a state of mind notoriously demeaning, incapacitating anddiffi demeaning, of mindnotoriously a state to addthat“[r]ealityseemsto lessstraightforward,” besomewhat asin could become ourlife-jackets (124).Yet orlifeboats” friendship heisquick –continues theauthorof apart” cohesion ofsocial fastfalling structures thetraditional support “With inhis Bauman to play a vital role inour thoroughly “A andfriendships reasonably friends expect growing numberofobservers And as“[c]ontinuousambivalence dissonance, results incognitive second…” (ibid.) render ofindependence, howeverdearlyonewouldwishthefi sur- atleast, panionship whichweallardently partial desire a, isinvariably for ambivalence: the price thecom- acute andnerve-wracking foci ofa most lifeliquid modern relationships are matter andtend anambiguous to bethe politics. (Hamid 2015a: 64) politics. (Hamid 2015a: mustbekeptseparateI have from withtheclaimthatart neveragreed 1996: 411,414–415) than wouldbeavailable to a single ora single language mirror. (Bakhtin is broader, more multi-leveled,containing more horizons andvaried behindtheirmutually refl and grasp for a world oftheworld,force corner at usto guess a tiny its ownway a piece, thatface like mirrors eachother, eachreflof heteroglossia, era […];thenovelmustbea microcosm […]Languages ofheteroglossia. voices[T]he novelmustrepresent ofits andideological allthesocial Wasted anditsOutcasts Lives: Modernity in ’s Mohsin in Friendship andMoney Liquid FearLiquid individualized society,”individualized says Zygmunt –“relations wovenoutof ecting aspectsthat (2006:123–124). EWA KOWAL rst without the ectingin cultto

297 Friendship and Money in Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke 298

Ewa Kowal terms, Ozi drives a Mitsubishi Pajero, a Suzuki. drives whileDaru a Mitsubishi Ozidrives terms, andtheirsonwithhim.Inthesimplesthis beautifulwife, Mumtaz, from New York, where hehadstudiedand worked,andhehasbrought (Hamid home where” 2000:55,210).Incontrast, Ozihasjustreturned and,asitisrepeated life several isgoingno- “his times, job ata bank, despite hisbetterin , fi stock-taking. whostayed Daru, oflife:ple atthisstage a comparative (Ozi). Th isreunitedyears, Shah withhischildhoodandschoolfriend, who,after several Darashikoh (Daru) Shezad is twenty-nine-year-old relationship. ¹ (ibid.). expectation” isa reasonable –“[s]napping[ofa relationship] endure” ² the novelcomes from: isdrawn Daru to Mumtazlikea moth to a fl Th becomes more withMumtaz. Daru thanfriends withhisbestfriend’shis friend’s onlyfriendly wife, happiness.Initially has.For however,what little he a taste of atleast, gets a moment Daru isintheprocess whileDaru losing ofquickly haseverything, short, Ozi porary ,porary to contem- classissuespertaining andpolitical,inparticular wider social thecaseof itscatastrophicand especially collapse, inorder to address thatisat thecentre oftheplot, ofa friendship Hamid usesthestory of a diff power-relatioin theasymmetrical ofpower anddependentonthedistribution varied, infact, is, ionship” forbe to showhowinthisnoveltheabovementioned“price compan- novel, onitscost(s) to MohsinHamid’s andobservations debut friendship References to carsare metonymically andsizes ages often madeinthenovel–theirmakes, Inthisnovel,Hamid addresses Th classinMarxistterms. Th Th e purpose of this article willbeto applyBauman’s ofthisarticle about reservations epurpose e story of estory 2000: 81). ofmy cough (Hamid Suzuki” deep thudsofthePajero Cruiser, thenervous andLand this personifi statusnotonlyinte denote theirowners’ Pakistani” (Hamid 2015b:67). refl witha gaze atAmerica a look many years I had spent in America. many years I hadspentinAmerica. himself: “ himself: of Western to thePakistani classcategories becausethenovel’s context, authordidthis Moth Smoke erent economic status.Th ereunion isanoccasion for perhapsa universal amongpeo- rite Moth Smoke cation: “Inotice thediff Moth Smoke 1 butalsoto thelargergeopoliticalissueofPakistani-US , publishedintheyear 2000.More specifi had for me been a look at Pakistan with a gaze altered bythe atPakistan witha gaze hadfor mebeena look is set in Lahore in1998.Th issetinLahore ecting the part ofmyself thatremained ecting thepart stubbornly results,nal exam isabout to losehis Th erence inthesoundsofslammingcardoors: the e Reluctant Fundamentalist eReluctant isanalysiswillaimto illustrate how nship between two friends possessed nship