“Word”, “Honour” , and Forced Marriages: Depiction of Matrimonial Custom of Pakistani Tribals in Bapsi Sidhwa’s The Bride

Abstract

This discussion aims to investigate how tribal woman is maltreated in the name of “word” and
“honour” depicted in Bapsi Sidhwa’s The Bride. It explains how the words, “word” and
“honour” are given connotation to exploit the freedom and the basic rights of women in tribal
areas of Pakistan. Further, the objective of this study is to highlight the peculiar traditional
customs rampant in the tribal areas of Pakistan which results in early marriages, child marriages,
as well as forced marriages. Living under patriarchal norms the tribal woman is leading a life
of slavery. Either a tribal woman is forced to marry a person who is three times older than she
or even sometimes she is forced to marry a person who has not yet reached the age of puberty.
Majority of the tribal women accept their lot stoically but those who nourish the feelings of
rebellion in their minds, they face gruesome consequences. The tribal don’t follow the
constitution of the country, rather, they follow the man-made laws devised by their elders. In
order to strengthen the discussion, on the one side, the textual fabrics of the novel will be
untangled, on the other hand, the views of those researchers will be considered into account
who have carried out their research on the tribal matrimonial traditions.