of
America. Sidhwa belives this novel will attract and appeal, to both the American and the
young folk of the sub-continent as it is about the experiences of the people when they try to
transform themselves from their tradition bound caste culture to modernized American
culture.

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Asia Pacific Journal of Research Vol: I Issue XII, December 2013
ISSN: 2320-5504, E-ISSN-2347-4793
It is a story of a young Parsi girl’s Americanization, which is based on Sidhwa’s
own experience when she was migrated to modernized society America from conservative
Pakistan society. Regarding the theme of the novel, Suman Bala observes:
In An American Brat Sidhwa highlights the sensitive–issue of inter-community
marriage between a Parsi and non-Parsi on the theme of marriage. She maintains a
clever balance, implicitly opposing the rigid code of the Parsis but not appearing
overtly rebellious. It has always been a controversial issue among Parsis who wish to
preserve the chastity of their ethnic group even at the cost of extinction. In making
this issue the central concern of the narrative, Sidhwa reveals her awareness of an
issue that has serious ramifications and consequences for the very existences of the
Parsi community.(84).
The heroine of the novel Feroza, a sixteen year old girl was brought up in
small prosperous Parsi family in Lahore. Her parents are not happy about Feroza who is
following the conservative Islamic code. At first, she is deeply inflamed by the Islamic
life-style and she does not accept her mother’s dress of sleeveless blouse and saree. The
parents, unable to bear the tradition bound conservative way of living by Feroza, decides to
send her to America to change her outlook and expose her to the western world.
Feroza becomes “modern” in the truest sense of the world. They think that
she will challenge traditional views, static orthodox and grow beyond the confines of
community and the norms of patriarchal society. Sidhwa shows that the journey to the
U.S.A is supposedly a learning process, but instead it makes her “too modern” for her
Patriarchal and seemingly liberal family. Slowly she changes her life-style from
conservative East to modernized West.
The thought of the changing life-style from the conservative style into the
modernized style makes Feroza feel tremendously happy. Though she is disappointed
by the insults and dehumanizing behavior of the officers at the airport, she forgets
everything when she indulges in a tour to New York:
It was like entering a surreal world of hushed opulence festooned by all manner of
hats propped up on stands and scarves and belts draped here and there like fabulous
confetti. The subtle lighting enhanced the plush shimmer of wool and leather and the
glowing colours of the silk. Feroza felt she had never seen such luxuriant textures or
known the vibrant gloss of true colours.(122)
Zareen, Feroza’s mother is so confident that she will be very safe in America as she
would be under the care of her uncle Manek. Manek has withered the trauma of culture
shock which the new world has cast upon her. He wants Feroza to imbibe the progressive
and stimulating culture of the U.S.A. He wants Feroza to become self-sufficient and
independent. So she is enrolled in a college at Twin-falls in Southern Idaho. Now starts
another aspect of Feroza’s expatriate experience. Feroza begins to assimilate the
independence of mind and spirit and sturdy self-confidence offered by the New World
which is alien to her Third World experience and sheltered upbringing. Feroza even visits
Jo’s family at Boulder and continues to widen her horizons. Ironically Feroza outgrows her
initial mentors, uncle Manek and friend Jo.
Feroza is portrayed as the typical girl of sub-continent initially shy, conservative and
tradition-bound but willing to strive. She is also depicted as a representative of the Parsi
milieu with an inherent fondness for a western life-style. Though both cultures are entirely
different, Feroza, at first very shy at her homeland, is soon attracted by the modernized
western culture. She learns to drive, drink and dance, use a more direct and less polite form
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of language. In the conservative society at Lahore, she has hesitantly talked to young men,
but in the modernized America, she flirts with Shashi an Indian student at the University of
Denver.
Feroza, exposed to new life style of modern America, develops love-affair with an
American Jew, David. She gradually exposes herself to varied experiences of life in the new
world. Thus, Feroza evolves from innocent, conservative and protected life in Lahore to the
experiences of independent spirit and self-confidence of modern American world.
Zareen flies to America to dissuade Feroza from marrying the American Jew, David.
The novelist discusses in detail the unfair and unjust codes of marriage for the Parsi women.
Zareen too feels that the conservative Parsi community must move with the time and permit
equal rights to the women who marry outside the community. At the same time, she does
not dare to protest or speak in support of her daughter Feroza.
The most humorous sections are the contrast between the polite Feroza and the brash
American in usage of words. Sidhwa’s humour is situational as a result of astute
characterization. At a drug-store, Feroza uses polite expression to a shop-keeper who
mistakes politeness as an appeal for charity. While shopping, a timid Feroza politely asks:
May I have this, (a bottle of Hair spray) please? The abrasive saleswoman thinks the
foreign girl is asking for charity and replies curtly, you may not. You’II have to pay
for it. This isn’t the salvation Army, Y’ know; it’s a drug store.(88)
Her friend Jo teaches Feroza Americanism to replace the polite expressions of
“please” and “may”.