betweentwofriends rms of money butalsomasculinity, ofmoney rms asin is explains my isexplains ownapplication iswhere thetitleof , I thought, wouldbe , I thought, e protagonist cally, itwill ame, 2 In were engaged in a bitter warofsuccession –wonbythelatter younger were ina bitter engaged from 1628towho ruled 1658.Th gradual downfall. whichsimultaneouslyare theresulttive drugs ofandthereason for his inthetitlerefers“smoke” alsoto Daru’s ofincreasingly addic- smoking bythatfl heisburnt and eventuallylikea moth ³ fi torical draw whichallegorically uponthehis- is alsoa prologue andanepilogue andthere isdisrupted, ing themostunreliable ofthemall;chronology oraboutDaru’sspeak during withtheprotagonist gradually becom- trial, to turns fashiontaking dialogic andunreliable, inBakhtinian subjective Hamid ismuchmore complicated: there are allofthem multiplenarrators, ispresented– revenge), by butinfacttheway inwhichthestory –economic differenceforward (twomalefriends –wife – betrayal novel. his protagonist asifinPlato’s openingsentence ofhis cave inthevery whenHamid places ishighlighted conundrum and thisepistemological really happenedandknowingthe What invohappened, despite whateveryone desp what hashappened,and,infact, before trial, weknow already awaiting likea show inprison, whatlooks protagonist is (5).The is: “Mycellson byDaru, isfullofshadows” Th beginning. ismostlikelyto endfrom the very howthestory novel: thereaders learn of the structure –isthevery story andofthelargersocial story friends’ inevitable. is a small-scale refl andthenearobliterationformer bestfriends, ofthepoorer ofthetwo, inthecountry.ruption Th father’s andthegeneral money levelofcor- to hiscorrupt ily –thanks eas- had committed becausehecan–very andhashimsentto prison ofclass.Oziframes forin terms Daru anaccidental murder hehimself – admittedly already fairlyself-destr reason why Daru’s Ozi,getshisrevenge former anddestroys bestfriend, for Daru’s worseningsituationleading to anunhappyending. Th He takes drugs becauseheisunemploye He takesdrugs Th helpsillustrate thepredetermined ending–bothofthetwoWhat is brief and linear reconstruction oftheplotmakesit appearstraight- andlinearreconstruction isbrief and depressed because hetakes–andlater sells– drugs. gures of two princes, sons ofthe5 gures oftwoprinces, e fi rst sentence ofchapter one,spokeninthefi 3 ection of a larger class struggle whoseresult appears ection ofa larger classstruggle However, problem isnottheonlyreason thedrug ustheconfl ebrothers, Dara andAurangzeb, Shikoh d anddepressed andheremains unemployed uctive – Daru is his higher position ishishigher uctive –Daru ict betweenthetwoyoung men, truth does not matter in the least, doesnotmatter intheleast, truth ite whatwewilllater knowhas lved knowsthat hashappened. th Mughal Emperor of India, Emperor Mughal ofIndia, ame. Inaddition,the rst per- rst e main

299 Friendship and Money in Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke 300

Ewa Kowal his circumstances. Th lived; however, hedied,aswasin ifhehad (73–74).Perhapscamp” wouldnothave thefriendship survived tolatter have wasunluckyenough “die the days, thewarlastedsent to onlythirteen thefront. Eventhough the1971Indo-Pakistani during War,an aide-de-camp” Daru’s fatherwas whileOzi’s putit, staff as Daru father“occupied a cushy academy. But, ata military was thattheirfathersbecamebestfriends why thetwo boysplayed and together betweentheirfathers.Th ofthefriendship thestory in fact, andOzi’s to Daru the novel’s –being, friendship isa back-story It plot. to himselfbecome anemperor. brother whohadDara accused ofapostasy, andexecuted tried inorder 4 and money. ofemotionalandfi A kind the relationship an betweenfriendship generation onlyto berepeated intheyounger one,thusproblematising formed itselfalreadyIn thisway, intheolder triangle a friendship-love and Daru’s fatherthanwiththebenefactor’s aff be had lessto dowiththefriendship inthenovel,itprobably economic Inaddition,asitissuggested terms. inequality, andthusineff itwasonlytemporary into social andunusualintervention aninstance ofa potential tion. As asOzi’s father’ssuch a gesture paying for Daru’s pre-university educa- rated (11). Federal (Retired) Shah” Khurram Secretary frequently him,“the investigated describes Daru butasyet unincarce- be takenofOzi’s to ownson,too. thisthanks theconnections of,as All to jobuponreturn Pakistan. similarcarehim a lucrative No will doubt, his