اردو افسانے میں معاشرے کے رویوں کی عکاسی: ایک تجزیہ

Urdu short stories have long served as a mirror reflecting the complexities, contradictions, and evolving attitudes of South Asian society. This paper explores how prominent Urdu fiction writers have portrayed societal behaviors such as class discrimination, gender inequality, religious intolerance, political hypocrisy, and moral decline. From Premchand's depiction of poverty and indifference in Kafan, to Ismat Chughtai’s bold critique of gender roles in Lihaaf, and Saadat Hasan Manto’s raw exposure of communal violence in Thanda Gosht, Urdu fiction has persistently engaged with social realities. Through character development, symbolic settings, and realistic dialogues, these stories challenge dominant social norms and provoke critical reflection. Modern writers further expand this tradition by addressing psychological, existential, and technological shifts in contemporary society. This analytical study concludes that Urdu short stories are not merely literary expressions but powerful social documents that reveal, critique, and sometimes resist the behaviors and beliefs of their time.