The Impact of Modernism on the 21st Century Urdu Novel
Abstract
After looking at the works of the first decade of the 21st century and the second half of the 20th century, it can be said that this century is the century of fiction. The themes of this century are completely different from the themes of the 20th century. The themes that were given more importance in the novels of the 20th century were romanticism, social reform, the life of the oppressed, destitute peasant and working class under the progressive movement, and the oppression and exploitation of women in society, demonstrating bold and brutal realism. Then the grief of migration as a result of the Partition of India was expressed. Then, the themes that were treated under the trend of modernity and postmodernity were escape from life, meaninglessness, helplessness, a sense of defeat, love of death, existentialism and the destruction of values. But the fiction of the 21st century and its themes are slightly different from the 20th century. This may be because today's fiction writer does not seem to be bound by any ideology, so he/she is not bound by society. And it is free to express the problems related to human life in society in every way. The way shop-like schools are being opened or are being opened in our country in the name of culture, art and reality and the kind of black marketing that is happening behind its doors, the novel raises questions on this, and the second most important but fundamental question is that of 'child labor', which is not only a domestic but also a global problem. These are some of the foundations of modernism. This article will discuss modernism in Urdu Novel.
Keywords: Urdu Novel, Modernism, 20th century, 21st century, existentialism, meaninglessness, helplessness, foundations.