son,Ozi,received ensuring a world-class America educationinNorth Ozi’s hiscareer inthecivilservice, could fathertook begin care that war” himself safely away from any real battlefi as Ozi’s grandfather hadtakencare thathisson(Ozi’s father)wouldfi just from beginning: theyoungertwo friends generation from thevery Inherreview, reference AnitaDesaicallsthisallegorical a misstep: “Th A case of history repeating itselfcanbefound closerathandwithin A caseofhistory Th e hereditary transfer of privilege is not disrupted andthreatened transfer isnotdisrupted by ofprivilege ehereditary feudalism basedon wealth” (Desai2000). feudalism of a society to Pakistani thathasshifted thenew from theoldfeudalism, basedonbirth, impressive of[Hamid’s] ofhislookatthepowerstructure theclearsightedness gifts[:] gobletputto rough use,shatters.” and,likea glass fragile shepraises But “[t]hemost isproves thata class diff 4 comparably more likelyto becauseof tween thefuture Federal Secretary went to the same expensive school went to thesameexpensive d ofgangrene ina prisoner-of-war nancial transaction laid the very transactionnancial laidthevery d money, andevenbetweenlove eld, and upon return fromeld, anduponreturn “the erence existed betweenthe ective in the long run in ective inthe longrun air withDaru’s mother. eonlyreason e analogy proves eanalogy positionas nd ale for thealready decadent, be bombed(88).Th would bethefi suspect that they the peopleofLahore and especially less; ontheotherhandthismakes a arethat theirnuclearweaponhas worked(121),thatthey notdefence- reaction to thetests are of1998: ontheonehandthey relieved andproud states. Th establishment oftwoantagonistic whichledto thebloodyPartitionsreligions, in1947and the ofIndia of thedeteriorating relations between peopleoftwodiff the story behindthebasicplotof –story cal andhistorical fi ing Pakistani out nucleartests carried summerof1998–theyear ofrival hisprotagonist andtheprice comesfrom to pay it, for sucha (mis)step. power ofthesystem thatpunishesanyone to step whoeventries away jointly,accumulation ofcalamitiesHamid isemphasising, thecrushing ciated heroin addictwithanalmostbroken isasifbythis willto live.It after having anema- beenbeaten upbybodyguards whensellingdrugs, is putthere still recovering from whichhehadsuff hissevere injuries being made,iffor Hamid itisnotsuffi butperhapssomeotherpointisalso aboutstate corruption, a point for a crime Th didnotcommit. hecertainly where hemay stay, possiblyfor many years ifnotfor therest ofhislife, Nonetheless, itisstillunjustthatintheendhefi however,he changes, having committed several andimmoral illegal acts. in thisway classladder. headvanced onthesocial theendofstory By hehadworkedfor a bank “uncle” and whichassistedcorrupt corruption, andwanted totion, butenvied friend belikehim;thanks his hisrich Admittedly, whocondemned corrup- heisa hypocrite isnosaint; Daru tionship andofonetheindividualsinvolved inalmosthyperbolic terms. plete Hamid personalmeltdown. presents Infact, thiscollapse ofa rela- [37])anditissimultaneouswithDaru’s aboutthiscase” is talking com- [thewholecity] (“everyone endingisexplosive buthowitends.Its ends, so, to useBauman’s word, it“snapped.” wasunlikelyto happenandprobablyfriendship And neverlikelyto last. Th andtreatedOzi, whooften taunted pet. Daru himlikehisprivate ferent andwere classes, aware –especially young age ofthisfrom a very neered betweenthetwoboyswhoca orsocio-engi- arranged foundation infact, for thatwas, thefriendship rst by India andthenbyPakistan.rst byIndia Th Not accidentally, Daru’s meltdown takes place explosive intheswelter- inthestory, isstriking however, isnotthefactthatfriendship What ispre-apocalyptic atmosphere provides ration- extra carpe-diem carpe-diem nuclear annihilationevenmore likely, cient to ina cell; justputDaru he isanother muchlarger–politi- me from andstillbelongedto dif- and is might seem enough to make seemenough ismight enovelcaptures Pakistanis’ fi n desiècle nds himself in prison, nds himselfinprison, Moth Smoke behaviour ofthe –namely, erent rst to ered eir

301 Friendship and Money in Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke 302

