Gender Stereotypes and Their Representation in the Pakistani Fiction: A Feminist Analysis

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine how gender stereotypes are constructed, reinforced, and challenged in Pakistani fiction through a feminist lens. It aims to analyze the portrayal of male and female characters, focusing on how traditional gender roles shape identity, behavior, and power relations. The study also seeks to highlight how contemporary writers question patriarchal norms and offer alternative representations of gender. This research employs a qualitative textual analysis of selected Pakistani fictional works using feminist literary theory. The study closely examines characterization, narrative voice, and thematic concerns related to gender roles, domesticity, masculinity, and female subordination. The texts are contextualized within Pakistan’s socio-cultural and patriarchal framework to understand how literature reflects and critiques gendered power structures. The findings reveal that Pakistani fiction often depicts women through stereotypical roles such as obedient daughters, sacrificial mothers, or submissive wives, while men are portrayed as authoritative and dominant. However, many narratives also subvert these stereotypes by presenting women who resist oppression, assert independence, and challenge male authority. Such representations expose reminders of entrenched patriarchy while simultaneously creating spaces for feminist resistance.