[ELTWeekly Volume 8, Issue 9 | June 6, 2016 | ISSN 0975-3036]
English language literature in Pakistan is not a new thing compared to other nations of South Asia. It is during the last decade that Pakistani English novelists have gained popularity like never before. They have attracted the readers of the entire world. Joanna Lobo, a news reporter of ‘Times of India’ writes in an article:
As a country, Pakistan has undergone a series of seismic changes through its history. Its literature has also seen many changes. I would like to focus here on the two main sets of changes. The first is the changing trend in choice of literary form, i.e. the rising preference for prose over poetry: the second relates to changes in literary content, as reflected in the growing predominance of political themes in Pakistan’s English language fiction. -(Lobo, “The Case of Exploding…”, “TOI”)
The novels of Mohsin Hamid deal with cracked and confused discontinuities of Pakistan’s politics. The novels articulate the problems of identity and the complexity of the country’s political issues and the complexity of the country’s present situation. In the fiction of Mohsin, a nuanced exploration of both politics and the human condition is observed. Critical reading of these novels as well as the other writers such as Mohmmad Hanif or Daniyal Moueenuddin creates a question to the reader regarding the place of politics in Pakistani fiction. One may ask why every Pakistani novel needs to have a big-ticket political agenda at the heart of it. Readers observe that every Pakistani novelist has used politics, as a text source for his literary works.
Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke and The Reluctant Fundamentalist describe how politics works in Pakistan. While Moth Smoke ends revealing its politics through passages like a judge’s musings on air-conditioners and the dynamics of how to blow cigarette smoke into the air, The Reluctant Fundamentalist deals with international relationship of Pakistan with US and it portrays the situation of post 09/11 as a blunt metaphor for US-Pakistan political relations. David Pilling writes:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist deals with the strained relations between Pakistan and America: Moth Smoke is a book almost entirely about conflict within Pakistan itself. – (Pilling, “Pakistan Revisited”, )
The basic difference between the novels is that Moth Smoke deals with the internal political problems of Pakistan and shows its consequences within the nation. For example, the novelist writes about corrupt bureaucrats of Lahore: “Yes, God has been kind to Ozi’s dad, the frequently investigated but as yet unincarcerated [sic.] Federal Secretary (Retired) Khurram Shah.” – (Hamid, Moth).
On the other hand, The Reluctant Fundamentalist reciprocates condition of Islamic people in America. The novel is a response to shrewd politics of America through which Muslims in America are socially and sentimentally marginalized. Ahmer Naqvi conveys his opinions on relationship between literature and politics. He states his arguments about what should be the importance of socio-political portrayal in fiction. He writes that the term politics has become the only way to enter in the business publication for Pakistani English fiction writers and sometimes political portrayal is so much available that it loses the charm of fictional qualities of a literary work:
It seems like the only way a writer can get published is to weave their stories around these sorts of topics. It feels like the author’s intentions are dictated by commercial and topical concerns, instead of an exploration of life, art or the human psyche. Why does every Pakistani novel need to have a big-ticket political agenda at the heart of it? – (Naqvi, “ The Politics…”, “Tanqeed”)
Mohsin Hamid projects that any good fiction cannot be written without political awareness. This does not mean that each page has at least one name of politicians. In fact, the portrayal of the politics by Mohsin Hamid helps understanding of the various power dynamics at play – whether it manifests itself between two mundane characters in a piece of fiction or within the society that they live in. An overt attempt to frame fiction within the framework of high politics, however, in the Pakistani case, often serves as a cover for poor writing, plot or characters. Any work of literature whether a movie, novel or play has its secondary function to perform that is to send a message for social betterment.. Again the way Pakistan came to be an important factor: Ahmer Naqvi writes:
No Pakistani is formally taught an understanding of how their country came to be – instead, we are forced-fed a two-dimensional narrative that rather than efficiently engendering an albeit limited sense of political community, creates tenuous links between traders, vagabonds, opportunists, bastards and usurpers under the banner of religion. We are taught how Muslims were always different, always separate and always seemingly under the motivation of protecting their faith. The culmination of this millennium-long struggle led to the creation of this country, or so we are told. This Muslim exclusionist view constantly comes at odds with the rich and diverse local traditions we all have and revere, and thus has required media purges, ethnic discrimination, unholy alliances and widespread coercion in order to be promulgated. – (Naqvi, “ The Politics…”, “Tanqeed”)
It is observed that because of the contradictions in the nation’s narrative, a space exists for society to create an alternative narrative or fiction, or at the very least be able to explain why terrorism has come to engulf the society. Consequently, the rise of security-centric politics in literary fiction would appear to be a natural response.
Thus, the author is committed to bringing up security-centric politics, he comprehends the need to use literature to provide the sort of insight and understanding that others have achieved. Mohsin Hamid knows that it is not probable to write well rounded literary character by overlooking race, milieu and moment and to do this; one requires the complete and honest engagement and understanding of politics.
Works Cited
- Hamid, Mohsin. Moth Smoke. Penguin India Pvt. Ltd April 2000 Print.
- —, Reluctant Fundamentalist. Penguin India Pvt. Ltd April 2007 Print.
- Pilling, David. “Pakistan Revisited”,” “FT magazine”, 17/06/2011. Web.Retrieved fromhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/4f4a2f20-96f8-11e0-aed7-00144feab49a.html
- Naqvi, Ahmer. “The Politics of Pakistani Fiction”, “What is the Place of Politics in Pakistani fiction”, “Tanqeed”, June,2014. Web. Retrieved from http://www.tanqeed.org/2014/06/the-politics-of-pakistani-fiction/
- Lobo,Joanna. The case of exploding Pakistani literature,DNA>Home>LifeStyle Retrieved from: http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-the-case-of-exploding-pakistani-literature-1908332