Brick Lane Terms

A traditional and conservative Islamic practice, purdah dictates that women inhabit the private, domestic sphere while men occupy the public. Hasina, maligned for her position as a “garment girl”—meaning she works outside the… read analysis of Purdah

The opposite of an arranged marriage, this is a union entered into voluntarily by young Bengalis, usually against the wishes of their parents. Hasina and Malek’s marriage is a love marriage. It ends in… read analysis of Love Marriage

When Nazneen first moves to London, Chanu often lectures her about what sort of people she should socialize with and who she should try to avoid. Chanu, who prides himself on being an educated man… read analysis of Sylheti

When Hasina is still working in the garment factory in Dhaka, she writes to Nazneen about two days during which the city basically had to shut down because workers had declared them official strike days—days… read analysis of Hartal