Deterioration from Humanity to Commodity: An Exploration of Class Struggle, Power Dynamics and Alienation in Tariq Rehman’s Fiction

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the commodification of human lives in Rehman’s short stories. This research investigates the ways in which feudal and capitalist systems transform essential human aspects into market commodities through the work of a Pakistani contemporary writer. The study of stories like The Keepers, Eid Shopping and The Folly (1991) reveals in different ways how individuals handle the intricate interactions between money-related stress, society’s demands and the customs of their culture and how they are being exploited. The analysis of these stories has been done by implementing Marxist theory. This theory examines aspects of Rehman’s work to gain a better understanding of society, characters and exploitation of these characters as commodities through Marx’s concepts of class struggle, social injustice and alienation. The stories are analyzed using a qualitative approach through close reading of the texts. An extensive reading of the stories brings forth the outcomes which have been interpreted in the light of much celebrated Marxist concept. The analysis of these stories demonstrates the effectiveness of the Marxist approach to develop a classless society. The results vividly indicate that individuals are being treated as commodities in developing countries during the postcolonial era as depicted beautifully in Rehman’s fictional expedition. The work can assist other researchers attempting to upgrade human lives, especially in developing countries, by eliminating social, political, institutional, religious and economic inequalities.