Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 26 (6): 555-558, 2018

ISSN 1990-9233
© IDOSI Publications, 2018
DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2018.555.558

A Case of Exploding of Mangoes: Postmodernist Analysis

Sunder Huma, Ijaz Asghar Bhatti and Hira Ali

Department of English Literature and Language, UOS, Sargodha, Pakistan

Abstract: The present study examines A Case of Exploding of Mangoes through postmodern analytical stance
of “Black Comedy”. The issue of abusive political influence of Armed forces in the country is gravely satirized
by Muhammad Hanif. Politics and military power has been the subject of author’s discussion amid the corrupt
governmental system of Pakistan. The elements of humor, satire and irony set a lighter tone to novel. Real and
reel characters have also been critically analyzed to elicit the reality pertaining to General Zia’s death and his
political control over country. The plot of murdering a man adds an element of thrill to narration. Postmodernist
theory helps to examine plurality of meanings and questions fixed cultural norms. Present work is qualitative
and descriptive in nature and probes the writing through postmodern aspects of black comedy.

Key words: Postmodernism Pakistan Black comedy Political influences Power

INTRODUCTION as a journalist. His experience in military might have

Black comedy also known as dark humor is “A form
of humor that regards human suffering absurd rather than
pitiable, ironic and pointless rather than gentle but
somehow comic.”It often employs the gloomy or morbid
satire. Andre Breton in his Anthology of black humor
calls humor “a process that allows one to brush reality
aside when it gets too distressing”(Breton, 1997). Political
corruptness and religious hypocrisy, two grave subject
matters are lightened up through satire and comedy and
become the topic of discussion in “A case of Exploding
Mangoes.” The voice of subaltern that remain repressed
is highlighted through Zainab’s character. The religious
environment imposed on country becomes ironical when
the dictator himself fails to fit in all the religious doctrines.
A protector of nation becomes a laughing stock when we
find him to be overwhelmed by the insecurity of his own
protection.
Two major issues in Pakistan remain unsolved and
mysterious to the whole nation. Of them one is the issue
of general Zia’s death. A case exploded remains a mystery
in the political history but becomes a matter of discussion
to Muhammad hanif who has made a special attempt to
unveil this tragedy using humor i.e. Black humor.
Muhammad hanif had opted for military in his life but
soon he gave up his concern towards military and joined
provided him the way to put up minor details of
happenings in military sector. The corruptness in guise of
religious improvisation and sacred notion of military is
highlighted in this paper that is incarnated in the novel by
the use of satire.
Muhammad hanif has used a special technique to
embed humor and light tone rightly in its place in novel.
The novel does not proceed in traditional way rather a
subplot in the form of chapter takes its route after the
chapter of major plot. The major plot discusses the
monopolies and activities taking place under the regime of
General Zia. The subplot basically adds thrill to the novel
that makes it full of suspense. The relationship of Obaid
and Ali Shigri is major point of focus in subplot. The
interconnectedness of two plots triggers suspense in the
novel. But at the end the merging of subplot in main plot
provides the clue of Zia’s Final destination and its
manipulation.
Significance of Study: This study is significant because
it draws attention towards novel as being black comedy.
Further the elements and themes which constitute a dark
comedy are discussed with examples from “A case of
exploding mangoes”. The worth focusing point of this
study is self-colonization of post-colonial country under
the dictatorship of Army General.

Corresponding Author: Sunder Huma, Department of English Literature and Language, UOS, Sargodha, Pakistan.

