Delineation of Power Relations and Ambivalent Sexism in

Selected Short Stories of Tariq Rahman

Introduction of Research Scholar

Name: Muhammad Rehman Zaheer
Delineation of power relations and ambivalent sexism in the selected short stories of

Tariq Rahman

Introduction

This research will deal with the analysis of Tariq Rahman's selected short stories

through a theoretical framework ambivalent sexism proposed by Rachel Connor, Peter

Glick and Susan Fiske in an article Ambivalent Sexism in the 21st century. This study

will analyze that how ambivalent sexism’s system functions in the short stories of Tariq

Rahman. It will address that how ambivalent attitude towards women polices women’s

bodies through the threat of rape, sexual harassment, violence and oppressive beauty

ideals. Further, it will also discuss the political and economic domains (gender

discrimination at work) in selected short stories of the writer. The study of adjective

groups (psychological, evaluative, emotive and attributive) will also support ambivalent

sexism by looking into the text that how ambivalent sexism is employed by the writer in

the art of characterization. The study of adjectives is proposed by Geoffrey Leech and

Mick Short in lexical categories in their model. This model explains physical,

psychological, visual, auditory, color, referential, emotive, evaluative, restrictive,

nonrestrictive, gradable, non-gradable, attributive and predicative adjectives.

Research Objectives

1. To foreground how male dominant and objectify female bodies in the selected

short stories of Tariq Rahman.

2. To highlight women’s marginalization by using paradigm of hostile sexism in the

selected text.
 3. To analyze power relations and gender roles by using stylistic technique of

adjectives (Psychological, emotive, attributive, evaluative) in the selected short

stories.

Rationale
This research work will explore Rahman’s works with the idea of ambivalent

sexism. His works have been analyzed and explored by other lenses and theories but this

one will throw a light on his major characters and situations as the story progresses. The

performance of the characters in domestic and social duties will be viewed through the

language they use and the effects of their language on the other characters. It will explain

that how the characters are objectified in social and economic domains and what are the

reasons behind their objectification. Is the society responsible or other factors affect their

objectification? All these factors will be explored and interpreted.

Research Questions

1. Which fictional techniques does Tariq Rahman use to show objectification and

control over female bodies in the selected short stories?

2. What forms of marginalization and hostile sexism can be traced out in the

selected short stories?

3. What kind of adjectives (Psychological, emotive, attributive, evaluative) are used

to show power relations and gender objectification in the selected short stories?

Review of Literature

The most relevant studies to the current topic will be reviewed in this section to

explore that how the works of Tariq Rahman have been analyzed through different

lenses. The research study binary opposition and colonial hegemony structural and post-
structural study of Tariq Rahman’s the zoo by makes an endeavor to disclose the inside

constructions of pressure among center and strengthening advantages and doubles

portrayed by Tariq Rehman in his anecdotal piece The Zoo. Paper consolidates

underlying and present primary methodologies on recognize ideas and language where

inclinations and advantages are fictionalized. The examination concocts the end that

pilgrim authority is focused on and special on the expense of minimized ones. As after

decolonization marvels, things are not given due rights and importance on legitimacy

rather based on masters and metropolitan inceptions and affiliations. Cultural clash, a

postcolonial analysis of Tariq Rahman’s charity is an attempt to explore cultural clash in

Tariq Rahman’s short story Charity. The storyline of the Charity resounds the

experiences between the East (Pakistani native culture) and West (Western-styled

Pakistani tip top culture) in the rambling road of Raja Bazaar, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

While dissecting the social conflict and strife, the paper utilizes postcolonial hypothesis

as an applied system. It is construed from the examination of the content that socio-social

combination and shared concurrence are inescapable, that at last prompts the social

impact in the post-frontier society.

