Chugthai's portrayal of Shaman paints a bleak picture of independent thinkers...

Shaman's character in "The Crooked Line" is atypical from the start: she was a disobedient, filthy child that grew into a progressive professional, an educated woman that eventually marries an Irish man, seemingly for the sake of defying social norms. As a result of her less than ideal behavior, and I use "ideal" in the sense of an idealized Muslim woman, we see a variety of negative consequences that culminate primarily into one resounding theme: loneliness. Why should Chugthai choose to portray her empowered female protagonist as ultimately unhappy and alone? Perhaps the answer lies in the harsh reality that there simply aren't many opportunities for independent women to be happy in a society that has come to expect little more from women than obedience and childbearing. Nevertheless, Shaman shows disdain for the mindless procreation of her siblings and in-laws, giving readers the impression that the idealized can also be less-than ideal.