Spatializing Crime in Omar Shahid Hamid’s The Prisoner (2013): A Lefebvrian Analysis

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial dynamics of urban crime in Omar Shahid Hamid’s The Prisoner (2013) through the lens of Henri Lefebvre’s theory of The Production of Space. The study argues that Karachi, far from being a passive backdrop, emerges in the novel as an active force that shapes and sustains criminality. Using Lefebvre’s triadic model of perceived, conceived, and lived spaces, the analysis demonstrates how prisons, checkpoints, elite neighborhoods, and slums embody the contradictions of urban modernity. Perceived spaces reveal how physical geography such as checkpoints and prison walls enable corruption and violence rather than suppressing them. Conceived spaces expose how politicians, planners, and law enforcement institutions project illusions of order but reinforce dysfunction through patronage and collusion. Lived spaces highlight the psychological and symbolic dimensions of urban experience, showing how fear, alienation, and insecurity define everyday life in Karachi. The findings situate Hamid’s narrative within the broader tradition of global urban crime fiction while also highlighting its uniquely Pakistani dimensions. Unlike the rational resolution of crime in Sherlock Holmes’ London, the disillusionment of American noir, or the allegorical dystopia of Gotham City, Karachi in The Prisoner embodies ethnic fragmentation, terrorism, and systemic law enforcement collapse. These features position Pakistani crime fiction as a vital contribution to the genre, offering an insider’s account of how urban space itself produces illegality. The paper contributes to literary studies by foregrounding the role of space in crime narratives, to urban sociology by illustrating the criminogenic nature of neglected environments, and to criminology by revealing how institutions perpetuate rather than resolve corruption. The study concludes by suggesting future avenues of research, including comparative work with other Karachi narratives, spatial mapping projects, and interdisciplinary collaborations between literary and social sciences.