568
Jou nal o Cu en Sign
Online ISSN (3006-1504)
P in ISSN (3006-1490)
Wi es, Cu en s, and Connec ions: The
Symbolic Economy o Elec ici y in Daniyal
Mueenuddin’s Nawabdin Elec ician
h ps://cu en sign
jou nal.com/index.
php/JCS/index
Sid a Jamil
No isha Baba
Vol. 3 No. 4 (2025)
569
Jou nal o Cu en Sign
Online ISSN (3006-1504)
P in ISSN (3006-1490)
Wi es, Cu en s, and Connec ions: The Symbolic Economy o
Elec ici y in Daniyal Mueenuddin’s Nawabdin Elec ician
The pape will discuss he symbolic economy o
elec ici y in he sho s o y, Nawabdin Elec ician
by Daniyal Mueenuddin, which shows how a
simple aspec can be used as a me apho on many
le els h ough he lens o socio-economic
si ua ions in u al Pakis an. Elec ici y as a li e al
sou ce o li elihood o he main p o agonis
becomes a e y powe ul symbol o mode ni y,
longing, and ansien empowe men in he ex .
Due o he ingenui y and he a emp o
Nawabdin, he s o y sheds ligh on he po en ial
eedom and es ain ega ding he social mobili y in he socie y which has no comple ely go
id o eudal hie a chies. Howe e , he changeable and highly isky cha ac e o elec ici y
e lec s he changeabili y o hese upwa d climbs and displays he agili y o any ad ances ha
he ma ginalized is making. This discussion elies on heo e ical concep s d awn in a
pos colonial and Ma xis app oach and he e o e, his p ojec a gues ha Mueenuddin employs
he heme o elec ici y o explo e he o e lap be ween echnology, powe , and inequali y.
Th ough he emphasis on one mo i , he pape o e s a na ow scope o he schola ship o
Mueenuddin by in oducing he idea o he ans o ma i e and agile na u e o echnologically
ad ancing u al Pakis an.
Keywo ds: Symbolic Economy, Socio-Economic, Hie a chies, Ma xis , Pos colonial,
Empowe men , F agile, Feudal, Ingenui y.
In oduc ion
Elec ici y comes ac oss simila wi h he ac s o common symbols o mode ni y, p og ess, and
communica ion. I ene gizes he indus ies, domina es he domes ic li e, and holds ou a b idge
be ween u al aloneness and ci y hope. Howe e , elec ici y, in socie ies cha ac e ized by as
economic dispa i ies, is a sou ce o inequali y, p eca iousness and unequal access oo. I is no
longe a u ili y bu a commodi y in he u al scena io o Pakis an and i s accessibili y and con ol
is a socio-poli ical indica o . The ambi alence o elec ici y as a ac o o li e and a ac o o
des uc ion, a sou ce o powe and o dea h, o e s a ich e i o y wi hin li e a u e, especially
when elec ici y en e s in o he ques ion o in e ac ing and ic ional ela ionships be ween
echnology and aspi a ion and he ela ion o bo h o he social s uc u e o he play.
Daniyal Mueenuddin, a celeb a ed Pakis ani-Ame ican au ho , is well es ablished in his delica e
desc ip ions o Pakis an eudal sys ems, changed economies, and complica ed human ela ions
ha he wo gi e ise o. His i s book, a collec ion o in e linked s o ies, In O he Rooms, O he
Sid a Jamil
Lec u e English College o Ve e ina y and
Animal Sciences, Jhang
Email: [email p o ec ed]
No isha Baba
Mi pu Uni e si y o Science and
Technology, Mi pu
Email: [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
570
Jou nal o Cu en Sign
Online ISSN (3006-1504)
P in ISSN (3006-1490)
Wonde s (2009), e lec s he li e o people o di e en social classes, landowne s o wo ke s, on
he edge o adi ion and mode ni y. These s o ies show he mos in e es in one such adesman,
as is he case wi h he sho s o y Nawabdin Elec ician which is se in an elec ician shop and
he main cha ac e s means o li elihood is connec ed in mo e ways han one o he elec ic
cu en s ha he commands. The plo is based on he li e o Nawabdin who is an elec ician
wo king unde a ich landlo d; his ingenui y and pe se e ance g an him a deg ee o eedom. In
his s o y, elec ici y is used o ex end beyond i s u ili a ian pu pose, he o ce is ans o med in o
a me apho o ambi ion, adap abili y, and he insecu e possession o agency ha can be claimed
by hose who a e a he ma gins o he socie y. The su i al o Nawabdin as a p o essional and
economically as an indi idual depends on his skill in acing he physical and he social-economic
challenges o elec ical wo k and he people o u al Pakis an.
