Nazneen, a traditional Muslim woman in Monica Ali’s novel Brick Lane, is born to pursue her fate. The novel portraits Nazneen’s struggle in her arranged marriage as she tries to adapt to the London society and deals with her young lover. Being both pure and erotic, Nazneen has shown two sides to her husband and lover. Ali uses Nazneen’s dream caused by her guilty conscience to prove the contradict sides that existed inside Nazneen, one seen by Karim and Chanu as the “the real thing,” and the other known by herself as a corrupted woman. Nazneen represents a character of conflict more than anyone else in the novel. She embraces two distinct cultures and life styles. Thus, the split in her characteristics is a result of two different cultural ideals. These two forces collide so drastically that they create the disunion of her personality. Throughout the novel, this clash of cultural ethics and her …show more content…
From the day she was born she had caused trouble” (362). The novel depicts Nazneen’s several dreams and most of them are related to the sinful guilt of departing from fate. Nazneen’s mother is a common character who always appeals in her dreams. Her mother is a traditional Muslim woman who strictly believes in the idea of fate. She left her daughter, Nazneen, to what she thought is fate, but actually Nazneen was left to herself to survive. Yet, Nazneen did not do the same. She saved her son. However, the guilty feeling of “stood between [her] son and his fate, [and] robbed him of any chance” (364) still reflects in her dreams. This awareness in her unconscious mind evolves into her mother in her dreams. Therefore after all, deep in her mind, Nazneen has a recognition of the fate that cannot be altered. This side of Nazneen is a woman like her mother, who recites the Quran as her life’s creed. So, when Karim and Chanu see her as the “real thing,” it is only the part of Nazneen who still follows the Muslim