سلام بن رزاق کے ہاں اسطورہ بطور سماجی استعارہ

MYTH AS A SOCIAL METAPHOR IN THE FICTION OF SALAM BIN RAZAQ

Abstract

Salam bin Razzaq is one of the finest creative writers in Urdu literature, who has shaped tradition, symbolism, and myth into a meaningful social narrative through his fiction. He does not use myth merely as an aesthetic device; rather, he employs it as an intellectual tool to understand and express the social, political, and cultural crises of his time. In his short stories, mythical symbols such as gods, sacrifice, and darkness emerge as metaphors for power structures, oppressive systems, and the marginalized human condition, where individual suffering transforms into a representation of collective consciousness. In this way, Salam bin Razzaq, through a mythic language, not only makes the harsh realities of society comprehensible but also awakens critical awareness in the reader, thereby securing a unique and influential place in modern Urdu fiction.