(1/19/2017)
Moth Smoke is a great effort of Mohsin Hamid published in 2000. It narrates the story of Darashikoh Shezad, a banker in Lahore, Pakistan who mislays his job, falls in love with his best friend’s wife, and stabs into a life of drugs and crime. It memorizes the historical trial of the moderate Mughal prince Darashikoh by his brother Aurangzeb as an allegory for the state of Pakistan at the time of 1998. If we take this book as the memory of Mughal Empire it wouldn’t be wrong. It is true depiction of unique themes which are: desire, class division in society, decadence, death, power, jealousy, unemployment, greed and lust. No doubt, Mohsid Hamid uses his experience, brilliant narrative style and fabulous allegory technique. As well as the title Moth Smoke has immense use of intelligence which is the true depiction of main plot. The sad thing about the book is doomsday. It clutch out no hope and like the moths’ dancing around the flame that will eventually kill, same as the protagonist lost his life moving around the wrong direction.