Al hough Mueenuddin has ea u ed hemes o eudalism, class di e ences and gende ela ions
in his wo k, he e is e y li le c i ical analysis on he symbolic meaning o elec ici y in his
ic ion wo ks. Such a gap igno es he ichness o he me apho ical amewo k c ea ed by
Mueenuddin, and especially one in which echnology is used as a heme in he la ge con ex o
s uggles o e powe (li e ally and o he wise). Bu elec ici y in Nawabdin Elec ician does no
jus p o ide a ouch o backg ound; i is he d i ing o ce behind he s o y ha gi es cha ac e
mo i a ion, d ama izes social ambi ion, and e lec s he imp ession o ansience o upwa ds
mobili y.
The p esen pape will a emp o ill his gap by examining symbolic economy o elec ici y in
Nawabdin Elec ician. The wo k is based on pos colonial heo y, Ma xis c i icism and symbolic
an h opology applied o elec ici y as a o m ha ul ills and del es in o he cons ain s o
p og ess wi hin he eudal u al wo ld. I s a es ha Mueenuddin employs he heme o elec ici y
o ligh up he ailu es o mode niza ion in which a apid g ow h in echnologically ad anced
esou ces b ing only a b ie bu s o powe , bu do no emo e he sys emic elemen s ha
main ain inequali y. By so doing, his analysis no only makes he analysis o Nawabdin
Elec ician as he s o y o pe sonal ambi ion bu also makes i a kind o unde s a ed commen a y
o imbalanced dis ibu ion o powe in all i s a a a s. Using he cha ac e o Nawabdin,
Mueenuddin pain s a po ai o a man whose exis ence is simila o he elec ical cu en he is in
con ol o , is ull o possibili y bu ye can be se e ed a any momen as well.
Daniyal Mueenuddin is a Pakis ani-Ame ican who w i es c i ically on he au o-economic and
cul u al ab ic o mode n Pakis an wi h ine de ails. Bo n o an Ame ican mo he and Pakis ani
a he in Los Angeles, Mueenuddin spen a conside able pa o his ea ly age in bo h Uni ed
S a es and Pakis an which in luenced his li e a y inspi a ion in a majo way (Bu ney, 2011). A
g adua e o Da mou h College and Yale Law School, he became a jou nalis and hen lawye
(bu la e e u ned o un a mango a m he owned wi h his amily in Punjab). This physical
imme sion in he Pakis ani coun yside ga e him a de ailed knowledge o he eudal and u al
sys em ha commonly ac as he se ing o his ic ion (Schwa z, 2009).
