Nawabdin Electrician

Nawabdin Electrician is a Pakistani short story by a Pakistani Writer Daniyal Mueenuddin. In this
story, Mueenuddin has depicted the circumstances faced by household of a lower class in Pakistani
less privileged areas.
Daniyal Mueenuddin is a Pakistani-American writer who is very popular for his short stories and has
won various awards like Commonwealth Writers’ Price, The Story Price and many other awards.
In this article, we have explained the Nawabdin Electrician Summary, Nawabdin Electrician
Characters and Themes.

Nawabdin Electrician Summary

Nawabdin Electrician is a short story by a Pakistani writer Daniyal Moinuddin.
He mostly writes about Pakistani traditions. This story is related to Pakistani society and all Asian
societies.

It revolves around Nawabdin Electrician who is an electrician and bread winner of his family.
Nawabdin is skillful in cheating electric companies as he slowdowns the meter of electricity for his
patron.
He works for K K Harooni. Harooni is a landlord and rich person having a lot of fields.

Nawabdin slowdowns the meter so that the fields of Harooni can be watered without paying much
for the electricity.

Sometimes he uses it to heat the pipes, sometimes to connect the wires of electricity, and so on.
These tricks guaranteed his employment on the farm of K. K. Harooni.

Nawabdin married with his love of youth and blessed with twelve daughters and a son. The salary
that was given by Harooni was only way of their living.

He was a caring and devoted father that wants to give his daughters a good dowery.
Harooni still had influence in the Islamabad bureaucracy. Whenever Harooni visited
farms, Nawabdin Electrician was found sitting under Banyan tree with servants to meet him, in this
way Nawabdin Electrician won his Favour and asked him for motorcycle.
Nawabdin Electrician was eloquent and impressed his patron by giving the reference of old age and
old cycle One day he received Honda 70 as gift for illegal work.
Motorcycle means a lot for him as it gave him a reputation in society. Even the villagers began to call
him UNCLE as he was the only one who has modern motorcycle in village.

Nawabdin Electrician was also asked to give his opinion in their affairs after having motorcycle.
The condition of his house was poor but at the same time they were happy. One day he repaired
sugarcane press and brought five kilo sugar for breakfast. They ate breads with syrup of Brown Sugar
happily.

One day, when he was on his way to home, he found a man on road who asked him for a
lift. Nawabdin Electrician gave him lift on motorcycle but actually that man was thief.
After a while, the thief puts his gun on the head of Nawabdin Electrician and asked Nawab to give
him his motorcycle but motorcycle was very dear to him and he begged him not to take his means of
bread because he had thirteen children.
He tried to fight back but robbers were in no mood to face resistance.

Nawabdin Electrician got a shot in his leg during his struggle with the thief. He tried his best to
protect his bike but it brought him near his death.
The thief ran away after seeing him in critical condition. Two villagers found him and take him into
hospital.

The villagers also caught the robbers and got the hold of their gun and fired it on the robbers.

The robbers and Nawab were taken into same hospital. Nawabdin Electrician survived but the
robbers were in critical condition.
The thief realized his mistake and begged for forgiveness but Nawabdin did not forgive him. They
tried to justify that they had old mother in the slums of Multan but in vain.

The robbers died without forgiveness and Nawabdin Electrician watched him while dying.
 Nawabdin Electrician Character Analysis
NARRATOR
Nawabdin Electrician is narrated by a third person narrator who knows everything about
Nawabdin.
ROUND OR FLAT CHARACTER
Nawabdin Electrician is a round character who changes himself according to circumstances. The
family of Nawabdin and Haroni is flat character.
Nawabdin Electrician character is one of the important in this story He is an old electrician with
fragile body who belongs from poor class.
Nawabdin is a skilled person and breadwinner of his vast family. He works from to dusk to see his
children happy. Hè works on the form of a landlord and waters his fields.

His story shows that water maters a lot in villages that’s way the slowdowns meter to provide water
to crops. But he has desire for respect and high status in this society. For him the survival depends on
materialistic things like car a bike, or wealth.

He is eloquent but his eloquence can be regarded as cleverness because impressive words convince
his landlord to provide him bike. He cautiously starts taking about his old age and says;

“But, sir, on the bicycle now, with my old legs, and with the many injuries
I’ve received when heavy machinery fell on me “

He admires his patron so that he may solve his problem and says;

“Sir, as you know, your lands stretch from here to the Indus, and on these
lands are fully seventeen tube wells, and to tend these seventeen tube wells
there is but one man, me, your servant. In your service I have earned these
gray hairs”
Again, he says;

I beg you, forgive me my weakness. Better a darkened house and proud

hunger within than disgrace in the light of day. Release me, I ask you, I beg
you.”

After this speech he wins the attention of Harouni and he asks for the solution because
he Nawabdin Electrician has done a lot of services for him. He was one of the Harouni’s loyal
servants. He knows the psyche of lower class and asks for solution so that he may tell the actual
reason behind his speech. Nawab comes to the point and asks;
“Well, sir, if I had a motorcycle, then I could somehow limp along, at least
until I train up some younger man.”

