Moth Smoke Essay

Moth Smoke takes place in Lahore, Pakistan and depicts the experience of a low-class citizen named Daru. The book represents the struggles of the less wealthy in a country where most of the high-class individuals are corrupt. There is also such a high level of inequality that the elite are able to seperate themselves from the laws that hold the rest of society in their place. Daru is a young banker who grew up near high society because of his friend, Ozi, but whose lack of personal connections prevent him from being actually considered high-class. I argue that Daru’s experience throughout the book provides commentary on how an elitist society can render a man or women helpless to the privilege of the wealthy and turn them towards the desires

Daru’s story starts when he is fired from his job at a bank after being rude to a customer and, although he is willing to break the law to make money, he remains too proud to take a lower-paying job. Eventually, he loses the ability to pay his bills, and along with that, the ability to call himself one of Pakistan’s elite. His life slowly disappears before his eyes as his home loses air conditioning, leaving him vulnerable to the extreme heat of Pakistan. Shortly after losing his job, Daru decides to start dealing drugs to make money on the side to pay for air condition and other bills. I argue this is evidence of a country that is run by the elite. Daru clearly does not have the connections to find a new job that pays enough and companies reject his application due to his lack of connections, regardless of his previous experience as a banker. For example, Daru’s experience with Butt Saab shows that companies were only looking to hire candidates with wealthy connections. During an interview with Butt Saab, he says, “We have more people than we need right now. And the boys we’re hiring have connections worth more than their salaries. We’re just giving them the respectability of a job here in exchange for their families’ business.” (pg 53) On the other hand, Ozi, Daru’s friend, is able to essentially get any job he wants due to his wealthy background and connections. Daru’s inability to find a job leads to his fall into depression and