Thematic Analysis of

Chapter 5
The Right Path or They Took the Wrong Road

The chapter offers a nuanced exploration of the human experience, portraying the
interplay between will and familial obligations.

Through vivid recollections, the author navigates different themes.

Suleri crafts a compelling narrative that resonates with themes of resilience,

adaptation, and the enduring power of familial bonds amidst adversity.
1. Disillusionment and Expectations:

The part where Shahid's teacher promises to write a book about him, that turn out
to be a textbook on Islamic studies, reflects the theme of disillusionment. The
family's initial excitement contrasts sharply with the disappointment upon realizing
the reality of the book's content.

As stated in the text, "The Right Path" book, despite initial excitement, turned out
to be a simple instructional text, disappointing the family's expectations.’’

As the family's hopes are dashed by the disparity between expectations and reality.

This highlights the broader theme of managing expectations and grappling with
disappointment in the face of unmet hopes, which is a common experience in life.
2. Identity and Self-Perception vs. External Judgments:
Shahid's perception of himself is influenced by external judgments,
reflecting a broader theme of identity construction.

"The teacher had said, ‘You used to be a good boy, but now you are
a dog.’ We laughed at that, but it was not all, for he had also said,
slowly and reproachfully, ‘Shahid, you are a scabble of a fish.’"

This quote reflects how Shahid's perception of himself is influenced

by external judgments.

The disparity between his teacher's characterization and his own self-
image highlights the tension between societal expectations and
personal identity.
3. Impact of Sociopolitical Context:
The mention of the family's relocations due to sociopolitical trouble such as
'Islamization' and the Pakistan-India war underscores the theme of the pervasive
influence of sociopolitical context.

As the text indicates, "having lived in England for some years, we were
accustomed to feeling foreign, which we felt just as strongly, in turn, when we
went back to Pakistan.“

These references shape the family's experiences and choices. The disruptions
caused by political upheavals highlight how broader societal shifts intersect with
personal lives, affecting familial dynamics and individual decisions.
4. Nostalgia and Reflection:

Despite conflicts and misunderstandings, there's a strong sense of

familial bonds and nostalgia for shared childhood memories .

So the narrator's recollections of childhood memories, such as playful

antics with Shahid and interactions with their Urdu tutor, Chishti
Sahib, emphasize the theme of nostalgia and reflection.

As stated in the text, "Throughout our childhood it was one of

Papa’s favorite stories."

These moments provide insight into the emotional journey and the
evolution of familial relationships over time.

By remembering past experiences, the author navigates through

memories that shape personal narratives and deepen understanding
of familial dynamics.
5. Resilience and Adaptation:
The family's ability to adapt to challenges, such as encountering cockroaches in
their house and the displacement caused by war, demonstrates themes of resilience
and adaptation.

Despite facing traumatic experiences and displacement, they demonstrate

resilience by adapting to their circumstances and finding moments of joy amidst
uncertainty, like at the Valley View Hotel.

As narrated in the text, "Having moved in that morning in normal disarray, it

seemed easier at night to spread a sheet on the floor and sleep beneath the fan
instead of bothering with beds."
6. Identity and Agency:

Shahid's departure and subsequent choices to escape familial constraints and

societal expectations, driven by his desires for personal autonomy.

As described in the text, "You engulfed my youth, the two of you.’ ‘But Shahid,’ I
exclaim, ‘you were the apple of my eye when I was six!’“

His choices reflect the theme of individual identity as he asserts his autonomy in
creating his own path.

His departure signifies a quest for freedom from familial expectations and societal
norms, underscores the complexities of the tension between personal will and
familial obligations.
7. Reconciliation and Acceptance:
The chapter ends up in moments of reconciliation and acceptance, as the
narrator and Shahid reunite after their mother's death.

This theme underscores the importance of forgiveness and understanding in

navigating complex familial relationships and histories.

Despite past separation, the family comes together in moments of

reconciliation, highlighting the power of familial bonds to overcome adversity
and find solace in each other's company.

As recounted in the text, "The narrator and Shahid's reunion after their
mother's death, reminiscing about shared experiences and finding solace in
each other's company."
8. Social Commentary and Critique:
The mention of the story "They Took the Wrong Road" draws reflection on societal
attitudes and norms.

