[ELTWeekly Volume 7, Issue 5 | February 2, 2015 | ISSN 0975-3036]
Abstract:
Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke showcases some clear examples of mob-mentality of Indians and Pakistanis. He pens how this mob-mentality creates social and psychological problems in nations such as India and Pakistan. What makes people succumb to mob mentality–especially when it turns violent? Social psychology does offer relevant explanations for group or mob mentality and violence.
Article:
A country is a huge group of people with a strong bond of identity. A nation’s identity depends upon shared culture, religion, history, language and ethnicity. In line with this, people’s mind, thoughts and mentality create the nation they live in. A nation becomes what the people think, as the people themselves are the makers of their nation. Whatever is the condition of country, people’s psychology always plays a pivotal role in it. Thus, the way people think, a nation moves and becomes. Mahatma Gandhi has said that “A man is but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes” (The Story of My Experiment with Truth).
Gordon Allport, a well known psychologist, defines socio-psychological issues as
“to understand and explain how the thought, feeling and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of other human beings” – (Handbook of social psychology)
A scientific study of human mind is influenced by actual, imagined or implied presence of others. This includes the study of mob-mentality, persuasion, attitude, social cognition, self-concept, ideology of youth, adolescence, collective awareness, study of racism with psychological perspectives and gender. Kendra Cherry explains the purpose of socio-psychological study in below mentioned words:
What is it that shapes our attitudes? Why are some people such great leaders? How does prejudice develop and how can we overcome it? These are just a few of the big questions of interest in the field of social psychology. What exactly is social psychology and what do social psychologists do?
– (Cherry, “What Is Socio-Psychology”)
With the help of the study of socio-psycho issues, reasons for various situations such as violence, aggression, discrimination, clashes of identity like self identity and social identity, group behavior and personal relationship can be explored. Mohsin Hamid has presented some potential examples which signify socio-psycho issues. He begins the novel Moth Smoke as “My cell is full of shadows” (Hamid, Moth). And suddenly he writes “My inside is burning” (Hamid, Moth). Initially, a reader may not understand the personification but after the comprehensive reading of the novel, the reader would be able to grab the personification attached to the lines. Thematically, the line “My cell is full of shadows” (Hamid, Moth) describes the present scenario of youth of Pakistan. Social evils such as corruption, racial discrimination, bribing, violence and social exploitation have destroyed the life of common citizens of the nation. Further Mohsin Hamid writes “My inside is burning” (Hamid, Moth) that conveys the message that unlike the youth of other nations, youth of Pakistan are growing up without sufficient opportunities, information and services they require to meet their potential. These problems may be considered as social problems but the specific use of certain words such as ‘Shadows’ and ‘Burning’ confirms that the writer is giving more significance to psychological trauma affiliated to the situation. Validating Mohsin Hamid’s thoughts, Ghulam Shabir Arain, a research scholar writes:
There is mounting evidence to prove that lack of investment and an indifference to the needs of youth incur a high cost in terms of lost development opportunities, ill health and social, physical, mental disruption. And it means failure to fully support our present “asset” as well as next generation of parents and leaders – (Arain, “Globe; The Global Journal”)
The study of all the novels of Mohsin Hamid confirms that the problems which Pakistani youth face are heterogeneous. These differ from region to region. Some of them have psychological problems due to forced early marriages; some have psychological problems which have emerged from disease like HIV/AIDS. There are some people who find themselves helpless due to armed conflicts and there are also who have forgotten their ways due to misguidance. Expressing his agony, Arain, writes:
They (youth) have never let the nation down at any point of time. It is unfortunate that the youth, despite their contributions to national developments, find themselves trapped in a culture marked by guns, violence and drugs. All these have resulted in an unstable economy, a shattered confidence of foreign investors, lawlessness, and a break-up of the social fabric. – (Arain, “Globe; The Global Journal”)
Daru of Moth Smoke, who represents the youth of Pakistan, has played an inevitable role in the progressive movement of his nation but he is psychologically affected. Presently, Pakistani youth has lost hope for better future and hence has no expectation from the nation.
Mob-Mentality is another method to explore the mind-set of people. Plato, the great philosopher had referred to the word ‘Crowd Mind’ which is the same to the contemporary concept called ‘Crowd Psychology’. Opposite to the study of an individual’s mind, crowd psychology is the study of the collective consciousness of a large number of people. One of the most apparent examples of mob-mentality is found in the novel Moth Smoke where Mohsin Hamid portrays the situation in Pakistan during India’s experiments with nuclear bomb in 1998. The reaction of people was the same, irrespective of their reasons and positions.