‘Situating identity on a universal trait’ embraces an investigation of the linguistic

elements of "Bingo", a short story composed by a contemporary Pakistani English author,

Tariq Rehman. The study investigates that the epistemological line between within and

the outside reduces and the idea of personality goes past the international groupings and

arranges itself on a widespread skyline of mankind where all subjects share a typical

attribute which distinguishes them as an animal category (Homo sapiens) with no

separation point isolating them into the outcasts and the insiders.
 A stylistic study of the use of adjectives in Shapiro's auto wreck is an empirical

investigation of the use of adjectives in the poem Auto Wreck by Karl Shapiro. This

study is incomplete in terms of applying the theoretical framework of Leech and Short

model of adjectives. Though linguistic analysis of the adjectives semantically and

syntactically is applied yet it does not describe the implications of different adjective

groups (physical, psychological, visual, auditory, color, referential, emotive, evaluative,

etc.) in details.

This research covers lexical categories with specification of the study of

adjectives. Adjectives are further investigated in three aspects, the first one is attributive

and predicative aspect of the use of adjectives. The second aspect is concrete and abstract

aspect of the adjectives in the texts of both speeches. The third aspect the use of

comparative and superlative aspect of the adjectives in both of the texts. One part of this

research belongs to political discourse. The second discourse is a religious discourse.

Both discourses have their technical vocabulary and words. Kennedy uses more

comparative and superlative adjectives in his speech to denote the progress in future time

of the nation but Dr. Carl uses a smaller number of comparative and superlative

adjectives in his speech. Kennedy’s style of speech is optimistic and motivational by

using concrete adjectives while on the other hand, Dr. Carl uses more abstract adjectives

to put a focus on moral domain of the life. His style a pessimistic which leads to a sense

of a specific path described by religion.

This research paper explores the effect of sexism in political orientation. In

political campaign how gender candidates are represented through their statements. In

this campaign gender stereotypical statements were used which describe the attitude of
the candidates and of the voters. The study focuses on the gender-based campaign that

where the voters inclined due to the statements of the candidates with reference to the

theory of sexism (benevolent sexism and hostile sexism). Two studies show different

results in measuring the attitudes of the voters. These studies show what people think on

women card attack, the very first study was done when Trump used word “women’s

card” and the second one after some months later. The role of both genders in all cultures

maintain its position in a specific order.

It explores hostile and benevolent sexism and rape myth acceptance by taking 112

adults from India and 117 from Britain. This research provides data about ambivalent

sexism in cross cultural scenario. Different research studies have been done on this topic

in different times by focusing on different cultures and ages of the people. Cultural

differences produce stereotypes about rape myth acceptance and the attitude towards

women. In almost all cultures, gender roles are defined in public and private orientation

by the society. Its practical application is in two ways that women may be facilitated in

taking their cases on legal forums in India. They may be addressed positively and

negative attitude may be minimized so that they may process accordingly. Second

suggestion is that, the belief of people about women in their sexual assault must be

reduced. In this way the difference between gender roles may be reduced to minimum

level and the ideas of people may get expansion to a broader level.

This research explores gender representation in video games. 11 video game

characters are analyzed in this research. Ambivalent sexism theory is applied to analyze

female characters in videos games created in the studios of Japan and America. Two

themes strengthen the concept of ambivalent sexism in the video games. All virgin
characters are shown in the games who wear skin tight clothes and women use their

bodies. This phenomenon comes under hostile sexism. The body of the women is used as

a tool to overcome the problems hindrances in the video games. The second theme is the

dependence of female characters on the male characters in the video games which creates

an aspect of benevolent sexism.

Research Gap

In the various articles and reviews written on “The Legacy and Other Short

Stories” and “The third leg and other short stories, written by Tariq Rahman a large array

of frameworks and techniques are found which include analysis of single story or more

than one stories through the lenses of postcolonial study, structuralism and post

structuralism. Gap of this research lies where the effective use of adjectives defining the

peculiarities of the characters are portrayed. Further this study will deal ambivalent

sexism in a reviewed form defined by Rachal Connor, Peter Glick and Susan Fiske in

2016 in their article Ambivalent Sexism in the 21st Century. This article reviews

ambivalent sexism in terms of controlling women bodies from interpersonal tactics and

gender gap in political decision-making power.