This theme delves into the characters' questioning of authority and conventional
wisdom, as they grapple with complex issues of blame, responsibility, and moral
judgment.

9. Self-Discovery, Growth, and Maturation:

From childhood innocence to adult responsibilities, the characters undergo personal
growth and maturation throughout the chapter.

This theme explores the journey of self-discovery, as individuals navigate challenges,

confront societal expectations, and forge their own paths.

In Conclusion, this chapter offers a comprehensive exploration of familial dynamics,

personal growth, and the impact of societal forces on individual lives offering a
nuanced exploration of the human experience amidst political turmoil and personal
growth.
Summary of chapter 6

Hiba Zainab
Papa and Pakistan
Sara’s fathers flashy way of speaking English:

• “Anther” instead of another

• Hasty pronounciation of the word Beginning as
“Bigning”
• Loves pronoucing the word Pakistan
• People loves listening him.
Sara Suleri talks about how the names Z.A Suleri and
Pakistan came about in 1930.

• The word was coined by a group of students at

Cambridge in a pamphlet called "Now or Never,"
which posed a question about survival with a
subtitle.
“Are We To Live Or Perish Forever”

• Fathers civil services job

 • Father’s habbit of forgetting everything makes
it difficult for sara to piece together the story of
his life about which Sara says:

“He ate up his past, too”

• Despite his forgetfulness he used to tell

wonderful stories.
• Sara asks her mother why her father calls his
grandmother his "eldermother"

“Oh my dear she said slowly he isn’t talking about his

grandmother he’s talking about his father’s other wife"
• He earned degrees in Persian and journalism.
• He was deeply influenced by poetry and history, and
meeting Jinnah.
• Married his cousin reffered to as “baji”
• Had a daughter named her “Nuzhat Shelly Suleri”
• The very next year ofg nuzhat’s birth was the year of
Lahore Resolution.
• Jinnah initially aimed for Hindu-Muslim unity but later
supported the idea of a separate Muslim nation.
• He wrote books praising Jinnah, earning him recognition
and even a letter of appreciation from Jinnah himself.
• Father went to London in 1945, left baji and nuzhat behind
• Advocated for Pakistan’s cause.
• Met Sara’s mother and divorced baji through mail.
• In 1948 Sara was born.
• Moved to Lahore and later moved to England where he
continuosly wrote for Pakistan.
• Sarah’s sister Tillat was born.
• Eventually, the family returned to Pakistan, where Papa
faced challenges as an editor during a time of government
control over newspapers.
• Conflicts arose between him and other powerful figures like
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
• Despite political upheaval, Sara's father, Pip, remained
dedicated to his work as a journalist.
• Sara Suleri reflects on the aftermath of the 1971 war
between East and West Pakistan.The brutal images and
stories from the conflict deeply affected her and her
father, Pip.
• Sarah’s family faced personal challenges.
• Ifat's husband being a prisoner of war and Pip's
declining health.
• Mother tragically died in a car accident.
• Ifat’s sudden death.
• Sara went to America to find solace
• After burying his wife and daughter, Pip felt a deep
sense of emptiness and loneliness.
• Adopted anothert daughter.
• Sara realized that adopting another daughter was a
way for Pip to cope with his grief and loneliness. It
also made her ponder the unpredictable nature of
life and the ways people find comfort in unexpected
ways
• Pip retired from the Pakistan Times.

• Sara realizes that Pip is carrying a burden of secrets

and decides to spare him further discomfort by
limiting her visits.