His i s book, he sho s o y collec ion which he edi ed and published unde he i le In O he
Rooms, O he Wonde s (2009), ecei ed ex ensi e c i ical p aise as each o he connec ed ales
mo es ac oss he Pakis ani igid class di isions, and deals wi h o e lapping li es (landlo ds and
se an s, adesmen and u ban p o essionals). His wo k has been hailed because o i s non- lashy
p ose w i ing, dense cha ac e iza ion, and capabili y o in eg a ing hemes o powe , passion, and
571
Jou nal o Cu en Sign
Online ISSN (3006-1504)
P in ISSN (3006-1490)
delusion in he u al and u ban con ex s (Masood, 2012). His abili y o desc ibe he human ace
o mode niza ion and globaliza ion in a socie y ha emains bound o i mly es ablished
hie a chies has been obse ed by his c i ics (Williams, 2010)
Despi e he ac ha Mueenuddin ends o concen a e on he in ima e li e o his cha ac e s, i is
i mly oo ed in he poli ical and economic si ua ion o Pakis an. Wi h he su i al o hese
pa on-clien sys ems, his desc ip ion o u al Punjab ca ies an awa eness o he manne in
which people manipula e he sys em h ough a ious deg ees o li ing unde i o inside i in
some o m o ano he . In ha espec , Mueenuddin is compa able o o he Sou h Asian li e a u e
colleagues like Mohsin Hamid and Kamila Shamsie, excep ha his s o yline cen e s i sel i mly
in he wa be ween he adi ional and he g adual in usion o mode ni y.
One o he un o ge able ales in he collec ion o he acclaimed In O he Rooms, O he Wonde s
by Daniyal Mueenuddin is he ale o Nawabdin Elec ician. I is se in u al Punjab and i
e ol es a ound Nawabdin, an en e p ising and indus ious elec ician who is employed by a
landowne who is ich. Nawabdin is desc ibed as a man o middling means and phenomenal
esou ce ulness, a pe son who in addi ion o keeping he elec ical appa a us a he es a e
unning, uses his abili ies as a means o be e his own si ua ion in small ways. His ope a ion
exposes him o bo h li ing in he house o landlo d and he illage o poo people, which places
him in a middle-s a us social posi ion, nei he being a membe o eli e socie y no he poo . The
s o y s a s wi h he po ayal o he cha ac e o Nawabdin, a man ha wo ks ha d, is inno a i e
and is agg essi e enough o ake a ce ain isk in an e o o imp o e he li e o he amily. His
desi e o pu chase a mo o cycle as a con enien need o his job u ns ou o be one o he main
plo elemen s, since i would enable him o a el be ween his jobs as e and hope ully able o
pe o m mo e jobs. The s o y aces his success in pe suading he landlo d o assis him in
ge ing his mo o bike which is one o he signi ican s eps owa ds mobili y and independence
hough a a small scale.
The s o y p o ides an image o a u al li e caugh up in he pas and he p esen -day wi h he
pe sonal expe ience o Nawabdin. The mo o bike, he elec ical wi es and he unending
mo emen o elec ici y a e a he same ime a p ac ical and symbolic ool ha could be
conside ed as p oo s o ambi ion, connec ion and he ulne abili y o social ise. The e is no hing
in he s o y o sugges ha he li e o Nawabdin can be a pa h o p ospe i y; p og ess is he e
some hing which is luid and subjec ed o be uns able and mus depend on he ci cums ances
a ound an indi idual.
The p esen ed s udy is impo an in se e al ega ds, bo h li e a y and hema ic, cul u al and
socio-poli ical, since i helps be e comp ehend Daniyal Mueenuddin in his wo k Nawabdin
Elec ician, and he same ecosys em o li e a u e and socie y as a whole. Using he lens o
li e a u e, he s udy mo es he c i ical gaze on he commonly discussed aspec s o eudalism,
social anking and gende ela ionships in Mueenuddin o a mo e sub le aspec o symbolism
gi en o elec ici y. Mos o he analyses loca e his s o ies in he socio-economic amewo k o
Pakis an; howe e , none o hem pay much a en ion o he way echnological mo i s can be used
as he p inciple plo ames. Such analysis he e o e c ea es a new ield o in e p e a ions as
clea ly exhibi ed he e is how Mueenuddin uses lay desc ip ions o u al li e o c ea e complica ed
social s a emen s.
