Parsi Culture in Bapsi Sidhwa’s Ice-Candy-man

Abstract

The article looks at Bapsi Sidhwa’s endeavours to depict the parsiness in her novels Ice-Candy-Man. It also looks at reflections of the people in the Indian subcontinent. Her novels Ice-Candy-Man, The Crow Eaters and An American Brat feature characters who have attained self-awakening or self-realization. The decision of a character in Ice-Candy-Man to hide her Parsi roots and identify herself as a Pakistani is analyzed. The intention of Sidhwa to show the Westernization of the Parsis is also discussed. Sidhwa’s characters show invincible courage in breaking loose from the customary and traditional practices of her community. She lets herself loose from such practices occasionally. The paper discusses the ways and manners of the minority class of Parsis. Many distinctive qualities of the class are lime lighted.