Politics of Death: Existence and its Dynamics Echoed in Bapsi Sidhwa’s Ice-Candy-Man

Abstract

The current study aims to demarcate and critically interpret the existence of politics of death and its dynamics reflected in Sidhwa’s Ice-Candy-Man. The sovereign forces, using different methodologies regulated the death(s) on the ‘vulnerable subjects’ or ‘disposable bodies’ as mirrored in the novel. Theoretically, the study is qualitative in its nature and employes Catherine Belsey textual analysis method to interpret the select text by reaching the research objectives like how sovereign necro-empowered gangs regulated several deaths. The study concluded that the systemic marginalization inflicted by political and communal forces, reflecting the entrenchment of necropolitical practices in the Partition era. However, Sidhwa resists these forces through her portrayal of the Parsee community, who embody resilience and counteract the necropolitical narrative. This study provides a detailed explanation of the marginalized and systematic socio-political conditions surrounding Pakistan’s creation, contributing to critical discourses depicted in the select text.