Framing Power through Portrayal of Politics in Fiction and Its Sociopolitical Perceptions

Abstract

Shamsie, in her novel Best of Friends, explores the resilience and complexities of female bonding and its profound impact on the protagonists' social lives within the broader framework of contemporary politics in both Pakistan and the United Kingdom. In line with many Pakistani postcolonial writers, Shamsie intricately portrays the intersection of personal relationships and political structures, demonstrating how governance, power, and migration shape individual experiences. The two protagonists navigate multiple phases of Pakistani politics, ranging from military dictatorship to democratic interludes, while also confronting the dynamics of immigrant politics in the United Kingdom—the former colonial power. This paper investigates the extent to which contemporary politics permeates the sociopolitical realities of the protagonists, assessing whether these influences strengthen or disrupt their lifelong friendship. By employing a postcolonial lens, the study examines selected passages to analyze the interconnectivity between political shifts and the continuity of female friendship. A key concern of this research is whether Shamsie’s inclusion of political themes serves as a reminder of Pakistan’s colonial past or as an act of postcolonial resistance—a recurring motif in Pakistani postcolonial literature. The study ultimately argues that Shamsie’s deliberate engagement with contemporary politics reflects a critical exploration of how political forces shape the identities and lived experiences of Pakistani women. This portrayal not only underscores the persistence of colonial legacies but also highlights the agency of female protagonists in navigating political and social transformations.