Abstract:
This research, which drew inspiration from Jane Austen’s timeless tale, aims to
thoroughly examine how romantic themes are culturally portrayed in the writings of
Pakistani female authors. This leads to attempt to examine cultural adaptations of
romantic themes in Pakistani female-authored fiction that are inspired by Austen's
work. This study provides a textual analysis of Unmarriageable by Kamal and
Sukhera’s edited collection of short stories Austenistan, to analyze the points of
comparison between this genre of Pakistani adapted fiction and Austen’s. This study
seeks to uncover how romantic tropes vary and yet remain the same across cultures
globally. By conducting literary analysis and employing comparative methods, this
study uncovers the impact of cultural, social and historical contexts, on the development
of Romantic narratives. To accomplish a comprehensive research, two theories are used
for the framework i.e., adaptation theory and post-colonial theory. In this research, these
two theoretical frameworks have worked in tandem to provide a comprehensive
analysis of how Pakistani female authors adapt and transform the romantic themes of
the novels of Jane Austen in the framework of post-colonial Pakistan. This
multidimensional approach has helped us unravel the intricate layers of meaning within
these literary adaptations. Additionally, it delves into the portrayal of relationships
among ethnic and religious identities in these adaptations. Overall, this study offers an
analysis of the interplay, between contemporary Pakistani storytelling and the classic
British literature—an endeavor that broadens our understanding of literature's
transformative power and its ability to bridge cultural divides.