Ewa Kowal that itusesisn’trealism. is s It […]buttheframe narrative ofthe trial becalleda realistic what might of theSecond Person,” Love “Enduring Hamid specifi formed thisotherjudgeis thereader. any yet: judgment Inhisessay [7–9, 234–236]).However,“Milord” whohasnot there isanother“you” will mostlikelybefound bythejudge(referred and guilty to as“you” framing theprotagonist hedidnotcommit) for theprotagonist a crime of ofthenovel(whichisstory whichforms theframe story the trial entitled “Judgment” inthesecond written person:butweknowthatin andinvites Th judgment. of something, having more someredeeming orlessguilty isto qualities, someextent, thisbecomes increasing eventhough ant, prove thanthatofa serv- to status isstillhigher himselfthathissocial al character mistreats, Manucci, mainlyto ofDaru’s whomDaru servant, a positive orjusta negative character –withtheexception ofthemargin- father-in-law’s gainedthrough corruption. money can aff isonlymadepossible bythefactthatshe inequalityandcorruption lems, hersubversiv and goodintentions, appear to bethoroughly westernised. who, having received educationintheUKandUS, higher prestigious naturally belong:namely, themilieuofLahore’s idleyoung andrich, andto whichOziandMumtaz tocircles cling, stilltries to whichDaru 5 to. underthemale pseudonyminvestigative Zulfi writing journalist is entirely herown–secretly, fantastically, andsomewhat sheisa successful sheenjoysleadinga double society”: individualized life,oughly oneofwhich wasearlierquoted calling“oursentative inthenovelofwhatBauman thor- ing more thana chemicalquickfi theaff out, asitturns For Mumtaz, hisdownward spiral. heroin, taking whichwilltrigger Mumtaz andstarts addictionsatonce: developstwoself-destructive hefallsinlovewith Daru between thetwocharacters notonly (ecstasy), thensex(interestingly, box). inbetween,they Th andMumtazfi thatDaru isthrough drugs It Th Mumtaz is a good illustration ofhowinHamid’sMumtaz isa good novelnooneisjust Drugs off Drugs 5 individualism, despite herfavourable economic status. Importantly, paradoxically andironically, concern regardless ofhertrue e necessarily malepseudonym enecessarily ofcourse, proves there that, are limitsto Mumtaz’s ord excelling atherprofessional to herhusbandand passionthanks ering momentary escapism are omnipresent in the party crowd. crowd. escapismare omnipresent intheparty momentary ering x. Mumtazisperhapstheclearest repre-x. omething else:make-believe, play, with air is from the beginning meant asnoth- airisfrom thebeginning e writing aboutPakistan’se writing prob- social in thecolloquial senseofthephrase; enovelincludestwo chapters ly untrue. Everyone else,while Everyone ly untrue. rst bond:fi es: “Th rst they share rst they ex ere is chemistry ere ischemistry e story has estory kar Man- cial Seminar on Social Class inPakistan” Class SeminaronSocial (Hamidcial 2000:102): ironically namedJuliusSuperb,said not have airconditioning. haves thosewhohave andthehave andthosewhodo nots–inparticular application) asconsisting strata: the oftwosocial has widergeographical able. Hamid depictstheclasssystem inPakistan thedescription (although unbridge- thatitistruly homethemessage of theclassdivide,andto bring ing friendship atitscentre.ing friendship Th fromand especially thespectacularim isanobviousconclusion from thatonejudgment thestory, being suggested, for readers to (Hamid create” 2015c:78). butratherthat novelsare not“passiveforms “a ofentertainment” way –whichcorresponds withtheauthor’s anactiverole” view given ‘you’ 7 6 Again, as in the case of cars, possessionorlackofthisequipmentmetonymically asinthecaseofcars, Again, Daru Daru briefl en, or at the very least, a long, cool drink during a fi during cool drink a long, least, en, oratthevery hopewillgainthemadmittancea day, heav- whichthey to anair-conditioned their blanketsinthemiddleofsummer, there isalways prayer, fi the rest ofthepeople, great uncooled, andbecome lieunder uneasyasthey should thinkabout Andifthey lounges to relax infront TVs. oftheirwide-screen andattheendofday gohometo theirair-conditioned mission reserved), offi air-conditioned world. Th –united bytheirresidence industrialists inanartifi soldiers, lahs, Th standards ofsay, Swedenwithoutleaving thedustyplainsofsubcontinent. tioning. You see,theelite have manage two groups resource: ismadeonthebasisofcontrol ofanimportant air-condi- and are collectively theelite. termed Th its membersexercise vastlygreater control overtheirimmediate environment contains thosereferred to as themasses.Th Th While reading thenovelitbecomes clearto thereaderWhile thata judgment is ey’re a mixed ey’re mul- andPathans, lot–Punjabi