Rationalization of Power in Daughter of the East: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study presents a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Daughter of the East, the political autobiography of Benazir Bhutto, with a specific focus on the discursive strategy of rationalization of power. Political autobiographies function as persuasive texts through which political leaders attempt to justify their authority, legitimize their actions, and construct favorable public identities. Drawing on Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of discourse analysis; description, interpretation, and explanation; the study examines how linguistic choices, intertextual references, and socio-political contexts are employed to portray Benazir Bhutto as a legitimate, selfless, and destined leader within the political history of Pakistan. The analysis reveals that Bhutto strategically uses emotive vocabulary, pronouns, modality, metaphors, and religious and historical allusions to align her personal narrative with national struggle, democratic ideals, and collective suffering. Intertextual references to Islamic history, national leaders, and global literary works further strengthen her moral authority and political legitimacy. At the explanatory level, the discourse is situated within Pakistan’s history of military rule, democratic resistance, and patriarchal structures, highlighting how gender, power, and ideology intersect in the construction of leadership. The study concludes that Daughter of the East operates not only as a personal memoir but also as a political manifesto that rationalizes power and secures symbolic permanence for the Bhutto family in Pakistan’s democratic narrative.