A Panoramic Study of Pakistani Literature: The Zeitgeist of Trends, Literary Excellence, Pakistan’s Soft Image and Definition of National Identity

Abstract

In a sense of the popular cliché that literature is the mirror of society, this study tries to highlight Pakistani literature’s position in terms of addressing core issues of the people of this country. This study explores the struggle of Pakistani literature in defining and depicting the national identity and portraying the social, cultural, economic, psychological, religious and linguistic realities of Pakistani people. It throws light on various aspects contributing in terms of literary trends of the region. It highlights Pakistan’s literary tradition struggling to attain the status of Pakistani fiction and leaving behind the image of a literary offshoot of Indian literature, in its ultimate pursuit of defining the national identity of first ever state established on the name of Islam. By highlighting the cultural, geo- political, socio-political, religious and psychological trends of Pakistani people, it examines the role of all these factors in the shaping and making of the genuine Pakistani literature which can stand out in its full peculiarity among the literatures of the region. It also sheds light on Pakistani fiction’s renowned literary stature on the global literary arena for its capacity in dealing and addressing international geo-political, socio-political and cultural issues.