572
Jou nal o Cu en Sign
Online ISSN (3006-1504)
P in ISSN (3006-1490)
Thema ic wise, he esea ch u he adds o he discussion ega ding he in e ac ion be ween
human agency and echnology. The elec ici y in he s o y Nawabdin Elec ician is no jus
e i ica ion o he u ili a ian aspec o elec ici y bu i is he sign ha shows he dynamism o
ambi ion, powe , and ulne abili y. Making his mo i a p io i y, he s udy demons a es ha in
spi e o he p omises o mobili y and changes by echnological g ow h, i can e lec no only he
ins abili y and agili y o social gains bu also an embodimen o such mo emen . The
in e p e a ion anscends he mo e gene al hemes o mode ni y and ocuses mo e on conside ing
i s lumpy and a imes p eca ious e ec s on excluded people.
The s udy places he eali ies o u al Pakis an wi hin a cul u al and socio-poli ical discu si e
amewo k o access o echnology and in as uc u e, which is highly ela ed o discou ses o
powe , inequali y, and su i al. The middle man aspec o Nawabdin be ween he landowne s
who a e eli es and he people o he illages b ings ou hei la ge issues o ying o ope a e
wi hin a sys em ha only p o ides ew p i ileges and g ow h equi es a o s. The implica ions
o his analysis can be o g ea use in unde s anding how echnological change can in e ac wi h
he old socio-economic s a i ica ion sys em, so he s udy is use ul o bo h li e a y s udies and
o he kinds o s udies including Sou h Asian cul u al s udies, de elopmen s udies, and u al
sociology.
Las ly, in an academic pe spec i e, he s udy is illing a gap in he inqui y o Mueenuddin since
i is limi ed in scope o pedan ic inqui y in o one o he ecu ing mo i s, and i s na a i e
meaning. I con ex ualizes he discussion o echnology in “Nawabdin Elec ician” h ough he
s udy o pos colonial heo y, Ma xis c i icism, and symbolic an h opology in o de o place he
s o y in a wide schola ly conce n o e he issue o echnological ep esen a ion in pos colonial
ic ion. The con ibu ion en iches he scope o li e a y c i ique di ec ed o he wo k o
Mueenuddin and p o ides a kind o me hodological cons uc o analyze simila ypes o
symbolic economies in o he pieces o li e a u e.
O e all, he esea ch is meaning ul because i is inno a i e, quali a i e in heme and
in e disciplina y. I no jus deepens he deba e on he s o y bu also adds o he knowledge o
why and why no li e a u e can be seen as e lec i e, c i ical, and e ac i e, o he poe ical and
deep eali ies o echnological ad ancemen in unequal socie ies.
Resea ch ques ions
How does elec ici y se e as bo h a p ac ical and symbolic elemen in “Nawabdin Elec ician”?
How does he s o y depic he link be ween echnological p og ess and inequali y in u al
Pakis an?
Resea ch objec i es
To explo e i s ole as li elihood and me apho o ambi ion and agili y
To examine how mode niza ion is shaped and limi ed by eudal s uc u es.
Li e a u e e iew
Technology, powe , and he con igu a ion o social s uc u es has been a poin o in e es in
pos colonial li e a u e whe e ma e ial hings may bea mul iple le els o symbolism. Fic ion
placed in he socio-economic con ex s o u al Pakis an, he wo ks o Daniyal Mueenuddin ha e
573
Jou nal o Cu en Sign
Online ISSN (3006-1504)
P in ISSN (3006-1490)
gene a ed a easonable a emp a he c i icism due o he no elis ic ange o mo i s and hemes
such as he di ision o classes, eudalis ic ela ionships, and he e ec s o mode niza ion. The
li e a u e has mos ly dwel on how he cap u es human ela ions in hese hie a chies bu he
symbolic s a us o he echnological ea u es, which he uses, like elec ici y in Nawabdin
Elec ician, is unde ep esen ed. In examining pe inen li e a u e, his li e a y wo k has been seen
o i in bigge ques ions conce ning social change, u al li e, and p ice o p og ess.