smugglers, SindhisandBaluchis, ere are classesinPakistan. twosocial […]Th in opposite (Hamid directions” 2000:107). walkedthe samepathfor they Although to beuncooled, whileDarashikoh wasunder-air-conditioned andlongedto becooled. and longed “Mumtazwasover-air-conditioned MumtazandDaru: the doomedlovers, defi aff ord to continue hisstudies. nes a character. Th nes a character. ey wake up in air-conditioned houses, drive air-conditioned carsto air-conditioned drive houses, wakeupinair-conditioned ey y pursued a PhD in English, andevens y pursueda PhD inEnglish, ces, restaurants grab ofad- lunchinair-conditioned (rights is simple distinction is used also to stress a contrast between issimpledistinction isusedalsoto stress a contrast 6 As Daru’s As former universityprofessor, e purpose ofthisdisaster isto stress thedepth epurpose inhis“paperpresented attheProvin- a while, Mumtaz andDarashikoh were headed edistinctionbetweenmembersofthese plosion of the seemingly class-bridg- plosion oftheseemingly d to re-create for themselvesthe living esecond group ismuchsmaller, but e fi howed talent; howeverhe could not howed talent; rst group, largeandsweaty, ery day inhell.(102–103) ery cially cially cooled ve times vetimes 7 clearly clearly

303 Friendship and Money in Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke 304

Ewa Kowal drained 2011). thelife from(Aspden thestate” has justastheircorruption collapse thecity’s grid of therich electricity AC units hassummed uptheproblem, power-hungry as onecritic “the (107)because, [is]plungedinto darkness” when“muchofLahore cially namelythata heatwork ofconnections, wave causesa crime wave, espe- and bledto death(108). AndatthesametimeHamid showsa wider net- wentupto sothey theroof whereat night, shewashitbya stray bullet Daru’skills: itkilled motherbecauseitwas too hotto sleep inthehouse as a writer. He doessay thatunbearably hotandunbreathable airliterally air, substances, most basicoflife-giving illustrates hissignature method thatHamid’sair itself. I suggest densifi since ittouches and aff ifthere isabsolutelymore nothingitdoesnottouch andaff scathing, indictment ofthesystemic economic andclassinequalitycould barely be us butalsoalways fi always there ismore, andseparates. itnotonlyalways surrounds What thatis 109), Hamid makesairconcrete, likea wall solid,andtangible air, ofair, orkind for status(Hamid social 2000: determining hiscriterion access making illusion. By to airconditioning andtheresultant qualityof –butHamidic andevenlydistributed showsthisassumptionto bean citiesallover theworld. Airisapparently polluted bigger democrat-ingly as air. isinvisible, Air andtakenfor lesssoinincreas- granted, although aboutsomethingasseemingly speaking of thematter, systemic classinequalityandinjustice –paradoxically by ly air. thatalready inhisdebutnovelHamid isstriking gotto It theheart more basicamongthefew mostbasicelementsfor sustaininglife, name- aswecansee,hemovedonto But, admittedlythe samestreet, separated bya wall bodyguards). andprivate sometimes from (eventhough therich of lackaccess to cleanwater to talkaboutthechasmseparating the poor cient numberoftoilet facilities.Inotherwords, hefocused ontheproblem pipesandthenowhere nearsuffi rusty opensewers, hepatitis Evirus, subcontinentty andinequalityontheIndian byzoominginonthe his third book, his third book, eventheminute problems. whendiscussingwidersocial the mundane, In when the friendship defi when thefriendship Ozi –andtherelationship’s aswell Daru’s disintegration. Th of Hamid’s depictionofthenovel’s and central betweenDaru friendship I suggest that itisthiswidernetwork I suggest It is very characteristic ofHamid to concentrate and isvery onthematerial It How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia How Filthy inRising Rich to Get llsusinside:itislife itself. Consequently, Hamid’s ects even the most irreducible conditionects eventhemostirreducible for life – nitively endshappens before Ozifi water onlyafter having aneven tackled they livedontheoppositethey sidesof of connections that is the purpose of connections thatisthepurpose cation andconcretisation ofthis immaterial andequallysharedimmaterial , headdressed pover- nds out about nds outabout e moment ect, ect, - disregards a red ashealways does, light, own,themare A necessarily symbolic. of vehiclesinvolved andwhathappensto andescape.Th accidentally a boy kill thisaff start his bestfriend’s aff 8 stage