Bapsy Sidhwa Analysis

Bapsy Sidhwa’s is a prominent voice in the world of Commonwealth fiction. Sishwa comes from a prominent Parsi business family, the Bhandaras of Pakistan. She was born in Karachi in 1938 to Tehimima and Peshoton Bhandara. Brought and educated in Lahore, she graduated from the Kinnaired College for Women, with a B.A. in 1956. The next year she married Gustad Kermani, but after his untimely death, she went on to marry, in 1963, Noshirwan R. Sidhwa , a businessman, and the son of R.K. Sidhwa, the freedom fighter from Sind. Apart from being writer she is also an active social worker. She was the Secretary of Mothers’ and Children’s House, a shelter for the destitute women; President of International Women’s Club’ Lahore; Chairperson of Social Welfare Committee, Punjab Club; and Pakistan‘s representative at the Asian

That the system is indeed oppressive becomes clear even to old Hamida, Sakhi’s mother, though she herself belongs to the tribe: “She, who had been so proud and valiant and whole heartedly subservient to the ruthless code of her forebears, now loathed it with all her heart.” However, she is too weak and old to change anything. Hamida’s thoughts are significant because she is what Ziatoon would be like if she continued to live in the hills: hers is the one of series of graphic images of women that the author employs to show that Ziatoon’s options are. Hamida, once tall and pretty, is now a hideous hag, aged permanently at only forty by the hard labor and disease. Even in his condition, as mentioned earlier, she is brutally beaten by her own son. Ziatoon is already being battered by her husband; it would not be surprising if her son too treated her like Sakhi treats Hamida. Ziatoon rejects this option by running away. The second option would be to die in the hills of starvation or fall prey to some wild animal. Through luck and sheer grit she escapes this