(Waheed, 2017) Ma xis c i ics a e on how he bu den o socioeconomic ac o s occu . Mos he
li e o he people in Pakis an is li ed in p essu e o socioeconomic condi ion. Such
socioeconomic o ces exis co e ly and o e ly and hey a e always p esen . These ac o s
de e mine he pe sonali ies and he li es o he o dina y poo people and d i e hem owa ds
u ning a “p ey” o “economic p ospe i y and s abili y”. These o ces me amo phose people mos
o he ime in o wha is no accep able o socie y. The iews o Ma x wi h ega ds o socie y
speci ically In o de o ca y ou he cu en esea ch, Ma xism, in gene al, has been ouched.
The e a e h ee s o ies: These books, in o he ooms o he wonde s by Mueenuddin, ha e been
discussed since he e is a la ge ex en ha has been elied upon in he s udies. The s o ies gi e
eal Pakis ani socie y. The de ailed discussion e eals he modi ica ions and impac s in hey
could b ing abou he li es o o dina y people because o he economic aspec s. The s udy will
become e ec i e o a ec he ealiza ion o he p agma ic changes o he socie y by he c i ical
inqui y o hese impac s.
(Fa ooqi & Ahmad, 2025) Decons uc s a pa ia chal social good h ough b inging o bea he
Toolki o Discou se Analysis (Gee 2011) on he linguis ic man oeu es in a sho s o y o he
eponymous Nawabdin Elec ician by Mueenuddin in his debu sho s o y collec ion In O he
Rooms, O he Wonde s (2010). The e idence in he analysis shows how ideologically cha ged
wo ds a e used o make an implici claim o he signi icance o sons as pa ia ch socie y goods
an idea p omo es and keeps ali e pa ia chal social s uc u e. In li e a y language, he meanings
a e seldom pu o wa d in a s aigh o wa d way; he e o e, hese implica ions can be aced in
he language s a egies o ex . A c i ical eading o he passage chosen poin s ou ha e ili y in
women is seen as some hing ha should be sc u inized when i comes ou in he o m o mo e
daugh e s han sons, also, blame is only le eled on he mo he whe eas he a he has no
esponsibili y in p oducing his daugh e s. Pu ing he desi e o ha e sons in he con ex o he
social s uc u e o Pakis an as a whole is illus a i e o how he gende expec a ions eshape he
social li e. Male child en a e made o suppo he amily by ca ying he same name, inhe i ing
p ope y and business, o e ing inancial suppo , secu ing he amily du ing ha dships and
aking ca e o he elde ly pa en s. Such expec a ions, consequen ly, make women weak,
dependen , and ma ginalized.
(Khan, 2023) S a ed ha in he pa ia chal socie ies women a e supp essed and subo dina ed by
one way o he o he . Men a e p i ileged and hey a e main ained as cen al. They speak ou ,
exp ess and d eam and in he p ocess hey enjoy and ha e he eedom gi en o hem by he phal
logocen ic sys em. On he con a y, women become ma ginalized. The pa ia chal au ho s
designa ed women as weak, agile, helpless, docile, submissi e, and emo ional. Ne e heless,
his pape shows ha Pakis ani male au ho s a e s ill s igma izing women in Daniyal
Mueenuddin in his sho s o y called Nawabdin Elec ician and Ab a -ul-Haq in his song called
Chamkeeli, despi e changes o imes and gende pe o mance. This pape e eals ha despi e he
574
Jou nal o Cu en Sign
Online ISSN (3006-1504)
P in ISSN (3006-1490)
changing oles o women, hey a e s ill subo dina e. My pape asse s ha unlike in he pas ,
women a e now no longe depic ed as submissi e, docile, supp essed, unc i ical, mindless, e c.
