Slide prepared by Faisal Aziz

Submitted to ma'am Asma

BS 8th Morning: PC 19216

Depression vs Hope in the novel " The blue room"

The novel The Blue Room is written by Nafisa Rizvi, is a Pakistani novelist, blogger, journalist
and social activist. The work considered as a feminist work; it deals with the social and cultural
customs and issues such as gender discrimination. The major characters of the novel are in
depression; though hope is also there in the novel.

Depressive disorder (also known as depression) is a common mental disorder. It involves a

depressed mood or loss of pleasure or interest in activities for long periods of time. Depression
is different from regular mood changes and feelings about everyday life.

Hope a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.

The novel is a work of feminism though the depression is shown through patriarchy, male
chauvinism and social and cultural customs. The protagonist of the novel , the major character:
Zaib un nisa has been got married forcefully with Murtaza. Jahanara , the mother of the
protagonist is not in favor her daughter but forcefully married. Zaib un nisa is been given in
matter of debt to the shaikh family: the concept of vanni specially in pashto society. Though
through these concepts and social and cultural customs women has been depressed.

Further more, in the novel Zainab is also forcefully married with Baqar but Baqar is not
interested in her. He considered his marriage as a burden and he also in extra marital
relationship with Lali. Baqar is not caring of his son even though Zaninab is also been depressed
in the novel .
In addition, Murtaza is also been depressed by his parents because he faced with mentally
illness but his parents never took him to hospital because of the partriarcal rules that he will be
considered as fragile and weak though Murtaza is also been depressed.

However hope in the novel is shown when Zainab is keeping the relationship with the unfaithful
Baqar . She is in hope that everything will be fine .

Further, the parents of Zaninab is in hope that Baqar will taking care of Zainab and will keep her
happy but what happened in a result.. she is been depressed

However, the writing of the novel is itself hope because the writer highlighted the social and
cultural issues in order to Avoid such social and cultural customs ( male chauvinism)

"Writing is the return of the repressed" sigman Freud