Dr. Muzaffar Karim

In his story The Book of Sand, Borges defines the b ook as ‘infinite’ with no beginning and no end. In almost the same way when Barthes discusses his notion of text, in contrast to work, he defines text as ‘infinite d ferment of the signified.’ Critically speaking Jorge Luis Borges’ short story The Book Of Sand and the kind of novel ff red in the story The Garden of Forking Paths draw a clear resemblanc e and constantly comment on the Barthesian distinct io between a ‘Work’ and a ‘Text’. This paper concerns itself wit h discussing Borges’ notion of ‘Book’ and proceeds to develop a contrast with the Roland Barthes conception of Work and Text.

According to Gilles Deleuze, we have moved far away from what Michel Foucault used to call disciplinary societies. The boundaries of those disciplinary enclosures have diminished and now there is no difference between a disciplinary enclosure like home, factory and prison. For Deleuze, Kafka's The Trial becomes an essential text that is set at the crossroads of this transitional dissolution of spaces. In the same vein, this paper argues that Sadat Hasan Manto's two stories-Toba Tek Singh and Naked Voices-can be read as each belonging to either societies.

The whole oeuvre of Michel Foucault is concerned with many shifts and turns. He sways between madness and sexuality, between Marquis de Sade and Hellenistic philosophers, from criminality to philosophy. Despite all these shifts, a decisive methodological shift is evident from archaeological to a genealogical one. This shift is often considered by critics as distinctive and apart. But while reading Foucault's own works, interviews and lectures one realizes that the two are in harmony. This paper tries to read the important works by Foucault to understand this methodological shift which enables one to understand his larger concerns about Power and Subjectivity.

The origins and definitions of modernity are varied and often confusing. Many consider it a continuation of Modernity while others consider it a break from it. This paper tries to trace the history of the term viz-a-viz Modernism through the interjections of theorists like

In his story The Book of Sand, Borges defines the book as 'infinite' with no beginning and no end. In almost the same way when Barthes discusses his notion of text, in contrast to work, he defines text as 'infinite deferment of the signified.' Critically speaking Jorge Luis Borges' short story The Book Of Sand and the kind of novel offered in the story The Garden of Forking Paths draw a clear resemblance and constantly comment on the Barthesian distinction between a 'Work' and a 'Text'. This paper concerns itself with discussing Borges' notion of 'Book' and proceeds to develop a contrast with the Roland Barthes conception of Work and Text.

When Georges Bataille criticized French Surrealists regarding Marquis de Sade, he treid to show why Sade's votaries were more dangerous than his detractors. The Paper tries to develop the same argument in relation to Sadat Hassan Manto and his work. It also tries to elucidate how the so-called appreciators of Manto, in politics, culture and academics, by appropriating and appreciating him actually stifle his artistic spirit.

When we think of Democracy as a way of governance, usually modern democratic states come to mind. Most of us believe that democracy is a recent invention. But, the birthplace of democracy is the ancient city of Athens and ironically the birth of democracy is coetaneous with the birth of (Athenian) theatre. This paper tries to establish the connection between theatre and democracy or in other words theatricality and democracy. It tries to elaborate upon the fact that the notion of theatricality is inherent to democratic function and may be its doom as well. Democracy represents progress, a movement in time, a teleology. But, the present problems of famine, violence and other man-made disasters put this movement under suspicion – a progress or a reversion? This question of teleology and time vis-à-vis democracy is argued through Jean Baudrillard’s notion of the recycling of time.