AN ANALYSIS OF INTELLECTUAL ALIENATION IN THE CHARACTER OF USMAN IN KHWAB-E-HASTI BY MIRZA MUHAMMAD SAEED

Abstract

This study explores the theme of intellectual alienation in the character of Usman in Khwab-e-Hasti by Mirza Muhammad Saeed. It examines how Usman’s heightened intellectual awareness, moral sensitivity, and critical outlook distance him from society, relationships, and inner harmony. The novel portrays alienation not merely as an emotional state but as a consequence of conscious thinking in a socially fragmented and value-deprived environment. Adopting a qualitative and textual-analytical approach, the research highlights the conflict between individual intellect and collective social norms. The study argues that Usman embodies the dilemma of the modern intellectual whose awareness leads to isolation, existential unrest, and a continuous search for meaning. This analysis contributes to understanding intellectual alienation as a significant theme in modern Urdu fiction.