A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PORTRAYAL OF FEMININITY IN MULTIPLE IDENTITIES IN URDU, SINDHI, SARAIKI AND PUNJABI PROVERBS

Abstract

Proverbs are truths and general sayings that are frequently used as précised sayings (Rasul, 2015). Proverbs are used as a tradition from generation to generation with a slight change. As a manifestation of traditional values they are accepted blindly and become the part of that very society. Proverbs have great significance in the context of gender as they reflect the power relations of the society. Proverbs have authority to legitimize certain roles in a society (Belfatmi, 2013). The aim of this research is to analyze that how females are identified and portrayed in proverbs. This research is qualitative in its nature in which the researcher has comparatively examined the proverbs of Urdu, Sindhi, Saraiki and Punjabi language through FCDA to investigate how women are portrayed through linguistic choices in different identities. The researcher collected data from different books of proverbs and has compared the data of four languages to examine that the stereotypical image of a female in distinguished identities is same in the proverbs of four languages and has concluded that females are represented as troublesome, fake, weak, unmanageable, dangerous and curse for parents. This paper will help in understanding the traditional views regarding identities of female in Pakistani society.