Courage through Migration: In Monica Ali's Novel Brick Lane

Abstract

In this paper, my aim is to focus on a woman character Nazneen, who always sinks in her difficulties throughout the novel. She is a eighteen year old typical Bangladeshi woman, who marries to a forty year old Chanu, settles in London after marriage. She is forced and pushed into her marriage life. Chanu  is very proud of his language and shows himself as the one and only educated person in London. As a Bangladeshi, Nazneen is an uneducated woman who experiences different kinds of problem throughout her life. Nazneen tries to develop her English language, but he bands her not to speak. He prevents Nazneen and his daughters not to speak English at least at home. According to Chanu, a woman should stand in their life only as a servant to man. They should not have any wishes or ideas to develop themselves. After marriage, Chanu forgets to cut his hair, nails, and clip his nose hairs. It is she who does everything and keeps his apartment clean, wash his clothes and bear his children. Nazneen is always insecure, confused, lonely and isolated. She always suffers between her Bangladeshi background and her new identity in London. Nazneen's identity is shattered not only by the British cultural identities but also by her husband. Her mother always instructs her to accept all distresses with unresponsiveness. She agrees all her sufferings which are imposed by different roles in her life. She is a serene human being who is tied to her fate for all time. Nazneen has an attraction with a political devotee man called Karim, who always demand her to begin a new life with him. After realizing the true love of her daughters and her husband, Nazneen full stops her attraction with Karim. She starts changing her life and decides to take decision by her own and diverts her husband. She stays in England with her children leaving her husband. She also gets a job, and decides not to turn her life to Karim. The title "Courage through migration” proves Nazneen, whose courage is brought out through migration to London after her continuous sufferings.