DECONSTRUCTION: THEORY, INTELLECTUAL CONTEXT, AND ITS APPLICATION IN URDU POETRY AND LITERATURE

Abstract

The study titled Deconstruction: Theory, Intellectual Context, and Its Application in Urdu Poetry and Literature explores the revolutionary critical approach of deconstruction, emphasizing its transformative impact on the interpretation of texts, meanings, and the role of the author. Deconstruction, as a modern literary theory, challenges traditional hierarchies between the text and the author, enabling a multidimensional reading of literature where meanings are fluid, contested, and context-dependent. This research undertakes a comprehensive deconstructive analysis of selected Urdu short stories and novels. The short stories of Saadat Hasan Manto, Intizar Hussain, and Hameed Shahid are examined to illustrate how narrative structures, character representations, and thematic complexities are reinterpreted through the lens of deconstruction. Furthermore, novels by Qurratulain Hyder, Abdullah Hussain, and Khadija Mastoor are studied to reveal how historical, social, and cultural narratives are destabilized and reconsidered under deconstructive scrutiny .In addition, the study extends to Urdu poetry, analyzing works of Mirza Ghalib, Allama Iqbal, Jaun Elia, Ahmed Faraz, Parveen Shakir, and Kishwar Naheed. The deconstructive reading demonstrates the plurality of meanings, tensions between surface and latent expressions, and the instability of traditional interpretations of poetic texts. The research highlights how deconstruction fosters a critical engagement with both modern and classical Urdu literature, offering new perspectives on literary analysis and interpretation. Ultimately, the study concludes that deconstruction provides a framework for understanding literature not as a fixed repository of meaning but as a dynamic interplay between text, context, and reader. By applying deconstructive principles to Urdu prose and poetry, the research showcases the potential of this critical approach to expand literary discourse and challenge conventional interpretive norms.