• Sara notices Pip's new habit of using his index

finger to scribble on surfaces.She and her sister
wonder what he's writing and speculate about the
meaning behind it.Despite their curiosity, they
realize that Pip's behavior is a reflection of his inner
turmoil and unresolved emotions.
Papa and
Pakistan
Thematic Analysis of chapter 6

By Imad ul Haq
Introduction
• Describes the career of Sara Suleri's father, "Pip", a loyal
champion of Muhammad Ali Jinnah
• Pip was a close friend of Bhutto, modeling his cigar
habit after the politician
• Sara highlights her father's quirks, such as
mispronouncing words like "Another" as"Anther" and
"Beginning" as "Bigning"* Chapter 6 of "Meatless Days"
explores:-
• Complexities of identity- Family dynamics- Historical
backdrop of Pakistan
Identity and Belonging
• Explores the author's relationship with her father,
"Papa“
• Examines how Papa shaped her sense of identity
• Investigates the idea of belonging to:- Family- Nation
Papa's dual identity (Pakistani and Englishman)
complicates the notion of belonging
• Reflects broader complexities of post-colonial identity
in Pakistan
Memory and Nostalgia
Suleri uses vivid memories of her father to evoke nostalgia
• Highlights the passage of time and changes within:-
Families- Nations
• Papa's recollections of his youth in colonial India and
experiences in Pakistan serve as a lens for Suleri's
reflections on her own:-
 Memories
 Experiences growing up in a post-colonial society
Colonial Legacy and Post-Colonial

• Explores the enduring legacy of British colonialism in

Pakistan
identity
• Examines the impact on individual and collective identity
• Papa's hybrid identity mirrors the tension between:-
Traditional Pakistani culture and Western influences
• Symbolizes the complex interplay of:- History- Culture-
Identity in post-colonial societies
• Suleri explores Papa's dual identity as both:- Pakistani
and Englishman.
• Reflects the legacy of British colonialism
Language Crisis
• Papa faced a language crisis due to his service • Had
to give up Hindi and Urdu for English
• Felt he did himself a disservice by giving up his
native tongue
 Text:
"I did myself disservice when I gave up my tongue."
But a young man of his times hardly had a choice when
he found himself seduced by history but to give up Urdu
or Hindi in the service of English, which was history's
language then." He always talked about newspapers
as "dailies", as "morningers" or"eveningers", for
"newspaper" was a reader's word.

This anecdote highlights the language crisis Papa faced,

and how it was a product of the times he lived in, where
English was the dominant language of history and
progress.
Father Daughter
Relationship
• Intimate bond between Suleri and her father, Papa
• Characterized by love, admiration, and shared cultural heritage
• Suleri portrays Papa as both wise and flawed
• Deepens the emotional resonance of their relationship
• Suleri reflects on the impact of Papa's stories and experiences
on her own identity and belonging
Textual Reference
"Do you ever have sensations of daughterly
compunction?" he asked me, touchingly.
"Sometimes, Papa," I breathed, "I do." Then he
took pity on me, and brightened up his tone to tell
me once again his favorite story of my babyhood.
Nationalism and
Patriotism
• Papa's sense of patriotism and blind loyalty
• Critical engagement with nation's ideals and
institutions
• Commitment to serving Pakistan despite reservations
about political leadership
• Papa's background as a journalist and writer
• Influence of Quaid e Azam's speech on Papa's
nationalism.
Text: In the 1930s, when Ziauddin Sulehri was working as
a writer in England, Indian Muslims started talking
about Islamic independence and the idea of
"PAKISTAN". Quaid e Azam, who had left law to
become a politician, gave a 2-hour speech on March
23, 1940, declaring, "The Mussalmans are not a
minority. The Mussalmans are a nation by any
definition." Papa, who was in the crowd, listened
rapturously. He later moved to Karachi in 1941 to
join the weekly Dawn as a subeditor and was
thrilled when Jinnah appreciated him, writing, "It is
very encouraging to me indeed... that a man like
you should have such a warm and affectionate
corner for me, would martial us too, up and
down the nation."
Loss and Remembrance

• Sense of loss and nostalgia in the chapter

• Suleri reflects on Papa's passing and shared
memories
• Bittersweet nature of remembrance
• Memories of loved ones continue to shape our lives
after they're gone
Textual Reference
• "I saw fear in him then, for the first time ever, as
though my mother's absence made him immediately
more parochial, uncertain that the present was a
place he could again inhabit. I watched his face
struggle with its grief, and felt a deep compassion
when I saw how unerringly his mind led him to its
only trick of solace..."
Thank you for
listening!
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 7
“IMMODERATION OF IFAT

