SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE IN MARGINALIZED AREAS OF PAKISTAN: A THEMATIC STUDY OF LANDLESSNESS, LAWLESSNESS, AND EDUCATIONAL EXCLUSION IN “BLASPHEMY”

Abstract

This investigation explores the representation of systemic injustice in rural Pakistan through a thematic study of Tehmina Durrani’s novel Blasphemy. Focusing on intersecting issues such as landlessness, moral hypocrisy, and educational exclusion, this study analyzes how these forms of structural oppression are depicted in the novel and how they reflect the lived realities of marginalized communities in Pakistan’s rural districts, particularly South Punjab. The subject holds significant relevance in English literary studies, especially within the domain of Marxist literary criticism. While Blasphemy has frequently been examined for its critique of patriarchy and religious extremism, there remains a research gap in analyzing the novel as a broader literary indictment of systemic rural injustice, embedded in feudal domination, state complicity, and the deliberate denial of education. This study addresses two key research questions: (1) How does Blasphemy portray rural systemic oppression? (2) How do these portrayals reflect real-world injustices faced by communities in South Punjab? Employing a qualitative thematic analysis, the research applies Marxist literary criticism to conduct a close reading of the novel and identify dominant themes. The central argument is that Blasphemy functions as a literary prosecution of institutionalized oppression, giving voice to the silenced and marginalized. The findings suggest that Durrani’s narrative offers a potent critical lens through which land, law, and literacy emerge as interconnected mechanisms of control. This study contributes to Pakistani English literature by bridging literary analysis with rural social realities, highlighting how fiction can operate as a medium of resistance and critique in a postcolonial context.