Department of English

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Start date: 2017Subject: search.filters.subject.Department of English

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    Effects of Trauma on Language: A Psycholinguistic Analysis of ―Terrorist‖ by John Updike
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2020) Ayesha Rani; CIIT/SP19-REL-007/LHR; Dr. Muhammad Ayub; LHR TP 6530
    e current research is a psycholinguistic analysis conducted on Updike‘s novel, ―Terrorist” (2006). This study has explored the element of trauma, its depiction and its effects on the language of its victim Ahmad, the protagonist of the selected novel. For this purpose, the researcher has applied Cathy Caruth‘s trauma theory as given in her book ―Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative, and History” (1996) as a theoretical framework for this study. Unspeakability, latency and repetition are the basic tropes of Caruthian stance of trauma. The study has followed the qualitative research paradigm by employing Catherine Belsey‘s (2005) research method of ―textual analysis‖ for the interpretation and analysis of the text with the help of extra textual knowledge. The researcher has used the close reading technique to collect textual excerpts spoken by Ahmad during his different psychological states referred as pre-trauma phase, trauma phase and post-trauma phase in order to measure the effects of trauma on Ahmad‘s linguistic pattern. The findings of this research attest that Updike‘s ―Terrorist‖ is a trauma novel and that trauma leaves chaotic effects on the linguistic standard of its victim, Ahmad. The researcher has found that Updike has used figurative language and trauma lexis to deal with trauma. This research work is significant as an interdisciplinary venture has linked fields of literature, linguistics and psychology.
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    Union of Myth and Romance: A Study of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ as a Realm of Northrop Frye’s Literary Archetypes
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2022) Maryam Nawaz; FA20-REL-001; LHR TP 7905; Dr. Aasia Nusrat
    This research investigates C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia as a unification of myth and romance in the realm of Northrop Frye’s literary archetypes. The concept of archetypes is deeply entrenched within the genre of children’s fiction. These patterns or archetypes help create a multilayered canvas for the literary piece of work. Abiding by the widely acknowledged patterns of art, Lewis created this masterpiece for his young audience. In Frye’s terms, the novel fits into the category of myth and romance simultaneously, providing the protagonists that qualify both as mythical and romantic heroes. Archetypes from both genres are rigorously implied in all the books of The Chronicles of Narnia. Embedded under the semiotic expression of the tale, these archetypes serve to convey non-apparent meanings to the readers through the process of symbolization. The given research studies three different forms of archetypes in the seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia that include: the hero of myth and romance, pastoral and animal imagery, and the four mythoi of romance associated with the patterns seasonal cycles. The study, to sum up, explores how the use of archetypes conveys intended meanings by the author in more effective ways which enhances readers’ understanding beyond the surface-level expression of the text.
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    Critical Discourse Analysis of Iran-Israel Conflict Rhetoric: Media Narratives and Political Motives
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Zubaria Usman; FA23-REL-026; Dr. Saima Akhtar; LHR TP 9876
    This research thesis examines the political rhetoric and media narratives pertaining to the Iran-Israel conflict, using Fairclough’s 3D approach of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). This research examines how political leaders from Iran and Israel use language to rationalize their actions, influence public perception, and solidify their stances, alongside the role of regional and worldwide media in framing the war. Analyzing the political language used by leaders in Iran and Israel will reveal linguistic strategies such as metaphor, tone, and framing that substantiate their policies and actions. The second objective examines the manner in which media narratives construct the conflict and how various outlets-regional (e.g., Press TV, Al Jazeera) and international (e.g., BBC, CNN) influence both global and local perceptions. Fairclough's approach categorizes these discourses into three levels: the textual analysis of language, the examination of discursive practices (the production and reception of these texts), and the elucidation of how these discourses mirror wider social, political, and ideological contexts. The research indicates that both parties utilize rhetoric reflecting entrenched ideological stances, resulting in a cycle of justification and counter-justification that exacerbates the conflict. Media narratives often amplify these discourses, shaping public opinion and impacting foreign diplomatic responses. This study examines the potential for discourse changes that can help in conflict de-escalation, emphasizing the influence of rhetoric and media in either upholding or contesting the status quo
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    Exploring The Impact of Language Therapy App on the English Language Performance of Pakistani Autistic Childre
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Syeda Mehreen Fatima; FA23-REL-024; Dr. Saima Usman; LHR TP 9748