In silence, in hese wo mo e ecen ex s women a e po ayed as uncon ollable, hype sexual,
dange ous, mad, iolen , hys e ically domina ing, and madly au ho i a i e. I claim ha hese new
ep esen a ions ail o se e and libe a e women o Pakis an. In 2019, a pe i ion was iled in
Laho e Ci il Cou agains he song by Ad oca e Rana Adnan Asgha who said i is a scu ilous
a ack on he in eg i y o men. In my analysis, howe e , I ound ou ha Haq has po ayed
helpless men agains powe ul women in a manne ha a emp s o alida e his iew ha when
women a e emancipa ed, i may become a nigh ma e o pa ia chy. The e o e, con a y o
demeaning he men, he beha io o a wild uncon ollable woman ha Haq, he au ho desc ibes,
does no in end o di ec ly c i icize he men bu he women. This means ha he dominance o
Pakis ani amilial and social sys ems show a o owa ds pa ia chy and opp ess women u he
o sa egua d men agains hono . I ind in my wo k ha he e has been no se ious change in he
pe iod be ween he wo ex s (2009 o 2019) since gende disc imina ion is e idenced in he
w i ings o Pakis ani men. This pape p o ides a decoding o hese new biased emale
s e eo ypes so as o a ain a libe a ed u u e o emales.
(Nas ullah, Fasih U Rehman, & Nawaz, 2024) h i es o in es iga e pampe ed consciousness
ha he lowe phase in socie y is p oduced by he uppe phase in he subsequen s o ies,
Nawabdin Elec ician, Saleema, A Spoiled Man, P o ide, In O he Rooms, O he Wonde s, a
Bu ning Gi l o wa ded in he collec ion o he sho s o ies, In O he Rooms, O he Wonde s by
Daniyal Mueenuddin. I also examines in de ails how he uppe class manipula es he mind o he
p ole a ia in o belie ing ha hey a e gi ing hem hese alse ideas and i equally compels us o
conside in de ails how he lowe s a a a e kep in decep ion in he pa adigm o capi alism and
how his alse consciousness was he cause ha des oyed he li es o he many cha ac e s. Such
s o ies ha e been assessed in he ield o Ma xism. In his pape , he Ma xis analysis o he ex
shall be included and i ep esen s an in e p e a i e ca ego y o esea ch ha en ails ex ual
analysis o he p oposed ex . A esea ch s udy has concluded ha a ious cha ac e s become he
ic ims o alse consciousness in he capi alis ic socie y and his esea ch unde s udy is e y
quali a i e and explo a o y.
(Ka im, 2018) Examines he in e ela ion be ween pos colonial and Ma xism pa adigms in a
ange o Pakis ani English ic ion ex s o choice. Raising con o e sies o bo h classical
Ma xism and pos Ma xism in pa icula , Louis Al husse and F ed ick Jameson, he pape would
discuss he zones o class, class awa eness and ideological class s a i ica ions in he chosen
ic ion o Daniyal Mueenuddin In O he Rooms O he Wonde s, Raza Rabbani In isible People,
Home Boy by H. M. Naq i and Maps o Los Lo e s by Nadeem Aslam. The pape also
encompasses he ideas o Jameson o discuss he i s wo ld/ hi d wo ld dicho omy, as well as he
de elopmen o hi d wo ld oices in he impe ial ci ies. The choice o ic ion can be jus i ied by
he ac ha Pakis an ic ion does no end o eplica e key aspec s o class and he dynamics o
capi alism ha ha e been changing in he cu en globalized wo ld. The eby, his pape explains
social ealism in Pakis ani ic ion h ough a wide scope o Ma xis and pos -Ma xis heo e ical
app oaches, hus poin ing ou he class a ia ions in Pakis ani ic ion. I also ep esen s he way
he Pakis ani, English-language ic ion is esponding o he ongoing ans o ma ions in he global
capi alism and how Pakis an, as a pos colonial na ion, is s uggling o nego ia e he eudal
575
Jou nal o Cu en Sign
Online ISSN (3006-1504)
P in ISSN (3006-1490)
capi alis ic s uc u e, class di ide, ex ensi e u al-u ban gap and disp opo iona e economic
g ow h.
