FORBIDDEN CLOTHES
Jamila Gavin
Analysing the text:
1) Title
2) Themes: Identity (ID)
3) Themes: Conflict (Cultural / CC), (External / EC), (Internal / IC)
4) Themes: Choices
5) Mrs Khan
6) Nazreen
7) Louise Dibben
8) Mr Khan
9) Margot Henderson
10) Carl
11) Setting
12) Symbolism / Figures of speech like metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration.
GENRE:
Social Realism – the story deals with real
problems and the relationship, cultural
and identity challenges that face immigrant
families. The Khans want Nasreen to stay
true to he Pakistani identity and culture;
Nasreen rebels against this, all the while
knowing that she will return home finally
and accept what is expected of her.
Setting:
PLACE:
❖ Merton Close, Midlands, England.
❖ The two homes where the events take
place have opposite characteristics:
- the Khan’s home is traditional and
conservative with everything “clean, silent and
scrupulously tidy”
- the Dibben home is more modern and has a
feeling of “good-natured chaos”.
TIME:
❖ Modern/ contemporary – indicated by the
girls’ mini-skirts, tight jeans, high-heeled shoes
and hair lacquer.
TITLE:
❖ The title Forbidden Clothes strikes at the
heart of the story: Nasreen, a girl from a
Pakistani family, breaks the laws of her
culture by dressing in Western clothes
when she breaks away from her family.
❖ These clothes become a symbol of the
conflicts Nasreen experiences, the dual
identity she adopts, and the final choice
she makes.
Narrator:
❖ Third person, omniscient narrator –
describes the thoughts and feelings of all
the characters.
❖ The narrator gives us the viewpoint of
Margot Henderson, Mrs Kahn, Nasreen
and Louise Dibben at different times in
the story.
SYMBOLISM:
❖ Nasreens’ clothing becomes a symbol of
the cultural and identity conflict that she
experiences and her rebellion against it.
❖ Burning her “forbidden clothes” at the
end of the story becomes a symbol of
Nasreen no longer rebelling against her
tradition/ her parents’ wishes.
1
Themes:
CONFLICT:
❖Cultural Conflict:
The Khans want Nasreen to dress and
behave in a traditional Pakistani way, yet
they live in England where Western
traditions prevail. They do not realise that
their demands cause Nasreen to feel
ostracised (excluded).
Nasreen does not want to be like her
mother, accepting the traditional role of
wife and carer without question. She
wishes she could go to university and could
be free from traditional expectations.
❖ EXTERNAL CONFLICT:
There is conflict between Nasreen and her
parents and the community in which she lives.
The community tell her father about seeing her
in town. Her father confronts her and beats
her.
❖ INTERNAL CONFLICT:
Nasreen enjoys the freedom that Louise has –
being able to dress in Western clothes and go
out with few restrictions on her life – but feels
guilty about what she is doing. Her parents and
the community expect her to behave in a
traditional way, but she wants to have freedom.
She knows that what she is doing is wrong in
their eyes, and this forces her to lie to her
mother.
2
IDENTITY:
Nasreen comes from a traditional Pakistani
home but has to survive in a Western society.
She adopts a dual identity: a Pakistani one and
a Western one but these two conflict with each
other.
3
CHOICE:
Nasreen knows that when she turns 16 her
parents will marry her off to a stranger and she
will be expected to fulfil the traditional role of
wife and mother. Even though she is defiant
and does not want to end up like her mother,
she feels that she has no choice but to do as her
parents and tradition expect when she turns 16.
Rebellious
Different
Ostracised
Conflicted
Controlled
NASREEN KHAN:
❖ Protagonist – 15-year old girl (only child).
❖ Emigrated from Pakistan to England with her parents.
❖ Feels ostracised because her language, clothes and religion
mark her as different.
❖ Enjoys spending time at Louise’s home, where there are few
restrictions.
❖ Starts wearing “forbidden clothes” (jeans, short skirts, high
heels and make-up) when out with Louise.
❖ Lies to her mother about doing homework at Louise’s when
they are actually going out to discos and bars.
❖ Swears she will not be a “victim” like her mother.
❖ Becomes more defiant when her father beats her for
wearing Western clothes in public.
❖ Is using the last few months of her freedom before she
turns 16.
❖ Runs away from home and lives with the Dibben family for a
short while.
❖ Returns home on her 16th birthday and burns her
“forbidden clothes”.
LOUISE DIBBEN:
Leader
Confident
Brash
Bold
Free
❖ Girl at school who befriends Nasreen.
❖ Has a brother, Craig, and a younger sibling.
❖ Bold, self-confident, expresses opinions,
leader.
❖ Has permed hair, wears short, tight miniskirts, smokes, has a boyfriend, encourages
Nasreen to defy her parents’ rules.
❖ Has an untidy home, but it has a feeling of
“good-natured chaos”.
❖ Organises a party for Nasreen’s 16th
birthday.
❖ Cannot stop Nasreen from returning home.
Mrs KHAN:
Anxious
Concerned
Thankful
Relieved
❖ Nasreen’s mother – emigrated from
Pakistan to England with her husband and
daughter.
❖ Slow at learning English.
❖ Is depressed, feels despair and worries that
Nasreen is becoming too Western.
❖ Disapproves of Nasreen and Louise’s
friendship.
❖ Tries but fails to assert authority over
Nasreen.
❖ Is lonely and misses the time when she and
Nasreen were close.
❖ Is relieved when Nasreen finally returns
home.
Mr Rashid Khan:
Traditional
Strict
❖ Nasreen’s father – emigrated from
Pakistan to England with his wife and
daughter.
❖ Speaks English well.
❖Angry with Nasreen and feels ridiculed by
her behaviour.
❖Beats Nasreen with his belt.
Margot Henderson:
Irritated
Bored
Uninterested
Unsympathetic
Uncaring
❖ Volunteer English teacher of Mrs Khan.
❖ Bored by her lessons with Mrs Khan and is
unsympathetic towards her.
❖ Irritated by Mrs Khan’s depression and slow
progress.
❖ Uninterested in Mrs Khan’s anguish over
Nasreen.
❖ Not disappointed when her lessons with
Mrs Khan is cancelled.
Carl:
Considerate
Daring
❖ The English boy whom Nasreen likes.
❖ He sees her home after they go out for
drinks and kisses her goodbye.