DefinePK

Abstract

The rapid socio-political, cultural, and intellectual transformations of the late 20th and early 21st centuries have not only reshaped global literary paradigms but also led to the revival and reinterpretation of past ideologies within contemporary contexts. As a result, various neo-theoretical movements—such as Neo-Marxism, Neo-Structuralism, Neo-Colonialism, Neo-Formalism, and others—have emerged, providing fresh lenses for literary analysis. These "Neo" frameworks have been widely debated, critiqued, and applied in Western literary criticism, influencing the evaluation of texts across multiple disciplines. However, Urdu literary criticism has largely remained detached from these developments, engaging only minimally with these renewed theoretical perspectives. The few discussions that do exist are scattered across literary magazines and research journals, lacking comprehensive critical engagement or methodological application within mainstream Urdu literary discourse. This apparent neglect has restricted the theoretical expansion of Urdu criticism, limiting its ability to engage with evolving global critical practices. If these neo-theoretical discourses were systematically studied and incorporated into Urdu criticism, they could potentially open new avenues for critical inquiry, deepen interpretative frameworks, and enrich analytical discourse. Such an endeavor would not only modernize Urdu criticism but also position it within the larger global critical landscape, fostering intellectual exchange and innovation.
Keywords: Neo-Ideologies, Literary Criticism, Tradition and Innovation, Neoclassicism, Neo-Realism, Neo-Expressionism, Neo-Romanticism, Neo-Surrealism, Urdu Criticism, Intellectual Influence.