Forge, Farce or Force: A Study of Cultural Capital and Identity Capital in Pakistani Novels

Abstract

The aim of this research is to explore cultural capital and identity capital as portrayed in the novels– A Case of Exploding Mangoes, Exit West, Red Birds and Our Lady of Alice Bhatti. Although these works are written with different themes in mind, there is an overarching semblance that persists in Pakistani literature regarding the dismemberment of cultural capital and identity capital that occurs through the forces of war, displacement and class disparities. This study hopes to capture and expound on those themes in order to understand how cultural capital and identity capital can lead to the fomentation of identities in fractured societies.