(Sada , 2014) In O he Rooms, O he Wonde s is he ominous ei e a ion o Pakis ani
masculini y ans o med me amo phosed as en isaged ea lie by Daniyal Mueenuddin. The
womanly cha ac e s a e amed in a dis u bingly masculine e minology o hei look and
beha e. Compa a i ely, he hough and speech o he male cha ac e s is clouded wi h wo ds o
losses and eg e . On such a la ge can as ex ending be ween he op o he social ladde down o
he lowes ungs o he powe ladde , Mueenuddin illus a es each o his male cha ac e s in hei
hie a chies. In-be ween a e middling cha ac e s, in and ou o he s o y- ooms. The ma e ial
ambi ions o hei own li es and he demons a ion o powe is made o iolen ly con as he
g owing impo ency in hei own li es. They a e impo en , hapless men who a e old o e en
deceased. This is a compila ion o sho s o ies ha ha e been p aised as being un ese edly
e ealing o a mode n Pakis an. Bu ins ead, he al e na i e heme p esen in hese s o ies is wha
his pape seeks o emphasize by demons a ing he Pakis ani masculini y in a pa axial condi ion
be ween he colonial ma kings o powe , he esul an co up ion in an a e ma h pos -colonial
e ec , and he consequen mix-up ela ing o ma e s o iden i y. Masculini y has been los in his
p ocess and i is indica ed by he me apho o dea h. Ins ead o he dep ession o his condi ion o
dea h, his igu a i e meaning c ea es he hope in he eade ha he e will be good ebi h.
Resea ch Gap
The schola ship on Daniyal Mueenuddin has so a been ocused la gely on his depic ions o he
eudal s uc u es o Pakis an, he opposi ional o ces be ween he u al and u ban en i onmen s
and he socio-economics ac o s ha de ine he li es o people in his ic ion. Schola s ha e done
much wo k on he ques ions o class inequali y and sexual ela ions o he con inui y o pa on-
clien ela ions in he web o his s o ies. These c i ical eadings ha e been help ul in
unde s anding how he po ays powe and social sys ems and s uc u e, bu also ha e ended o
examine he echnology in his s o ies as supe icial and inciden al o he de elopmen o hemes.
Speci ically, he ilm o such a u al li elihood and in e pe sonal nego ia ions in a eudal se ing
has been e e ed o nume ous imes h ough he pe spec i e o he p esence o elec ici y as he
li e al and me apho ic powe , howe e , he e is also li le c i ical e lec ion gi en o he cen ali y
o elec ici y as o ce. Speci ic conside a ion o how Mueenuddin employs elec ici y as an
elemen o plo mechanism as well an analogy o d i e, powe , and he uneasy elemen o ising
in o he socioeconomic py amid in a u al, pos colonial se ing appea s o be conspicuously
absen . Mo eo e , li le has been done o elucida e he na u e o echnological ad ancemen in
his s o ies as indica i e o he ola ili y and imbalances inhe en in he s uc u es o powe ha
was in place.
This esea ch aims o ill his gap o p opose an elabo a e analysis o how he symbolic economy
o elec ici y wo ks in he s o y o Nawabdin Elec ician and p o iding i in a la ge con ex o
pos colonialism li e acy and echnological mode ni y. This way, i adds a esh in e p e i e lens
o b ing ou he connec ion be ween ma e ial ad ancemen and socio-economic ulne abili y as a
signi ican aspec in he in e ac ions o Mueenuddin.
