EXPLORING EXISTENTIAL CRISES IN NADEEM ASLAM'S MAPS FOR LOST LOVERS

Abstract

This paper seeks to analyze the exploration of existential crises in Nadeem Aslam's Maps for Lost Lovers, by examining the characters' struggles to reconcile their own principles with the external pressures and oppressive customs of society. The data was collected from a close reading of the text, as well as through a comparison of the novel to different schools of Existentialism (Jean-Paul Sartre 1943; Albert Camus 1942; and Friedrich Nietzsche 1882). It explores existential crises as it focuses on two individuals, Suraya and Shamas, attempting to live their lives according to their own principles while negotiating the external pressures of society. The novel is divided into sections that represent the four seasons and follows Suraya's journey from divorce to a relationship with Shamas, to the eventual realization of the impossibility of their union. Additionally, the novel serves as a criticism of oppressive customs and practices, such as honor killing, prevalent in Pakistani culture and religion. Aslam's novel provides a unique perspective on the struggle of individuals to find balance between their own desires and the weight of existing customs. The research findings suggest that Aslam's novel effectively examines the tension between the individual and society, as well as the pain and brutality of dislocation, highlighting the existential crises of individuals in the face of restrictive and oppressive customs. Keywords: existentialism, oppressive customs, existential crises, honor killing