ڈاکٹر نجیبہ عارف کے ناول ’’مکھوٹا‘‘ کا نفسیاتی و سماجی مطالعہ

Abstract

In Mukhota, Dr. Najeeba Arif highlights the fracturing layers of 
individual and collective identity within the rural and urban landscape of 
Punjab through a complex web of postmodern narration. Divided into 
three sections “Dhoop” (Sunlight), “Saaye” (Shadows), and “Teeragi” 
(Darkness) the novel presents Salima’s educational struggle and her 
pursuit of self-realization amid historical upheavals, class-bound 
constraints, and psychological dilemmas. Through the use of 
intertextuality, metafiction, and symbolic imagery, the narrative explores 
existential loss, the conflict between appearance and reality, and the 
effects of migration. Ultimately, Mukhota frames the “mask” as a 
personal and cultural metaphor, inviting the reader to reflect on the 
hidden costs of progress and the inner journey toward coherence.