could notbegreater,stage andsymbo (213–214).Intheheist scene, thecontrastes” betweentheactors andthe withfl theultimate ina country hypocrisy of theuppercrust, becauseoftheir“symbolism: representexplains, they thesoftunderbelly exclusive boutiques,”high-fashion, notonlyfor money, asthefriend but, a little friend’s rob plan“to (210),hejoinshisdrug-dealing high-end, justice” addicted, undertheinfl leaves him.Th servant iscutoff hisbillsgounpaid,electricity tioned disastrous trajectory: even inhisandOzi’s goingdowntheabovemen- childhood,thathestarts contract, isafter hebreaks whichalwaysIt thisfriendship involved money, Anditisforadvantage. thistransgression thatheisadditionallypunished. onlyselectfew to of,although their ispart time from thesystem everyone steps away and,atthesame from thisunequalandthusfalsefriendship eachothernomatter Daru what”(140).But support cause for Ozi“[f]riends Ozi isready to “forget theway acted after [Daru] theaccident” (141),be- to beloyal, andrejects thehelphewouldreceive inexchange, eventhough impossible to fi Ozi’s heknowsthatitis (98),although father’s for helpinlooking a job” decidesthatheis“notgoingto takeany thatDaru isthatnight of 96). It (Hamid 2000: A child whogetsawaywho getseverything. witheverything” likeanovergrown child.A child present tense, atthatmomentOzi“looks recalls inthe Daru confrontedfriend As oftheaccident. himatthenight man’s aboutwhenhisstill saw impunityissomethingDaru Oziwascertain man’smeantime, therich successful Th life continues uninterrupted. Th where hedies. theboyto a hospital, drives ina Suzuki, a man A witness, In an earlier and typical exchange, which at that time seems amusing to Daru, Mumtaz Inanearlierandtypicalexchange, Mumtaz whichatthattimeseemsamusingto Daru, emanisinvestigated bythepolice, Inthe andlater isarrested andtried. her husbandreplies “And thefi Oziforreprimands through a red driving saying “Th light, -9/11) fear ofterror andthepotential itoff devotes Bauman considerableZygmunt attention to itto thistypeofcarlinking the(post- than my houseandmoveslikea bull, sitsina PajeroIn thesamescene Daru for thefi air. Th nd a job withoutconnections. refuses Inotherwords, Daru e friendship ends when Daru witnesses his best friend witnesseshisbestfriend endswhenDaru efriendship air withhiswife, andevenbefore andMumtaz Daru ree monthsafter losinghisjob(199),unemployable, uence of drugs, telling himself thatheis“ready foruence ofdrugs, rst is, bigger cars have the right of way” (Hamid 2000: 25). (Hamid 2000:25). ofway” carshave theright bigger rst is, powerful and single-minded” (ibid.).In andsingle-minded” powerful ersfor fi escene issymbolic:thethree types lism applies to Daru in particular, as inparticular,lism appliesto as Daru rich man in an air-conditioned SUV SUV maninanair-conditioned rich rst timeandisimpressed: it“[c]ostsmore 8 and hits a poor boy on a bicycle. andhitsa poorboyona bicycle. those who drive or ride, but not butnot orride, thosewhodrive nancial gain (Bauman 2007:143–144). gain (Bauman nancial ere are rules, you ere know,” are rules, to which our shortag- Liquid FearLiquid e rich , his ,

305 Friendship and Money in Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke 306

Ewa Kowal their problems are very much alike. In “Why Th muchalike.In“Why their problems are very here, canbeputtogether thetwocountries as mainlyaboutIndia, writes thinks to himself: “Our poor country” (Hamid 2000:161). poorcountry” “Our tothinks himself: that“[q]uite a few, andguesses up into Ozis” –after whichhe probably” many willgrow ofthesekids oftheiradulthood–hewonders“how party crowd rehearsing for party yet legal) the(parasitic, – already a younger people’s to rich inally andparasitically) dealsdrugs children teenage the robbery, before (indeed,crim- heisbeaten andright up,whenDaru thatthere for areages themajority exclusive boutiquesfor the network ofconnections behindthebasicplotof andthecondition ofthewholestate, illustrates howthewider upbringing thatitis classladder; so aswelookupthesocial ismuchmore complex andpredominantly reversed,body” increasingly parasitic relationship betweenthe“m Wasted Lives matter ofBauman’s ofthesubject thispointhehasbecome part well. By ¹0 9 of essays Roy’sin allofHamid’s scathingcollection byArundhati novelsisonly surpassed theclassgapdescribed producingthis systemic entanglement andpreserving made secure byandfor thefuture generations. Th What