Research Methodology

This research will be qualitative in nature and textual analysis will be done for

exploration and interpretation of the text. The first step will be the analysis of the text

through ambivalent sexism. Fictional techniques employed by the writer (imagery, plot,

symbolism, adjectives) will be analyzed to show women’s marginalization and hostile

sexism. Secondly, Ambivalent Sexism will further be supported through the study of
different adjective groups (Psychological, evaluative, emotive, attributive) through

semantic classification to identify and analyze power relations and gender objectification.

Delimitations

The scope of this research is narrowed down to particular stories. This study deals

majorly with the ideas of ambivalent sexism and the study of adjectives while the same

stories can be analyzed with certain other perspectives i.e. symbolism, psychoanalysis,

post-colonialism and various components of eco-criticism but this study will only focus on

power relations and female objectification.

Proposed Chapters for thesis

Chapter No.1 Introduction

The first chapter of this research will proceed with the introduction. It will
be categorized into different subparts (ambivalent sexism and the study of adjectives)
which will describe the contention of the researcher.

Chapter No.2 Review of the Literature

Different theories (poststructuralism, postcolonialism, Ambivalent Sexism,
the study of adjectives) with specifications in terms of methodology and theoretical
ideas will be brought into light in the section of literature review. This portion will
look into the critical work which has done to explore Tariq Rahman’s works. Review
of the literature section will pave the way to research gap.

Chapter No.3 Research Design and Methodology

This research will be qualitative in nature. Methodology will discuss
qualitative techniques used by the researcher. Text will be examined as primary source
and different research articles on the same text will be examined closely as secondary
sources. It will also discuss conclusion and limitations of the study as well.
Chapter No.4 Discussion/Textual Analysis
This chapter will analyze and elaborate the main objectives of the present
study. It will give broad expressions and evaluations. Textual analysis will be
conducted to bring out the main features and veiled components to achieve the
objectives. The very dialogues of the characters, the situations, ever changing relations
between the major characters and the actions they take under the specific
circumstances will be focused entirely to analyze the text closely so that research
questions can be answered.

Conclusions
The expected conclusion of this research will be aligned with the
purpose of discovering that how the researcher has analyzed ambivalent sexism
in his text and how the adjectives support ambivalent sexism.
 References
Ahmad, A., & Khan, T. (2019). Cultural Clash: A Postcolonial Analysis of Tariq
Rahman’s Charity. Pakistan Journal of History and Culture, XL, 2, 43-54.
Glick, P., Fiske, S., & Conner, R. (2016). Ambivalent Sexism in the 21st Century.
Cambridge Handbook of the Psychology of Prejudice. London: Cambridge
University Press.
Janjua, F. (2013). Situating Identity on a Universal Trait. International Journal of
English and Literature, 3(4), 43-48.
Jawad, H.F., & Yosif, M. (2018). A Stylistic Study of the Use of Adjectives in
Shapiro's Auto Wreck. International Journal of Advance Research, 5(4),
1664-1668.
Mahmood. K. S., (2017). A Stylistic Analysis of Adjectives in Selected Political and

Religious Speeches. Al-Adab Journal – No. 122, 17-40.

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Hegemony: Structural and Post-structural Study of Tariq Rahman’s The Zoo.
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Leech, G., & Short, M. (2007). A Linguistic Introduction to Fictional Prose
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Rahman, T. (1999). The Third Leg and Other Short Stories. Lahore: Sang-e-Meel.
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 Hill, S., & Marshall, S. (2018). Beliefs about Sexual Assault in India and

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Tompkins, J. E., Lynch, T., Driel, I. I. V., Fritz, N. (2020). Kawaii Killers and

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Benevolent and Hostile Sexism in Video Games. Journal of Broadcasting &

Electronic Media.1-19

Muhammad Rehman Zaheer

Research Scholar