EXISTENTIAL FREEDOM AND BURDEN OF CHOICE: A SARTREAN ANALYSIS OF GHANI KHAN’S POETRY

Abstract

This paper examines the existential aspects that are clear in the works of Ghani Khan using the theory of Jean-Paul Sartre in his existentialism work. Specific focus is made to the appearance of existential freedom, bad faith and the burden of choice in the ten samples of poems used. Through qualitative textual analysis, the study establishes a way in which the poetic voice of Ghani Khan speaks out the battle of definition of self, moral autonomy and authenticity in the world that no longer has a pre-ordained destiny. When applied to the poet, the dictum of Sartre which states that "existence precedes essence" becomes a directure to understand to what extent the poet has rejected social identifications forced upon him, religious determinism and conformity in philosophy. The inquiry makes it clear that the work of Ghani Khan not only agrees with the existentialist concepts but also localizes them in the socio-cultural framework of Pashtuns and their society. Therefore, verses represent a place of existential protest, providing an original combination of self-mysticism and contemporary philosophic angst. The study points out the proximity of the poetry of Ghani Khan to the existential meaning in modernity and identifies him as one of the important, though less-written-about, existential poets in the South Asian literary heritage.