Author(s):
Mubarra Javed, Dr. Naushaba Haq, Dr. Shahzad Karim*
Corresponding Author: shahzad.karim@iub.edu.pk

Abstract:

The study examines how education and employment experiences are reshaping women’s gender identities and their understanding of marriage. Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice center on matrimonial issues that govern women’s lives. The study also investigates how gender roles are defined in every society, irrespective of region and country. A comparative study reveals that both patriarchal societies, i.e., the Regency Era of late eighteenth-century England and postcolonial India of the 1950s, show great concern for women’s marriage. The debate centers on the gendered expectations women face from their communities. The texts depict a realistic social scenario that reflects how the institution of marriage entraps women’s liberty by making them dependent on men. Women are caught in patriarchy and feel forced to accept their lot, as planned by a male-dominated social setup. It is patriarchy that prevents women from reaching their true potential. The educated and enlightened women of both novels raise their voices against society’s double standard. This female consciousness resists patriarchal oppression. The educated and strong women in both novels deconstruct the stereotypical image of a docile, submissive being. These educated women are determined to reinvent their identities in their respective societies and protest against socially constructed gender roles. This is qualitative research based on textual analysis of selected excerpts from both texts.

Keywords:
Patriarchy, Gender identity, Regency England, Post-colonial India, Female consciousness, Socially constructed

Acceptance Date:
September 14, 2026

Copyright (c) 2026 Mubarra Javed, Dr. Naushaba Haq, Dr. Shahzad Karim. Published by Falcons Journal of Advanced Research (FJAR).

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) .