It is interesting that even though they belong to different social ranks, their feeling for the said incident is the same. When Daru is informed about India’s nuclear experiment he asks: “How do u (sic)know? Everyone knows outside. There is mayhem outside” – (Hamid, Moth). Further the same situation is observed at the market place. Mohsin Hamid writes: “The shopkeeper looks edgy, and the boy who brings me my drink doesn’t smile. Probably tense about nuclear thing.” (Hamid, Moth,). Even though it was a mere experiment by India, people thought that India would attack on them.
“You know the first place they would nuke is Lahore”
“Islamabad”
“No. Lahore”
“What about Karachi ?”
“and about Peshawar?” – (Hamid, Moth,)
There are many, who believe that mob-mentality plays a significant role in the diplomacy and international relationship. Mohid Iftikhar, a research scholar expresses his views that Pluralistic Ignorance is the central cause that creates the negative mentality among people of India and Pakistan. Pluralistic ignorance can be explained as when people unreasonably start disbelieving and ignoring others. “In the case of Indians and Pakistanis, it is the fact they share the same myths and illusions and have the same stories”- (Iftikhar, “Improving Indo-Pak”). This sort of incident is described by Mohsin Hamid in Moth Smoke when Pakistan experiments a nuclear bomb. Seeing the screaming outside Daru asks:
“What’s hell is going on?”
Manucci answers:
“ We have done it,”
“What ?”
“We have exploded our bomb.” – (Hamid, Moth,)
Hamid brings together psychology and racism. Murad Badshah one of the characters of the novel articulates:
“The race of racism is no joke. Poor people are in trouble”
“Let’s be in trouble,” Sindhi cap says, to the approving nods of the group.“The Christians have the bomb.
The jews have a bomb. The hindu have a bomb.” – (Hamid, Moth)
The incident shows the inherent animosity which has deepened more in the minds of people than at borders, parliaments or diplomats. Shakespeare has said: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” (Shakespeare, “Hamlet”). Regarding the same, Ammar Shahbaz , a columnist, writes in his articles: “ …the connection between India and Pakistan is inherent and intrinsic, something that no political and military power can ever erode”. (Shahbaz, “The World has Seen”) .The same case of inherent relationship is a hope to develop peaceful relation between the nations but at the same time, in the case of mob-mentality it is a curse. The comprehensiveness of the same incident manifests when even a common man such as a waiter at a tea stall in Pakistan is sad due to India’s experiment with bomb. Hamid says: “The shopkeeper looks edgy, and the boy who brings me my drink doesn’t smile. Probably tense about nuclear thing.” (Hamid, Moth)
People of Pakistan feel the sense of insecurity even though there is neither official declaration from India to attack on Pakistan nor any threat shown from Pakistan’s military that Pakistan is threatened from India, yet people are afraid. However, when Pakistan experiments a nuclear bomb, the anxiety turns into crowd frenzy. Though the possibility of war between the two neighboring countries has increased, people in Pakistan start dancing into streets. Now in India, people also start thinking that Pakistan will attack Delhi or Mumbai. One of the most interesting findings of the chapter is that Indians and Pakistanis have pluralistic ignorance towards each other. When the world is sitting on the edge of war and terrorism, the best possible remedy of such problems is to enlighten the mind rather than developing the phobia.
Megan Donley, clarifies in article “Examining Mob Mentality” that When people are part of a group, they often experience deindividuation, or a loss of self-awareness. When people deindividuate, they are less likely to follow normal restraints and inhibitions and more likely to lose their sense of individual identity. Groups can generate a sense of emotional excitement, which can lead to the provocation of behaviors that a person would not typically engage in if alone. Think about the last sporting event or concert you attended – ( Donely, “Examining Mob Mentality”)
Works Cited
- Donley,Megan “Examing the Mob Mentality” “The Green Issues” January-11.Web.Retrieved from: http://source.southuniversity.edu/examining-the-mob-mentality-31395.aspx
- Gandhi, Mohanlal. An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Navjivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. 2008. Print.
- Freeman, John. Granta 112 Pakistan, Granta Books 2010. Print.
- Hamid, Mohsin. Moth Smoke. Penguin India Pvt. Ltd April 2000 Print.
- Arain, Ghulam Shabir. “Challenges Pakistan youth face”, “Global”, 05/08/2013, Web.Retrieved from http://theglobaljournal.net/article/view/1133/
- Dar, Ishaq. “Elimination of terrorism will make Pakistan ideal market”, “Daily Times”, 14/10/2014. Web. Retrieved from http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/business/14-Oct-2014/elimination-of-terrorism-will-make-pakistan-ideal-market-moody-s
- Khalily, Mohammad Tahir. “Mental health problems in Pakistani society as a consequence of violence and trauma: a case for better integration of care”, “International Journal of Integrated Care”, 7 October 2011 – ISSN 1568-4156 Retrieved from http://www.ijic.org/index.php/ijic/article/view/662/1464