KARACHI: Critical theories like modernism and post-modernism are quite often discussed in literary sittings these days, just the way the Marxian theory was a fad with the writers some six decades back.
So the modernists think there is a hope for the modern critical writings and these are gaining roots, as some one pointed out at the meeting of the Karachi Literary Circle on Monday, held to honour the writer, Nasir Abbas Nayyer. Coming from Jhang (Punjab), the young writer is the author of two volumes of literary essays and a collection of ‘inshaias’ (light essays). Nayyer did his M.Phil on the ‘Discourse of modernism and post-modernism.’
Incidentally, some other experts on modern critical theories were also present there. A poet and writer, Ahmad Hamdani, who was presiding over the meeting, Prof Saher Ansari also a poet and equally conversant with modernism, and Rauf Niazi whose book on the subject appeared just a few days back, participated in the meeting.
Post-modernism which came in the wake of critical examination of modernism was progressive in nature. It was opposed to capitalism based on regionalism, and became part of our creative writings in a natural way.
Mr Nayyer said the progressives thought that the society had only a few problems to confront, but it had to tackle many complex issues of cultural and intellectual nature. The modern theories should not be rejected only because they initially came from the West, he said, reminding that Marxian thought had also come from the West. It was because of lack of communication that a misunderstanding persisted in the understanding of modern ideas. Since those were new and a bit complicated, a sincere effort was not made to understand them, he opined.
Criticism in every literary period had its own particular discourse, Nayyer said, and reminded that a void was found in the decade of the 80s, which was filled in by post-modernism and was a genuine literary need. Also, one must differentiate between ‘modernity’ and ‘modernism’. The former was related to man’s social life and the later was concerned with arts and creativity.
Modernity had its own purpose — to gain power and control the society. As against that, the post modernism was closer to the old form of progressiveism, which focused social problems. Structuralism enlightened us as to how the dictators controlled the society by putting new meanings into words and idioms.
During the long discussion which followed, a writer made it clear that modern critical theories may help in the understanding of literature, but not in creating it.
Saba Ikram conducted the meeting, while Muslim Shamim projected the case of Marxian criticism.—Hasan Abidi