ANALYSIS OF THE WISH MAKER FROM QUEER PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The Wish Maker is a novel written by Ali Sethi, a novelist of Pakistani origin. This present study analyzes the story from Queer theory perspective. Zaki Shirazi, protagonist in The Wish Maker is faced with crucial issues like identity crisis, in contemporary Pakistani society, where gender beyond the structuralist binaries is considered a taboo. The novel also reveals that how deviation from traditional gender and sexual orientation lead to marginalization. The researchers have used queer theory as a conceptual framework to identify and deconstruct gender binaries and sexual orientation of the characters in the novel, mostly through the illustration of the main character, Zaki Shirazi. The main focus of this research is to understand the issue of gender identity in The Wish Maker. The researchers have found out that traditional gender and sexual orientation cannot be expressed with acceptance of the society, and therefore, lead to suppression among characters or their marginalization among the society. There are multiple gender roles between the male-female binary which are inherent in the characters as evident from the discourse in the novel. The discourse can also reveal that this gray area does not have acceptance and recognition due to the societal norms and culture. This research also reveals that gender and gendering lead to marginalization, through class, age, ethnicity and traditional gender roles and sexual orientation