exacerbates thisself-perception What inDaru’s caseisanothersenseofredundancy: Inthetitularessay ofWestern Roychallengestheworking philanthropic organizations: defi […]as“ describes Czarnowski Stefan Th In on the social body.”on thesocial 2006:40–41) (Bauman ofcriminality, onthebrink hovering butineachcasewithfeeding parasitically pretences ofwickedness[…],livinga life orindolence, often withallsorts treats chargesthematbestwithunwarranted themas“scroungers andintruders, intellectual production andregarding themselvesassuch.” isscene, where connects Daru thedotsbetween hisformer bestfriend’s Mumtaz rejects hiswishto maketheirrelationship more serious. to supposedly independentandnot-for-(anyone’s)profi university scholarshipprogrammes), culture through festivals (e.g. andprizes) literary allpossibleareas ofinfl to virtually corporations global ofthe world.Royleaves almostnohopeinthisregardparts fundingfrom linking US tools for control exerting countries’ andholdingpoweroverthepoorerthem asricher helppoorer shepresents countries whererather ones, initiatives richer thanfriendly ned social status, deemedredundant fr status, ned social Moth Smoke Capitalism: A Ghost Story A Ghost Capitalism: : one of the “‘supernumerary’ or ‘marginalized’ people” whom people” or‘marginalized’ : oneofthe“‘supernumerary’ , and in his subsequent novels, Hamid, andinhissubsequentnovels, shows thatthe . 10 Even though Roy, Eventhough writer, anIndian arginalised” and “the [proper] and“the social arginalised” declassés om the point of view of material and ofmaterial om thepointofview ey Get Pakistan Wrong” in GetPakistan ey in Wrong” individuals, possessingno individuals, e degree of insolubility of ofinsolubility edegree Moth Smoke t NGOs. uence: from education(e.g. thanks 9 “Organized society” “Organized society” to fl to is and will be isandwillbe elite our short- . Before Accordingly, intheeponymous essay from 225). inHamid’sboys” fi euphemisticallycalled“fundos,”talists, unshaven and“bearded “the boys” Pakistani universitiesare nowbreeding grounds for Islamistfundamen- and astheopposite –becausepro-forceful-change –sideof the samecoin, likely to changeonitsown.Inthemeantime,inreaction to thissituation, whichkeepsanexistingsystem ofpowerrelations stableand un- ruption results economies corporations from to global andleadsto cor-country his collection ofessays, ¹² ¹¹ wouldwishto admit” – thaneithercountry likePakistan dealmore –orIndia likeIndia that “Pakistan isinfacta great is likeitssubcontinental neighbours” ting aneducation,soyou have thisisthe to (185).Andinfact, goabroad” person: “Th In a diff Th As Hamid indirectly,As andRoydirectly demonstrates, thisopening upof (Roy2015:31) corporations. toopen uptheeconomies global oftheircountries lawyers, corporate economists, isters, fi ministers, come goodscholarsandacademicsbutalsotheprime whohasstudiedintheUnited From States. theirranksnot have have a child and Pakistan there isscarcely a family amongtheuppermiddleclassesthatdoes could notaff childrenthousands ofstudents, oftheTh hundreds USuniversitiesopened theirdoorstostudents, of international As innumerable skirmishes since the countries separated since thecountries innumerable 160). in1947”(Hamid skirmishes 2015f: withwhichithasfoughtbecause ofitsfraught three relationship warsand withIndia, mark betweenthetwonation Wean essay whosetitle“To India, Fight Fought Ourselves,” thusputtinganequation as isalready andPakistan” happeninginIndia (Hamid in 2015e:155–156).Elsewhere, Monsoonrains willbecome dryness. a great bring isalsolikelyto century theAsian for […].But usAsians, century willbetheAsian century gowithoutelectricity.citizens isdoingthesame.[…]Many India say thatthetwenty-fi gr ethnicandreligious victimizing marginalized can beseenasa development ofoneaspectHamid’s fi [Hamid 2007:1]).Inthissense, thesecond ofAmerica” novel a lover my beard: I am the fi lecturer, iscompelled “grow to literally (thefear a beard” itevokes andideologically is Fundamentalist eauthor willaddress thisissuefullyinhispost-9/11 second novel, 12 As Ozisays inoneofthechapters As rst thing that opens the dramatic monologue narrative: “Do not be frightened by “Donot befrightened narrative: rst thing thatopensthedramatic monologue erent essay, Hamid says, “Pakistan […]is meddlingintheaff e colleges are overrun withfundoswhohave nointerest are ecolleges overrun inget- ord thefees scholarships.Today were