Representations Of Masculinity In Naqvi’s Attar Of Roses: A Textual Analysis

Abstract

With the emergence of Men and Masculinity Studies as a discipline, significant scholarly attention has been paid to the analysis of literary works from this perspective. However, Pakistani Anglophone short fiction has remained underexplored, particularly with reference to construction of masculinity. In order to address this issue,  this study examines the representations of masculinity in Attar of Roses (1997), a short story collection by prominent Pakistani Anglophone writer, Tahira Naqvi. Using Connell’s concept of Hegemonic Masculinity (1987, 1995) as the theoretical framework, the researchers have carried out textual analysis of two purposively selected stories namely, Love in an Election Year and History Lessons to get insights about the representations of masculinity in the selected works. It is found that masculinity is not something uniform and static, but an evolving, dynamic phenomenon informed and influenced by cultural, social, and historical factors which is sufficiently evidenced in these stories as such factors appear to shape and impact the gender identities of different characters.