Mapping inequality: A Marxist analysis of Kamila Shamsie’s Kartography

Ali, Huzaifa (2025) Mapping inequality: A Marxist analysis of Kamila Shamsie’s Kartography. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 25 (2). pp. 1704-1711. ISSN 2581-9615

This study aims to analyze Kamla Shamsie’s novel Kartography through a Marxist lens by unraveling the socioeconomic structures, the class dynamics, and the various cultural contexts that shape the story. The setting of the novel is Karachi which becomes a microcosm exploring broader Marxist elements of power, inequality, and the impact of globalization. The article will focus on the characters of Karim and Raheen who are the representatives of the privileged class of Karachi. Their life helps to reveal economic structures that help to extend their privileged lifestyle. It probes into the struggles of the proletariat shown in the novel, providing a deeper understanding of the various class conflicts deeply rooted in Karachi’s social structure. Moreover, the study will explore the impact of globalization on the city, using Marxist elements of Imperialism and the concept of economic hegemony. It delves into the influence of external forces deeply rooted in the landscape of Karachi and its dire ramifications on the lives of individuals, focusing on the disparate power dynamics intrinsic to the world capital system. Lastly, through a Marxist perspective, this article will illuminate how ‘Kartography’ presents itself as a literary piece of work, focusing on socioeconomic inequality, class struggles, and the cultural evolution present in the context of Karachi, provides a complex understanding of the social entanglements shown in Shamsie’s narrative.