He is given Honda70 as reward of his services. Bike was not only bike for him but it was the
guarantee of his honor and survival in society. Motorcycle raised his status in society and he had
been called UNCLE. He is also asked to share his opinion on world affair, about which he knows
nothing.
He is a survivor and resilient person as he fights with robbers. On his way to home, he is attacked by
a thief but he shows great courage and hits the thief

Six shots, six coins thrown down, six chances, and not one of them killed him, not Nawabdin
Electrician. He fights for his bike because it was a source not only for him but for his family. He is
not a fictional character rather he is a real-world character that can be found everywhere in this
society.

Nawabdin Electrician’s Family:

The family of Nawabdin is also discussed but they are minor characters.He has twelve daughters, a
son and his wife.
K. K. Harooni:
K.K.Harouni is a landlord who has his own fields. HE has an influence on bureaucracy. He has forms in
Lahore Haroni is the master of Nawabdin Electrician who gifts him motorcycle. He is shown
as flat character in this story.

Nawabdin Electrician Themes

Poverty and Crime:
The most important theme in this story is the difference between upper and lower class. This story is
about a poor man who is manipulated by the desire of wealth.

He wanted to enjoy the power. He is involved in the crime of cheating and stealing the electricity of
meters.Nawabdin facilitates corruption by this act. It is the power of wealth that urges him for
corruption, as George Orwell says in Animal Farm,
‘‘Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely’’

Passionate:
In this story it is shown that how lower class works to earning his living. Nawabdin Electrician in
hardworking and passionate fellow who did each and everything for the survival of his family. Even
he is involved in illegal work but beside this he came farm on his bicycle is conscious about his
hardships and tried to happy his vast family.

Conflict between upper and lower class:

In this story there is conflict between upper and lower class .K.K.Harouni is representative of rich,
feudal class. On the other hand, Nawabdin Electrician is from lower class and his desire is revealed
by motorcycle.
Fear of death:
In this story, it is shown that for the sake of money people can do anything. Especially in towns and
villages, the life of people is not secure like Nawabdin who is attacked by robbers. Everyone is afraid
of traveling at night time due to robbers. It was the bike of Nawabdin Electrician that has fascinated
others.
Status in society:
The most important theme that is discussed in this story is status. It is the status that maters a lot in
this society. Status is important than standard.

Nawabdin Electrician is a common man who is living a miserable life and has no value in his circus.
But money brings change in his status and people began to call him UNCLE after bike.

Humanity:
In this story, Daniyal Mueenodin shows that people have no emotional attachment and humanity in
this modern age. The act of robbers shows that people are just in search of money by every means.

The brutality of robbers at the time of shooting Nawabdin Electrician reflects this theme that
modern man is materialistic. It is a famous proverb that falls true about this theme, “I saw many
humans but not humanity”.
Marxism Criticism:
Nawabdin Electrician is exploited by feudal lord ,Harouni.He leads a miserable life under the
capitalist system while the landlord enjoys lavish life. In this way, it invites Marxist criticism because
of class distinction and unequal distribution of wealth.
Revenge:
Nawabdin Electrician‘s act of revenge can be seem as unfair act, but he took revenge for the sake of
his life as he was the protector of his family. Moreover, he also has begged for his life but robbers
did not care about it.So ,it can be inferred that he takes revenge by not forgiving him.
SETTING
This story is set in Punjab between Multan and Firoza.It throws light on the condition of labor class
and influence on modern life.
GENRE
The genre of “Nawabdin Electrician” is a short story that deals with the problems of Pakistani
Society.it is narrative about an electrician who is known for treacherous act of supplying electricity by
reducing electricity by meter.

Nawabdin Electrician Conclusion

Conclusively, the story Nawabdin Electrician by Daniyal Mueenuddin is beautifully and offers a to
look into the life in Pakistani which could be new strange to most of the western readers. However,
to some extent, it revolves around the humanity that we all ought to appreciate.

NAWABDIN ELECTRICIAN by Daniyal

Mueenuddin
The story titled Nawabdin Electrician written by Daniyal Mueenuddin is a narrative about an
electrician known as Nawabdin who is recognized and renowned for his treacherous acts of
assisting his neighbors and other villagers cheat the company supplying electricity by limiting the
electric meters revolutions as well as his abilities to repair anything using mango sap and a thick
piece of leather. He is a father of twelve girls, and he realizes that despite his success, he might not
be able to afford their dowry. He, therefore, comes up with a plan for acquiring a motorbike that
would help him cover more area and thus, receive more work. However, the idea fails, and he
almost loses his life.
The lies by Nawab comes up with indicate that he is not immune to the gratitude power. They play
a role in enhancing the theme of corruption and low development in the state. It suggests the
greed among individuals as well as their desire for wealth. With his passion for wealth and intent to
raise dowry, Nawab facilitates corruption and hinder development. This is stealing which is a vice
in any society. While the issue of fiddling and tampering with meters with the aim of stealing away
electricity may be standard, it shows the level of poverty in the community.