    This study aims to explore the potential of well-designed educational apps toenhance the English learning experience of Pakistani autistic children (Sarah et al, 2019). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that poses uniquechallenges to the child’s learning abilities. With the increasing prevalence of digital technology in our lives, educational apps have emerged as a promising tool for teaching English to autisticchildren (Haida,2022). Twenty purposively selected autistic children (mean age = 3 years 2months) of a private sector school situated in Lahore constituted the sample of the study. The present study uses t-test approach. All the participants appeared in the pretest, and afterward, they were taught through the Language therapy application, followed by a posttest. The data was analyzed statistically through descriptive statistics and paired sample t-tests. The findings of the study revealed that the application has the potential to improve the English language learning skills of Pakistani autistic children. The study recommends the development of indigenous educational games for the educational achievement of Pakistani autistic childre
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    Environment and Poetry: An Ecological Analysis of Selected Poems from Diverse Regions
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Seem Gull; FA23-REL-022; Dr. Javaria Farooqui; LHR TP 9747
    This study focuses on the environment in the poetry of selected poets. John Keats, William Wordsworth, Christopher Okegbo and Gabriel Okara have been selected because they express their commitment to the environment in their poetry with great intensity. There are some unique environmental issues in their poems. Environmental issues are no longer limited to scientists, weather forecasters or environmentalists, but literary artists, especially poets, are also presenting environmental issues in a rich way through their art. The aim of this study is to emphasize environmental issues by using poetry as an effective tool for commitment to nature and its advocacy. This study is based on the premise that environmental issues are among the major problems of the world in the current 21st century. Keats and Okara have deeply criticized the environment in their selected poems. They recognize that the main cause of human problems and chaos is distance from nature. Their poetry resonates with an emotional connection to nature. Keats and Okara seem to be concerned with the obstacles to human progress that have arisen due to man’s neglect of nature. Okegbo and Wordsworth consider nature as the best teacher for man. A beautiful feature of their poetry is their attachment and sensitivity to the landscapes of land and sea. The poets are environmentally conscious and concerned for the survival of living beings in the environment. The theoretical framework of this research is Ecocriticism, which studies the relationship between literature and nature, while the methodology is based on the textual analysis and other teaching resources. To achieve this goal, analysis, conclusions and critical comments are made based on four collections of poetry. This study presents an ecocritical review of selected English and African poems.
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    A Comparative Study of Chatbot-Based Feedback and Traditional Teacher Feedback in Correcting Focused Grammatical Errors of ESL University Students
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Sabahat Abrar; FA23-REL-021; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 9746
    This research examines the comparative efficacy of chatbot-generated feedback through Replika and conventional teacher feedback in the correction of targeted grammatical errors among Pakistani ESL university students. Taking a mixed-method, quasi-experimental approach, the study was carried out for five weeks on 60 volunteers who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Grammatical mistakes in students' writing were analyzed and classified with Ferris's (2006) taxonomy, including both treatable and untreatable error categories. Although error categories were all reviewed, verb tense/form and prepositions were the most common in the pretest and were chosen for specific feedback. SPSS (version 26) was used to analyze the quantitative data, and semi-structured interviews were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis. The research was conceptualized on the basis of Activity Theory (Engeström, 1987), which positioned the application of tools; AI-driven feedback through Replika and conventional written corrective feedback as teachers of the learning process in the classroom context. Findings indicated that the control group receiving teacher feedback performed significantly better than the experimental group in reducing grammatical errors. Nonetheless, students in the experiment group indicated positive attitudes towards AI feedback, enumerating its immediacy, clarity, and convenience despite some technical constraints. The study indicates that although teacher feedback is still better in enhancing grammatical correctness, a combination of AI-based tools with conventional approaches could yield a wider and more effective feedback experience for ESL learners.
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    Awais Khan’s No Honour as a Dramatic Noir: A Study of Female Heterotopias and Their Role in Inflicting Terror for Abida
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Rabia Amjad; FA23-REL-020; Dr. Meemona Idris; LHR TP 9745
    The literary works of South Asian fiction demonstrate how women encounter challenging social conditions that society imposes on them. The story of Abida in No Honour by Awais Khan follows her challenging battle against cultural traditions and familial pressure. The study examines how specific spaces, including homes, streets and shelters in the novel, represent both control and fear, along with Abida's resistance to her circumstances. Michel Foucault's concept of “heterotopias” serves as a tool to analyze these special places that diverge from typical spaces and expose deeper truths of the society.
