This document provides a summary and analysis of the novel "Moth Smoke" by Mohsin Hamid. It summarizes the main characters - Aurangzeb, Darashikoh, Murad, and Mumtaz - and their roles representing different social classes. It then analyzes themes in the novel about desires, passions, rivalry, materialism, and how characters are consumed by their never-ending pursuit of more. The story revolves around the characters' inner conflicts and fulfillment of desires, even at the cost of others. It draws parallels between characters and moths circling a candle, willing to turn themselves to ash while chasing their wants and cravings.

1. Moth smoke by
Mohsin Hamid
Student name: Zartab
Semester :1st
M.Phil. Literature
Institute: Ripha International University, Faisalabad.

2. Main characters
1-Aurangzeb
2-Darashikoh Shezad
3-Murad Badisha
4-Mumtaz

3. Aurangzeb
 Aurangzeb is the representative of an ultra rich social class
of society.
 An American MBA degree holder.
 All his education could do to him was to make him an expert
in money laundering .
 An expert money launderer , Son of a money launderer.

4. Darashikhoh
 He is the representative of the middle class of society .
 Friend of Aurangzeb and Murad.
 working in bank ,later kicked out of bank for mistreating an important
client.
 Having lost his job in the beginning of the novel and stayed
unemployed till the end.
 After losing his job , when run short of money indulge in criminal
activities like drugs dealing , robberies and become an addict too.
 He also has an affair with his best friend wife Mumtaz.

5. Murad Badisha
 Murad is the representative of lower class of society .
 Who is apparently a rickshaw driver , but actually involved in drugs
business .
 He is the crime partner of Daru .
 Murad’s tendency to have more and more money by hook or by
crock shows his lust for power and wealth.

6. Mumtaz
 Wife of Aurangzeb .
 An open minded women.
 Who got exhausted from her married just after the birth of her first
child.
 At the beginning of the story we find her busy in smoking ,drinking
and attending high class parties with her husband.
 We discovered later that she is working seceretly as a journalist
with a name “Zulfiqar Munto”.

7. A brief analysis of the
novel
Moth smoke portrays contemporary Pakistan vividly . Moth
smoke is not only close to reality but a perfect portrayal of
one’s desires , desires about more and more that ends up
consuming the soul.
The book is based on the Mughal Emperor , Shah Jahan’s sons
– Aurangzeb and Darashikon.A rivalry between them led to
Aurangzeb defeating his brother, delivering his head to their
father and ending up sitting on the throne.

8. “Aurangzeb was crowned Emperor, and obtained from the
theologians a fatwa against his defeated brother ,charging
Dara Shikoh with apostasy and sentenced him to death. “

9. “Imprisoned in his fort at Agra ,staring at the Taj he had built ,an
aged Shah Jahan received as a gift from his youngest son the head
of his eldest .Perhaps , he doubted then the memory that his boys
had once played together , far from his supervision and years ago ,
in Lahore.”

10. “When the uncertain future becomes the past ,the past in
turn becomes uncertain.”

11. Moth smoke is about passion , rivalry adultery ,desperation
, materialism and social class differences. The emotions and
conflicts that are bolted up inside the youth of our country.
Like Mumtaz’s passion about her separate independent
identity , Daru passionate love for Mumtaz , Ozi passion for
power.

12. Then rivalry between Daru and Ozi who used to be good
friends , over Mumtaz and social class differences.
Then their materialistic approach towards life. Everyone is
indulged in money making , everyone is in search of more
and more.

13. The whole story revolves around three main characters and all the
three are representatives of different classes of society. Ozi the
representative of an ultra rich social class, Daru a middle class banker
,and Murad a lower class rickshaw driver.

14. Ozi an ultra rich , involved in money laundering to fulfill his urge to
have more money more power. Who crush away everything comes in
his way . Like the Pajero jeep of Ozi is a symbol of his power which
moves “ like a bull ,powerful and single minded .Ozi derives by pointing
it in one direction and stepping on the gas , trusting that everyone will
get out of our way.”

15. Ozi does not show any sign of disliking for the corruption of his
father but willingly chose his track to follow. And in defense he
says what the hell bankers are doing in banks aren’t they managing
the accounts of corrupt people, aren’t they sucking the blood of
poor people by giving debts on high interests .
And Daru on the other hand who is blaming Ozi for being a money
launderer and for being brutal killing an innocent boy in an
accident ,himself more or less wanted to have same sort of
luxurious life. And he himself selling death in the form of drugs just
to fulfill his financial needs.

16. Murad too busy in the urge of earning more and more money .
Being a rickshaw driver is not enough for him. Whatever is, is less
than enough . Want to earn more money what matters even if on
the cost of others life.
For Mumtaz having a loving husband and a child is not enough. She
is too in search of a new identity not satisfied with what she has.
Commit adultery .In search of more lost what she has.

17. So could say that everyone of them are just moth circling
around the candle of desires and willingly turning
themselves into ash.