ARFA AHMED AWAN

SUMMARY:
"Immoderation of Ifat," delves into the
captivating and complex personality of Ifat,
Sara Suleri's sister. This chapter offers a
nuanced exploration of Ifat's multifaceted
character, revealing her extraordinary ability
to embrace life's contradictions and find joy in
the midst of adversity. Through vivid anecdotes
and lyrical prose, Suleri masterfully captures
Ifat's immoderate nature, which both fascinates
and intimidates those around her. As we journey
through this chapter, we gain insight into the
intricate dynamics of the Suleri family and the
profound impact Ifat has on those who love her.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:
• Ifat was described as being very
beautiful
• Ifat would often hold her face
fastidiously, as if she was
conceding to walk beside her body
but not inhabit it.
• "She was by no means ready to
accept the modifications in her own
aesthetic that existence was
imposing on her and disavowed its
strictures, even when they gave her
great increments of grace."
RELATIONSHIP
• I thought she was the air I
breathed.
• “Don't tell me, Ifat, don't,"
I begged
• "If anyone hurts you, Sara,'
Ifat said to me on the day I
turned nineteen, 'make sure
you tell me who it is, so that
I can kill them, slowly."
Marriage and death
• Suleri describes how her sister Ifat
devoted herself to Pakistan after marrying
Javed, learning Punjabi and the Jehlum
dialect, and immersing herself in the
culture. Ifat learned the names and
stations of over a hundred relatives and
the history of the army, and even taught
herself polo.

• “Do you know Puppoo and Lola?' 'You mean

Bunty's cousins?' 'No, Bunty's cousins are
Lali and Cheeno, I'm talking about the Shah
Nazir family—you know, Dippoo's closest
friends.”
AFTERMATH:
Suleri reflects on the aftermath of her sister Ifat's death, noting
that Ifat's children now look at her shyly, aware of the loss they
have experienced. Suleri and her family have learned to live with
their grief, but she still wonders what Ifat would think about their
decision to let her children go. Suleri and her sister Tillat
acknowledge that they had no choice, but Ifat would have likely
imagined them capable of a more radically compassionate act. They
share a moment of nostalgia, remembering Ifat's extremity and
radiance.
“The thought most killing to me,' I told Tillat, 'is—if Ifat could be
asked—how firmly she would swear that we would never let the children
go”
Thematic Analysis
of Chapter 7
By Syeda Tamkeen
Roll no# SM-22025
Major Themes
Name of chapter: Immoderation of Ifat.
Sara reflects deeply on the life and experiences of
her sister Ifat.

1.Theme of Nostalgia
2.Theme of Loss and Grief.
3. Identity and Self discovery
4. Family Dynamics
5. Cultural Identity and Tradition.
6. Theme of War and its Aftermath.
1.Theme of Nostalgia
• Sara recalls her sister Ifat
• Portrays Ifat with admiration
• “there was no jar, no bottle in the house which could resist
that flick of wrist”
• longs for the past when Ifat and her mother alive.
• Remembers how iffat “would lie on the sofa, sleeping
fitfully throughout the day, while Mamma would be
reading student papers at a table close at hand.”
 2. Theme of Loss and Grief
• Narrator’s profound emotional turmoil.
• Society's reaction to Ifat's murder “in the city, talk of murder rose
like a pestilence, making it a painful act ever to leave the house”
• She describes how “At home I had Shahid and Tillat and Nuz, and
we talked and laughed as often as we could, but our hearts were
strung with silence.”
3.Theme of Identity and Self Discovery
• Struggles of Ifat.
• The inner conflict is depicted in chapter such as: "In that era she
hated her body, which had become beautiful in a way that was too
womanly for her tastes, hungry for childhood's swifter grace”
• later finds fulfillment in her roles as a wife and mother,
• "My heart was wrenched to see her lying there later, with her infant boy
next to her side, red and wrinkled as an infant is after living so long in
water!"
 4. Cultural Identity and Tradition
• Reflects on her sister Ifat’s journey and her immersion into Pakistani
culture.
• Ifat's marriage to Javed
• Symbolizes her commitment to embracing Pakistani customs and
values.
• Ifat learns Punjabi and “then graduated to the Jehlum dialect, spoken
in the region from which Javed's family came”.
• “she went with her mother-in-law to the family's ancestral village in
the Punjab to perform an annual sacrifice of some poor animal”
5. Theme of War and its Aftermath
• Javed deployment to Bangladesh during emergency
period.
• Prisoner after fall of Dhaka
• Psychological trauma.
• The narrator explains how “Javed suddenly began to
describe what he had felt during his first killing. I stopped
still, and my head swam at the thought of what came next,
overwhelming me with images of what he must have
seen.”
 6.Family Dynamics
• Ifat's relationship with her parents.
• Ifat admires her father's independent spirit
• Sara's reminiscences about her sister Ifat