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    Power and Ideology: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Netanyahu’s 2023 UN Speech on Gaza Conflicts
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Nimra Ayub; FA23-REL-018; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 9744
    Political discourse is a strong instrument between two different levels of public awareness, policy decisions, and moderating state actions. The political leadership of war-prone areas such as the Middle East uses rhetoric to build up narratives connecting the themes of nation-building narratives, maintaining power, and the orientation of international relations. This study will undertake a critical analysis of the UNGA speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the year 2023. The above argument was tested by applying Fairclough’s Three-Dimensional Model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) that interprets Netanyahu’s linguistic strategies, rhetorical framing, and ideological construction. The research critically analyzes how Netanyahu depicts Israel as a defensive and peace-seeking state while presenting Iran and Palestinian leadership as existential threats. In his discourse, he not only legitimates Israel’s strategic alliances but also delegitimizes Palestinian complaints through an argument, furthermore, to analyze the reaction and reporting of the international media as well as electronic media, this research has applied Van Leeuwen’s Model of Social Actor Representation. Media framing plays a critical role in modeling global perceptions and awareness of conflicts, and this study assesses how media outlets depict Netanyahu as a strong and visionary leader, whereas left-leaning Western and Arab media frame his speech as a justification for occupation and military aggression. By analyzing media interpretations, this research highlights how political discourse is strategically recontextualized to serve ideological narratives and geopolitical interests. This study adds to the body of research work on Critical Discourse Analysis, indicating how a particular type of language plays the role of a tool of control in international diplomacy. Through the deconstruction of Netanyahu’s speech and what the media made of it, this paper will highlight the contribution made by language as a legitimizing factor of geopolitical actions. At its core, therefore, this study emphasizes the imperativeness of critically engaging with political discourse in forming an opinion that encourages both the scholar and the policymaker, as well as the media practitioner, to question the mainstream narrative and detect the role of rhetoric in shaping conflicts around the world
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    Power and Ideology: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Pakistan’s Toshakhana Act, 2024
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Mahnoor Mustafa Khan; FA23-REL-015; Dr. Rai Zahoor Ahmed; LHR TP 9743
    By employing a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) perspective, the current research critically analyzes the Toshakhana (Management and Regulation) Act, 2024, to examine how the language of this law creates and imitates relationships of power and ideologies of governance in the Pakistani governance system. Using the framework of the CDA proposed by Van Dijk (1997), the research explores the Act on three levels: macrostructure (themes and topics), mesostructure (discursive strategies), and microstructure (linguistic features) to show how authority, regulation, and transparency are equally constructed by discourse. The analysis contextualizes the Act within its socio-political and historical context not only to understand the role of the reformist governance but also the maintenance of the bureaucratic rule. In the evaluation of how discourse in law express ideological positions, the research allows an insight into how language is used as power in legal writings. The findings reveal that, although the Act advances accountability and transparency in the handling of state gifts, it also grants the state leverage over information and public office-holders via the application of direct, formal language. It also mirrors anti-corruption, controlled-transparency, and legal-deterrence ideologies, presenting compliance as a duty that is at once legal and ethical. Example to tie gift auctions to the uplift of female education shows state authority even more compelling within the framework of public welfare.
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    Devouring Mother Reinventing: The Stereotype of The Archetypal Mother in Burnt Sugar
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Javeria Ahmed; FA23-REL-014; Dr. Memoona Idris; LHR TP 9742
    This thesis explores the reinvention of the archetypal Mother in Avni Doshi's novel Burnt Sugar, a novel that challenges classical depictions of mother figures in South Asian literature. The book presents a complex and emotionally charged mother-daughter relationship that challenges the idealised image of the self-sacrificing mother. The overall goal of this research is to examine how Doshi reinvents the mother archetype based on Cathy Caruth's trauma theory of Unclaimed Experience, and also examines intergenerational trauma transmission, emotional neglect, and the search for identity. The research finds an interest in the lack of South Asian literary studies, where mother figures are depicted in binary terms, wholesome or monstrous, without any concern for their psychological complexity. The research is significant because it contributes to feminist and postcolonial studies of literature by offering a sophisticated reading of motherhood based on trauma and memory. Through Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis, this research systematically examines recurring themes of abandonment, fragmentation of identity, and unresolved trauma. The study's research findings reveal that Burnt Sugar challenges the conventional maternal stereotype, depicting motherhood as complicated, conflicted, and constructed by personal and societal forces. This thesis, briefly, contends for a bigger, more realistic representation of maternal identity in contemporary fiction.