Urdu Fiction and the Economy of Morality: An Analytical Study of the Narrative Formation of Rural Labor in the Fiction of Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi

اردو افسانہ اور معیشتِ اخلاق:  احمد ندیم قاسمی کے افسانوں میں دیہی محنت کی بیانیہ تشکیل کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

This research explores the intersection of rural labor and the moral economy in Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi’s short stories through the lens of narrative analysis. Qasmi’s works, deeply rooted in the socio-economic realities of rural Pakistan, offer rich portrayals of peasant life, class hierarchies, and the ethics of work. The study examines how Qasmi constructs narratives that simultaneously depict the hardships of rural laborers and critique socio-economic systems that perpetuate inequality. By employing the concept of the moral economy, the research investigates the values, norms, and communal ethics embedded within these stories. The narrative analysis focuses on language, symbolism, and character development to reveal the ways in which Qasmi’s fiction negotiates the tension between material deprivation and moral resilience. Through a critical engagement with selected short stories, this study highlights Qasmi’s contribution to Urdu literature as both a literary artist and a social commentator. It argues that his storytelling not only reflects rural realities but also shapes readers’ understanding of economic justice and moral values in a changing society. This work contributes to literary criticism, rural studies, and socio-economic discourse within South Asian literature.