Code-switching (CS) in Relation to Thematic Construction in Pakistani English Fiction A case study of Pakistani English novel Burnt Shadows

Abstract

This qualitative research analyses the pragmatic use of code-switching in the construction of theme(s) in Pakistani English fiction within the theoretical concerns of bilingualism. It focuses on the use of Urdu words in Pakistani English fiction while drawing on the data from Pakistani English novel Burnt Shadows. It is through the use of Urdu codes that Kamila Shamsie shapes the reader’s notion of Pakistani history, culture and world politics: the three major themes in Burnt Shadows. She constructs these themes by switching from English to Urdu in a way tha the Urdu language is not only legitimized, but its experiences are also felt as livid and its voices heard across the world. The data analysis reveals that for Kamila Shamsie code-switching is a conscious decision and a structured
feature by which she attains the desired results and validates her heritage language. By the inclusion of the language of her community in the main discourse Shamsie proves that Urdu can accompany English in the creation of the themes of the novel