The lies also enhance the theme of hard work and passion. Nawab is determined to provide for his
vast family. He is therefore willing to cover more ground and serve more people with electricity as
well as repairing abilities. He is determined not to disappoint his family by failing to meet their
dowry needs and to cater for his basic family needs. The zeal to cover more ground is an indicator
of his willingness to work to his limits.

From another perspective, some cultural insights are evident throughout the narrative and focus
on its primary themes. While the world is made up of the first-world digital development and
modernity as well as the third-world role and indigence, Nawabdin is seen as a median of the two
extremes. Despite working for a landowner whose only care and area of concern were the issues
that revolved around him touching on his comfort and those which are of significant interest to
 him, Nawabdin is conscious of the hardships and situations his fellow countrymen were facing in
the impoverished country. This gave him more desire to assist them to cope with the
developments that would cost them more while furthering his cause.

Nawabdin is of metaphorical significance in the story as he thrived on the signature technique of

his ability to cheat the electric industry through slowed and limited revolution of the meters. The
words and diction used in the story paint Nawabdin as a local genius or savior as a result of his
crude innovation and improvisation. He is employed to represent a section of the Pakistan
community whose aim and the objective is clogging the progress and development wheel of
modernity. With the use of medicine-man like knowledge and prowess of mechanics, Nawabdin is
a businessman who can survive in Pakistan while at the same time living a workday which if viewed
from the air would appear aimless and pointless. The slipping of his motorcycle is an explicit
representation of what would happen to people like him in the post-industrial and digitized era.
This means that Nawabdin should not have lied but ought to have sort other means of taking care
of his family and meeting the dowry needs for his twelve daughters. This is because, despite
appearing to help people, he was after his gains and interests while facilitating social evils and
vices.

While the story explores the cutthroat and feudal community in which the wealthy landowner who
had employed Nawabdin lived, it is clear that it was survival of the fittest. It depicts a complex web
of patronage underlying the small society dominated by families, servants as well as opportunists.
Under such conditions, Nawabdin, who is an electrician, excels in his area of duty as well as at
home where he raises his twelve girls and a son through the use of his virtues of cunning and
ingenuity. These qualities which he had gained over time enable him to survive and triumph in the
society that is entrenched by poverty community as well as outlive the robber bent life which
would propel him to stealing to meet his needs as well as those of his family.

This, therefore, means that we ought not to blame Nawabdin for his desire and act of seeking
revenge against his attacker because he was on self-defense. Consequently, the attacker had
ruined a means that would allow him to cover more ground and hence earn more. He had used his
cunning skills to acquire it, and it pained him losing it. Furthermore, in a society ridden by social
ills, women tend to be the most vulnerable especially with the absence of family protection as well
as marriage ties. His failure and inadequacy to meet the needs of his family needs and pay his
daughters’ dowry would put them at risk in the society.

Conclusively, the story Nawabdin Electrician by Daniyal Mueenuddin is beautifully composed and
offers a small peep into the life in Pakistani which could seemingly be new and strange to most of the
western readers. However, to some extent, it resonates with and revolves around the humanity that we
all ought to appreciate.

Nawabdin Electrician Analysis

The story Nawabdin Electrician includes the conflicts between the lower class and higher class, the
poor and the rich, daily aspects of social revolution, and the fear of death and social hierarchy. The
protagonist Nawabdin is a contented handyman who reflects the most common life of people in lower
class. The motorcycle symbolizes Nawabdin’s social level. “The motorcycle increased his status, gave
him weight, so that people began calling him’uncle’, and asking his opinion on world affairs, about
which he knew absolutely nothing.” (Nawabdin Electrician,17 ) As a father who has twelve daughters,
life is somehow suffering for his family, and the motorcycle reveals his desire to his life. Despite of
poverty, Nawabdin still has a kind heart and eagerness to help his customers.” He flourished on a
signature capability, a technique for cheating the electric company by slowing down the revolutions of
the electric meters, so cunningly done that his customers could specify to the hundred-rupee note the
desired monthly savings. “(Nawabdin Electrician,13)

Nawabdin is a smart workman, but somehow he judges his motorcycle even more important than his
life. He does not give up his property easily. When he faces a robber, even though he gets shot, he still
tries to stand up and protects his own motorcycle. (24) The reasons of his action are complicated. One
of the reason is that if he loses his motorcycle, he cannot afford his 13-people family anymore.
Another reason which Nawabdin does not point out is that losing the motorcycle means losing his
social status made up by motorcycle. Nawabdin enjoys the feeling of being called “uncle”, and because
of his vanity, he almost loses his life. In contrast to Nawabdin, the robber is bad but pitiful. It is poverty
that forces him to plunder, and he has no choice. Poorness also contradicts the ethics in life. In short,
the story reflects the conflicts of humanidad and enlightens the readers to think more about life.