EXPLORATION OF SOCIO-CULTURAL DEFORMITIES IN LAYOUT OF PAKISTANI SOCIETY THROUGH USMAN ALI’S THE GUILT

Abstract

Postcolonial theory, a key aspect of literary studies, explores how colonialism shaped identities, power structures, and cultural narratives. The study is about the socio-cultural malformations that are built into the structure of Pakistani society as depicted in the play, The Guilt, by Usman Ali. The research method used in this study is qualitative research and the data analysis technique is close reading. Themes in this text are explored using post-colonial theory, feminist theory and grief studies. The study shows how The Guilt is used as a medium to criticize the state of Pakistani theatre post-colonial era, to make the audience aware of the social ills, which include vulgarism, lack of legality in the audience, political censorship under military dictatorship and the commercialization of art. The play's themes and emotions are rooted in the life of a sensitive artistic consciousness in Pakistan, casting a spotlight on the lives of stage actors whose experience is one of social hostility and institutional neglect. The paper also explores how Pakistani theatrical culture has been systematically undermined by postcolonial circumstances such as hybridity, identity crisis, and post-General Zia-ul-Haq era of military Islamisation. The symbolism of the mirror, the broken cycle, the old computer in Usman Ali's work is multifaceted and provides a rich ground for postcolonial analysis, suggesting themes of moral decay, generational disorientation, and the unfulfilled promise of Pakistani art. The study suggests that The Guilt is not only a play, but also a sociocultural document, which charts the deformities of postcolonial Pakistani society.