Memoirs of a Pakistani Daughter

07/08/2023

“Boys Will Be Boys” is an expressive and poetic title that encapsulates the spirit of Sara Suleri’s memoir, which is a reflection on her connection with her father as well as a broader investigation of Pakistani identity and culture.

Sara Suleri dwells on her youth in Pakistan and her relationship with her father, Muzaffar Suleri, a notable intellectual and political figure in postcolonial Pakistan. Suleri portrays her father’s ideology and Pakistan in subtle and complicated ways, emphasising the contradictions and conflicts that occur within these discourses.

The book’s central issue is the conflict between modernity and tradition in postcolonial Pakistan. Suleri’s father was profoundly committed to the idea of modernising Pakistan, and he believed that education and intellectual dialogue were critical components of this endeavour. He remained firmly attached to traditional Pakistani culture and society, however, and battled with the difficulties that existed between these two worlds. Suleri embodies her father’s struggle with these issues.

Suleri also investigates how her father’s ideology was influenced by his experiences with colonialism and postcolonial nationalism. She contends that his commitment to education and intellectual discourse was motivated by colonialism’s denial of Pakistanis’ access to these forms of knowledge, and that his nationalism was motivated by colonialism’s denial of Pakistanis’ political and cultural sovereignty. She does, however, argue that his nationalism was frequently discriminatory and patriarchal, and that his devotion to education and intellectual conversation was sometimes undermined by his own personal biases and preconceptions.

Overall, Suleri’s portrayal of her father’s ideology and Pakistan is complex and nuanced, emphasising both the accomplishments and tensions of postcolonial nationalism and modernity.

Suleri also depicts Pakistan as a complex and multi-faceted society with a rich history and culture that Westerners frequently miss or misunderstand. She questions Western conceptions of Pakistan as a monolithic and homogeneous state, arguing that Pakistani culture and society are moulded by a variety of diverse and opposing forces, such as colonialism, Islam, and regional variation.

Throughout the book, Suleri reflects on her own identity as a Pakistani woman and a writer, and she suggests that her own experiences are shaped by the complex and contradictory nature of postcolonial identity. She argues that Pakistani writers and intellectuals have a unique responsibility to engage with these complexities, and to challenge dominant narratives about Pakistan and the Muslim world.

Overall, “Boys Will Be Boys” is an in-depth examination of Pakistani identity and culture, as well as an intimate reflection on the author’s own personal experiences and relationships. Suleri’s portrayal of her father’s ideology and Pakistan is both critical and sympathetic, emphasising both the accomplishments and paradoxes of postcolonial nationalism and modernity, and urging her readers to grapple with the ambiguities of postcolonial identity and culture.