• Her mother attempts to instill moderation and propriety

in Ifat.
• “I need not labor to describe what happened in my
mind when Ifat died. I was in surprise. The
thickness of event made me a rigid thing…”
Summary of Chapter 8
“What Mamma Knew”

By Alisha Abbasi
SM-22030
Summary
• The narrator’s mother’s love for Jane Austen
and literature.
• “My mother could not do without Jane
Austen.”

• The narrator’s fascination with book titles and

her anticipation of reading certain books.
• Storybooks knew how to tell her in a simple
way “The End” and “The Mystery”
• One word books confused her.
• Afternoon was best for time for reading, with a
pause between day and evening.
• Narrator and her mother wake up early in
morning.
• The narrator’s appreciation for the university
campus where their mother taught.
• Transition from British Lahore to Mughal
Lahore.
• The historical significance of the surroundings,
including Kim’s Gun and the Anarkali
bazaar.
“Anarkali bazaar, named after the dancing girl
that Jahangir is fabled to have loved. She was
bricked alive into her grave as punishment for
having solicited a prince’s love.”

• The narrator describes her experience as a

student of her own mother.
• The narrator appreciates her mother’s teaching
style, contrasting it with her own struggles as a
writer.
• The narrator says that along with studies she also
work in theatre and shares her incidence when she
asks her mother for rehearsal .
•
Recognition in her familiarity office. “Oh, “I realized,
“so its not just Emma. Mamma’s daughter also brings
her joy”
• She recall her own early fascination with language
and grammar .Mama once told me, “You learned to
talk very early, Sara.”
• In relationship with her father, The narrator reflects
on her mother’s patient and sympathetic nature

• Her father’s passionate response about their heritage

and beauty leaves the narrator feeling conflicted
• During the university years, the narrator used to hear good
comments about her mother and became happy.
“During my years at the university, I became quite
accustomed to the way people would walk up to me and say,”I
love Mrs.Suleri!””I understand the sensation, “I’d smile in
reply.”
• “heathen names.”
• She loves to hear Punjabi’s poet Baba Bulleh Shah and the
story of Hir Ranjha
“Hir loves Ranjha and is separated from him, sent off to
live in a strange tribe where, after much to-do, she dies, thus
also killing Ranjha.”
• She reflects on her mother’s decision to change her name
• she encountered as an English woman in post-colonial
Pakistan.
• Her mother was ready to leave London
and want to become citizen of Pakistan.
• Formation of Pakistan in 1947.
The globe was a bigger place in 1947.
My mother was a guest, then , aiding in a
resistant culture that would not let her its
rules. She knew there must be many rules
and in compensation.
• Someone who did not wish to be breaking
rules of which she was ignorant.
• Narrator admires their mother’s ability to find these
challenges with grace and tact.
• The narrator admires her mother’s peaceful
behavior and her ability to maintain clarity of
judgment .
• She explore her mother’s hidden obsessions and the
family’s attempt to decipher them.
• Despite her elusive nature, the narrator admires their
mother’s peaceful behavior and her ability to
transform herself into different personas.
• Her mother’s teaching style was characterized by a
unique blend of distraction and clarity
• She smiles before the narrator has the courage
to ask her permission to leave – Mamma,
marmalade, squirrel – to understand her
intentions.
“She smiles slightly at my pugilistic manner and
trails off before I have courage enough to ask
her leave—Mamma, marmalade ,squirrel—to
apprehend her name.”