given likeIndia incountries , publishedin2007,where theepon rst andstillpre-9/11 novel (Hamid 2000:32,139, Discontent anditsCivilizations s, Hamid states that “Pakistan is in the grips of militancy Hamids, states that“Pakistan of militancy isinthegrips bankers, andbureaucratsbankers, whohelpedto and quotes Anatol Lieven observing and quotes Anatol Lievenobserving ird World elite, poured in.Th herabovementionedbookRoysays: oups, and building nuclear weapons while andbuildingnuclearweaponswhile oups, Moth Smoke unpredictable andaquifers willdrop, 11 (Hamid 2015d:148–149). ymous protagonist, a university a university ymous protagonist, rst book. , Hamid says “Pakistan , written inthefi , written airs of neighbours, airs ofneighbours, nance min- Th e Reluctant ose who rst rst rst rst

307 Friendship and Money in Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke 308

Ewa Kowal Bakh Bauman, Zygmunt (2007). Bauman, Zygmunt (2006). Aspden, Rachel (2011). “ Rachel Aspden, ofonedoomedfriendship. itseemsto beonlya story surface that MohsinHamid’s power-relationshiprical onseveral levels: from personalto state to global viciouscircleglobal andnetworkof Desai, Anita (2000). “Passion in Lahore.” Hamid, Mohsin (2000). (2000). Mohsin Hamid, Roy, Arundha Hamid. [in:] Mohsin Ourselves” We Fought India, “To Fight (2015f). Mohsin Hamid, (2007). Mohsin Hamid, Hamid, Mohsin (2015b). “My Reluctant Fundamentalist” [in:] Mohsin Hamid. Hamid. [in:] Mohsin Fundamentalist” Reluctant “My (2015b). Mohsin Hamid, Hamid, Mohsin (2015e). “Na Hamid. [in:] Mohsin Transforms” “Pereira (2015a). Mohsin Hamid, (2013). Mohsin Hamid, Hamid, Mohsin (2015c). “Enduring Love of the Second Person” [in:] Mohsin Hamid. [in:] Mohsin Person” Second ofthe Love “Enduring (2015c). Mohsin Hamid, Hamid, Mohsin (2015d). “Why They Get Pakistan Wrong” [in:] Mohsin Hamid. Hamid. [in:] Mohsin Wrong” Pakistan Get They “Why (2015d). Mohsin Hamid, view (access: 29 January 2017). January 29 (access: view Polity Press. Polity Aus by M.M. Bakh h www.nybooks.com/ar Penguin Books, 159–162. Books, Penguin Civilisa its and Discontent 155–156. Books, Penguin Civilisa its and Discontent content and its Civilisa its and content guin Books, 137–151. lisa tent and its Civilisa its and tent Civilisa its and Discontent 67–70. Books, Penguin Penguin Books, 77–80. Books, Penguin ps://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/may/01/moth-smoke-mohsin-hamid-re- n, Mikhail (1996). “Discourse in the Novel” [in:] Novel” the in (1996). Mikhail “Discourse n, ons: Dispatches from Lahore, New York and London York and New Lahore, from Dispatches ons: n: University of Texas Press, 259–422. ofTexas Press, n: University (2015). n . Michael Holquist (ed.). Trans. Caryl Emerson, and Michael Holquist. Holquist. Michael and Emerson, Caryl Trans. (ed.). Holquist . Michael ons: Dispatches from Lahore, New York and London York and New Lahore, from Dispatches ons: Capitalism: A Ghost Story AGhost Capitalism: How to Get Filthy Rich is Rising Asia Rising is Rich Filthy Get to How The Reluctant Fundamentalist Reluctant The Moth Smoke Moth Smoke cles/2000/12/21/passion-in-lahore/ (access: 29 2017). January ons: Dispatches from Lahore, New York and London York and New Lahore, from Dispatches ons: Moth Smoke Liquid Fear ons: Dispatches from Lahore, New York and London York and New Lahore, from Dispatches ons: London York and New Lahore, from Dispatches ons: ons: Dispatches from Lahore, New York and London York and New Lahore, from Dispatches ons: Wasted Lives. Modernity and its Outcasts its and Modernity Lives. Wasted onalism Should Re . London: Books. Granta by Mohsin Hamid – Review.” . Malden, MA: Polity Press. Polity MA: . Malden, The New York Review ofBooks York New Review The is ultimately about, even though on the onthe eventhough isultimately about, connections, aswellanasymmet- . London, New York: Verso. York: New . London, re at Sixty-Five” [in:] Mohsin Hamid. Hamid. [in:] Mohsin Sixty-Five” at re The Dialogic Imagina . Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. Harcourt, . Orlando: . London: Penguin Books, 63–66. Books, Penguin . London: . New York: Riverhead Books. Riverhead York: . New Discontent and its Civi- its and Discontent 21 December 21 The Observer Bibliography . Malden, MA: . Malden, on: Four Essays . London: Pen- . London: . London: . London: . London: . London: . London: . London: 1May. Discon- . h p:// Dis-