In Lahore, she hesitantly talked with guys. But in the United State Feroza discovers
that there are restrictions and sexual relations are casually entered into. Feroza finds herself
drawn to a young Indian named Shashi. They kiss and indulge in the mild petting when they
are alone. This act is entirely different from the culture she had been brought up which has
got restrictions in moving with the male society.
Zareen tries to explain to Feroza that by marrying David she would be cut off from
her family and religion and she would not be able to follow the rituals of her Parsi
community. She says that Parsi men can marry outside the faith and still remain Parsi and
bring their children up in their faith. However, Parsi women who marry non-Parsis -“nons”
as they are termed –are excommunicated. Zareen brings money to buy David and she would
not do so as she spends all her money on shopping. Zareen pretends that she has accepted
David’s proposal and explains to him the Parsi rituals and customs. He feels whether he can
able to cope with the rituals and wonders how far he is away from the conservative Parsi
culture.
Zareen suggests to Feroza that she should forget about men and concentrate on her
studies:
Why can’t she be like the two women who share her apartment? Busy with their
studies, says Zareen, they are not bothered with men. No, says Feroza, because they
are lesbians. Zareen does not understand. She has come across the word in
magazines, but has never heard it used. Feroza explains that the two are lovers.
Zareen is surprised. Why? They are pretty, and there is no dearth of men around.(29)
Thus, Sidhwa introduces lesbianism, a subject that sub-continent girls do not dare to
involve and even talk about. In contrast to this, in the modern world of America people give
less importance to such things.
Zareen leaves, her mission accomplished, but in the airplane, on the way home, she
ponders over her religion and wonders whether it can continue to restrict inter-faith
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marriages. Though Feroza breaks up with David, Sidhwa says that Feroza is a changed girl,
very different from the one that had left Pakistan. However, as a newcomer, Feroza does
feel a sense of dislocation of not belonging, but it is more tolerable because it is shared by
thousands of newcomers like herself. Moreover, she has become used to the comforts that
America has to offer:
Happy Hour, telephones that worked, the surfeit of food, freezers, electricity,
and clean and abundant Water, the malls, skyscrapers, and highways. (312)
Though initially depressed and saddened at her change of fortune, Feroza
feels that it is not however, just the material comforts that seduce newcomers to the United
States, but the freedom that Americans take as their right. Finally, Feroza resolves that she
will not settle without a career and would not let others interpret in matters pertaining to her
marriage and she is able to cross the limits prescribed by her conservative society and
culture.
Sidhwa’s earlier novels portray life in her home territory, in familiar surroundings of
the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent. An American Brat moves its locale, for the most part, to
the New World, the United States of America. It reflects the recent trend of modernization
among the immigrants when they shift from the Third World to First World nations like the
USA, England, Australia, and Canada.
An American Brat demonstrates what a strong hold tradition has, and the agony of
breaking with established norms. It also shows how bewildering it is for migrant
communities to adapt to the changes. Bapsi Sidhwa’s semi-autobiographical novel pokes
little good-natured fun at both the conservative Parsi life in Pakistan and free wheeling
chaos of modernized American life by Feroza. Feroza undertakes a journey from tradition –
bound culture into the depths of alien culture in an effort to adapt and assimilate an
independence and strength of character, and decision-making which is declined to her in her
own culture.
In An American Brat, Sidhwa has returned to a lighter vein with the story of young
Feroza Ginwalla’s emigration and transformation into what her stay-at-home family sees as
the brat of the title. Thus, through her protagonist Feroza, Sidhwa confirms the fact that the
two opposite poles tradition and modernity, because of their mutual opposition and
antagonism, cannot make the people live in peace but at the same time gives independence
of mind and spirit of self-confidence to them and this has been the idea of not only the
novelist but the majority of her readers too.
Moreover, Sidhwa brings to light the fact that the two extremes - Conservative East
and Modernized West - representing the old generation and the other young are always at
loggerheads and it is the young who meekly surrender at the end.

WORKS CITED

PRIMARY SOURCE

1. Sidhwa, Bapsi. An American Brat.New Delhi: Penguin India, 1994. Print

SECONDARY SOURCES.
1.Bala Suman.”The theme of Migration: A study of An American Brat”
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ISSN: 2320-5504, E-ISSN-2347-4793
2. Dhawan, R.K., and Novey Kapadia. The Novels of Bapsi Sidhwa. New Delhi: Prestige,
1996.
3. - - - . “Journey Towards Freedom: A Study of Sidhwa’s “An American Brat” Parsi Fiction
New Delhi: Prestige Books 2001. Print.
4. Moi, Toril, “Feminist Literary Criticism.”Modern Literary Theory: A Comparative
Introduction.Eds Ann Jafferson and David Robey. London: Batsford, 1982.
5. Niruparani, K. “Gender and Imagination in Bapsi Sidhwa’s Fiction” Fiction of Nineties
6. Eds Noble Dass, Veena, and R.K. Dhawan . New Delhi: Prestige, 1994.
7. Novy Kapadia et..al Parsi Fiction,Vol. 2. Ed.. New Delhi: Prestige Books, 2001. Print.
8. Sharma N.P. Parsi Culture and Vision, New Delhi: Prestige Books, 1998. Print.

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