Sharar has produced a great body of work, more than twenty-five novels, and eight volumes of articles, speeches, reviews etc. His novels are a vivid example of formulaic writing. The first novels were published serially in his journal Dilgudaz. Later he began publishing one complete novel a year as a free supplement to his journal. The surface format of Sharar's romances is that of the novel, as understood in his time, i.e. a work with a closely knit plot, unity of action, and a definite (though often inaccurate) setting in space and time. Dialogues are less prominent than in other contemporary or even later novels and are well embedded in the narrative. In all other respects, however, his stories resemble the Qissa or Dastan in the description of the protagonists' beauty and virtues, in the love scenes, in the depiction of good and evil. The language is full of metaphors and the similes of traditional story-telling. Most of the protagonists are princesses, princes, knights and the like. The preferred locations are palaces, gardens, battlefields, monasteries, and places shrouded in mystery. The battle scenes are all like each other, as are the first encounters between lovers. However, there is one main difference between these romances and the traditional ones: Sharar's heroines remain chaste despite all adversity until they are finally united with the hero in marriage. One exception is the story of Flora Florinda, which has no happy end, but then this story is set in a dominantly Christian environment. Paradoxically, in Sharar's novels focusing on parda and polygamy, innocent Muslim brides too are dishonoured, but then these highly melodramatic stories were deliberately crafted to shock readers and demonstrate the ill consequences of the total segregation of women. Here again a very popular motif is used: a mix-up of/among the characters and the complications ensuing. Sharar's novels formed a very popular part of Urdu literature in the 19th century. |
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