576
Jou nal o Cu en Sign
Online ISSN (3006-1504)
P in ISSN (3006-1490)
Tex ual Analysis
Daniyal Mueenuddin’s “Nawabdin Elec ician” is a igh ly c a ed na a i e ha manages o be a
once an in ima e cha ac e ske ch and a laye ed commen a y on he in e sec ion o echnological
mode ni y, ambi ion, and he igid social hie a chies o u al Pakis an. On he su ace, he s o y
aces he li e o Nawabdin, a skilled elec ician wo king o a weal hy landlo d. His wo k keeps
he es a e’s elec ical sys ems unc ioning, and his echnical knowledge makes him an
indispensable igu e in an en i onmen whe e elec ici y is bo h sca ce and p ecious. Ye benea h
his s aigh o wa d p emise lies a complex web o symbolic meanings in which elec ici y
becomes mo e han jus a physical phenomenon—i becomes a me apho o social mobili y,
aspi a ion, and he agile balance o powe in a s a i ied socie y.
F om he ou se , Mueenuddin pain s Nawabdin as esou ce ul and p agma ic. His wo k is no
oman icized; i is po ayed in conc e e, physical e ms—mending ayed wi es, oubleshoo ing
ou ages, adap ing o he unp edic able condi ions o u al powe supply. These ac ions ancho
him i mly in he ma e ial wo ld, bu hey also posi ion him as a man who can manipula e a i al
and o en mys e ious o ce. This con ol o e elec ici y ea ns him a o m o espec , ye i is a
espec ha is condi ional and limi ed. In a eudal en i onmen , echnical skill can open doo s,
bu i does no e ase he bounda ies imposed by class and pa onage. Nawabdin’s alen s a e
aluable o his employe , bu his economic and social posi ion emains subo dina e.
The heme o elec ici y is o be aken as he main symbolic e lec ion in he na a i e. As
elec ici y can mo e eely along ine bu ial cable, which can be cu a any gi en ins an , so
Nawabdin has ambi ions which can be s opped like elec ici y by a single sec ion. The wish o
own a mo o bike ha is os ensibly p ac ical which is needed as a con enience elemen o
commu e be ween appoin men s akes on a me apho ical ea u e. The machine symbolizes long
each and speed and an illuso y eedom o he bu den o being slow and labo ious on he oad.
By doing his, he mo o cycle se es as a kind o addi ion o his cu en , which he egula es on a
daily basis, he physical ep esen a ion o his pe sonal d i e owa d de elopmen . Howe e ,
simila o he wi es ha he wo ks wi h, his jou ney is ied o ex e nal in as uc u e, mos
impo an ly, he goodwill o his employe . This es imonial o pa onage shows one o he majo
con lic s o he s o y: he pa adox o echnological ad ancemen in a highly s a i ied cul u e.
Nawabdin has bough he mo o cycle no h ough economic independence bu h ough gaining
he a o o his landlo d. Wha is mo e impo an is ha in his ansac ion Mueenuddin e eals
inad e en ly he powe exe cised by he adi ional hie a chies e en when he ins umen s o
mode ni y a e in ol ed elec ici y o mechanized anspo . They do no necessa ily change he
es ablished o de ; bu hey a e assimila ed in he s a us quo, hus en o cing he es ablished lines
o dependency. Nawabdin is mobile, and ye his mobili y depends on he cons uc ions ha exis
in es ablishing his wo ld.
The encoun e s o he main cha ac e wi h a despe a e hie by he oad is a u ning poin in he
s o y wi h a sha p change in one. The incu sion is unexpec ed and ab up and is simila o he
na u e o an elec ical blackou ha has he po en ial o lea e a as egion in da kness. In his
case, Mueenuddin solidi ies he ulne abili y o Nawabdin whose deg ada ion is e iden . The
iolence emo es he illusion o secu i y ha he mo o cycle b ough and coun e s ha he
objec s, like ambi ions, can be washed away wi hin he blink o a blink. Wha is especially
admonishing abou he s o y is how Mueenuddin does no ake a black and whi e mo al app oach