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 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 26 (6): 555-558, 2018
Research Questions: This research would be able to
answer such questions:
To what extent Muhammad Hanif exhibits the
postmodern element of Dark Comedy in “The case of
exploding mangoes”?
To what extent the author has been able to follow
Benign Violation theory in the text?
How dark comedy has helped to investigate a post-
colonial country as self-colonized one?
Literature Review: The serious subject matter of political
and religious monopoly takes up a lighter tone through
postmodern stance of dark humor. The humor or comedy
releases the heightened-up emotions of readers or
audience by engaging them in the situation of irony.
But the psychology of humor being complex applies the
theory of benign violation theory. A fun element is
created when we find something that violates norms.
(Nakaishi, 2016). The unsolved mysterious subject gets
solved in humorous way and somehow truth gets
revealed.
The postmodernism confronts facts presented by
historians and re-evaluates history in present scenario.
Andre Breton in his Anthology of Black Humor suggests
humor to be the finest element to re-evaluate reality.
Black humor is linked to historical slavery in the context
of United States which links to the slavery presented in
novel through the exercise of monarchy (Ogbogu, n.d).
Peter Shaffer’s Black comedy suggests a light provoker to
taboo subjects through “blackout”.
The exploitation of authoritative position as bluntly
discussed becomes one of the themes dealing with black
comedy. The suppression of marginalized one’s and the
lower beings triggers suspense and violates the humor
created by the author. But soon the mockery adds pun to
the existing scenario full filling the conditions of Benign
Violation Theory. The conditions as discussed by
McGraw (a situation is a violation, the situation benign i.e.
not harmful to others, both occur simultaneously) are the
strength of the theory (McGraw and Warren, 2010). And
these conditions fluently are fulfilled when some crude
discussion ponders over the narration.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thehypocrisy of political authority which takes the
guise of religious renovation in the country has been
analyzed qualitatively. The descriptive nature of the study
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highlights the major elements of postmodern writing.
The hidden ideology of crude matter is scorned without
making a direct attack on anyone. The violation of norm
is observed by benign violation theory that neither
humiliates anyone nor makes audience the recipient of
satire. The working stance of Breton “brushing reality
aside when it gets too much depressing” set the mood for
relaxation from heavy scorn. The alternate occurrence
of plot with subplot plays an important role in describing
the role of manipulative politics in all spheres of life in
self-colonized country like Pakistan.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
“The Case of Exploding Mangoes” depicts the
postmodern elements. The novel is written in the
backdrop of Zia-ul-Haq’sera. It mimics the history of 1980
in an ironic way. The story of General Zia, Ali Shigri,
Baby’O, Zainab and other minor characters scorns the
religious fundamentalism and hypocrisy by the element of
Black humor during the regime of Zia. The title itself is a
mockery over serious subject matter. “A case” connotates
either a case of some serious matter or a box i.e. container.
“Exploding” makes the audience shock and creates
suspense in them.A Case of Exploding What? A case is
diverting attention to some terrorist attack. It’s a case of
explosion of “Mangoes”. So, the first part of title denotes
something gruesome but Mangoes add something funny
to the title itself. So the tragedy in title ends up in a
comedy. Muhammad Hanif at the start of novel gives us
glimpse of Zia’s death. As he narrates:
“Two months and two days later, he Left the Army House
for the first time and was killed in an aero- plane crash.
The nation rejoiced and never found that General Zia’s
journey towards death had started with the slight
confusion he experienced over the translation of a verse
on that fateful day.”(Hanif, 2008, p.30).
A sudden kind of shock comes across the
experience of a reader as a new chapter towards Zia’s
death opens. The death theme highlights itself and forms
a gloomy atmosphere in the text. The politics of General
Akhtar against general Zia proves to be the cause of
death. His ambition gains momentum when the death of
Tm brigadier enriches Zia’s mind. The author makes an
ironic remark on the brotherhood of Zia and General
Akhtar which indicated a dual politics for gaining a
political control.
 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 26 (6): 555-558, 2018
“For General Zia, it was reassuring to have someone as
his eyes and ears who prayed with him. He knew he had
a brother in faith and also that the brother was here with
him and not somewhere else nurturing some dark
ambition” (Hanif, 2008, p.36).
The trust worthy companion comes out to be the
enemy of a dictator of stern character. General Akhtar’s
scheme of making a speech and re writing it with a phrase
of “had an unfortunate accident” 314 clarifies the
ambiguity of his character. The way he hatches a plot
against his dictator mocks the political dogma. The game
for political gain and higher authority strikes General
Akhtar’s mind where author clarifies his title of being
‘the second most powerful man in the land’ 224. The
cleverness of general Akhtar is later in the chapters is
ridiculed where Ali Shigri calls him to be a reptile:
“the man is, clearly, a reptile. Evolution took a wrong
turn and this man ended up a mammal instead of
growing scales and claws”(Hanif, 2008, p.237).
The journey of Zia towards death lightens up by the
metaphor of “tapeworms” and dismal tone in the novel
diminishes by the quash of humor. The dejected situation
capitulates by the comic element which fulfills benign
violation theory. The emotion which pangs with the plot
of trustworthy person cools down by the authors’
introduction of tapeworm. It appears as if the tapeworms
had been the real cause of loss.
The religious practice which has just become one of
the issues of pretensehas been highlighted through the
irony of situation. Colonel Shigri who had terminated his
whisky sessions was found to be hanged from the ceiling
fan. This incident apparently appeared to be a case of
suicide where Colonel had disobeyed religion. But the real
cause of his death opens at the end where a conspiracy
had been hatched against him that became a cause of his
death.
The sketch drawn by Mohammed hanif in chapter six
presents a dark environment of the society he belonged
to. The country where everyone is made to sufferand the
security providers provide security to the secured one’s,
is seen in anger when Zia passes through the road of city.
Everyone calls out:
“Which one of our many rulers is this? If his security is so
important, why don’t they just lock him up in the Army
house?”(Hanif, 2008, p.91).
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The remark made by the citizens in disgust clearly
satirizes the rulers and politicians. In a gloomy
atmosphere, such sudden remark creates laughter in an
ironic way.
A person who appeared to be the strict follower of
religion and fired judges and newscasters who refused to
wear a dupatta on their heads 117 is described in an ironic
way by the first lady owing to his stare at the body of
foreigner “Joanne Herring”:
“It seemed that it wasn’t Ms. Herring interviewing him,
but General Zia interrogating her breasts.” (Hanif, 2008,
p.117)
First Lady’s disgust for the man of duplicate
character seems building up where she thinks of telling
the world that “this man of Faith, the Man of Truth, this
Friend of the Widows was nothing but a (slang.).”145 The
religious guise Zia had formed, appeared to fade away in
the novel as he had failed to do anything for the case of
Zainab; a blind woman who was raped and couldn’t
find her assaulters, but instead was sentenced to prison.
The Man of principles and high mores couldn’t find
justice for the poor blind woman. The injustice done to
Zainab provides an air to despair and gloom thus
promoting postmodern element in the novel. The verbal
irony in the caption under Zainab’s picture in headlines
“Blind Justice in The Land of The Pure” pointed towards
the inefficiency, duplicity and pretense of the politicians.
The Pure Land points towards the land of Pakistan. Blind
Justice targets the corrupt judicial system prevailing
during Zia’s regime.
Black humor being the major stance of analysis also
impregnates itself in security issues. The commandment
of Zia seems on the verge of disobedience in front of his
security issues. The burqa ladies whom he admired were
labelled to be ninjas by brigadier Tm. His security negates
his own rules which ridicule the position of a person who
was in authority.A blunt explanation of corruption being
exercised in country is pointed out through the character
of Uncle Strachy where he says:
“There is nothing pure in this Country” (Hanif, 2008,
p.135)
His saying grants terseness of expression in
satirizing the country’s situation in every respect. Every
second or third line in the novel is filled with heavy
mockery, satire and irony. The exercise and drill given to
 Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 26 (6): 555-558, 2018
the army soldiers is itself a grave subject matter but the
description again shows the reflection of postmodern
elements that are nihilistic and heart trembling in their
tone.Muhammad Hanif has also highlighted the biasness
of dictators against minority people through the
introduction of character who had claimed to be the
Secretary General of all Pakistan Sweeper’s Union.
The blending of fact and fiction through the addition
of imagination makes the line of demarcation between the
two, blurred. Zia-ul-Haq’s way off ruling and controlling
the country gets mocked by the tool of Black comedy.
His Interaction with the constable at a night where he
went out in guise of some paddler to know about the
reality of opinions of his country man adds comedy to the
thrilling and serious story. A person of high dignity gets
treated by the constable in the same manner as a common
person. His high position fell off when constable kicked
him at the back.
CONCLUSIONS
As Black comedy includes the theme of murder,
abuse, politics and religious hypocrisy and takes the
serious matter as a matter of laughing stock by adding
humor to it; similarly, “A Case of Exploding Mangoes”
makes excessive use of black humor. The tension of
reader releases when some unexpected situation or
comment occurs. Not only the incidents account for the
worth of story but also the rapid use of metaphors like
tapeworm, crow and mangoes along with irony solves the
unsolved mystery. Muhammed Hanif through the use of
postmodern element of black humor transformed the grave
matter into trivial one which does not harm anyone’s
sentiment. Thus, it fulfilled the conditions of benign
violation theory and the thrilling element got fused with
comedy. The novel itself critically explains the monopoly
during Zia’s era but the elements of postmodernity added
fuel to the explanation in new perspective.
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