Turmoil and the Ensuing Stories of Saadat Hasan Manto
Sanjeed Mohammed H Schamnad
Kumar S Bhattacharya
HSS F316- Popular literature and culture of South Asia
BITS-Pilani
15th April, 2013
Turmoil and the ensuing Stories of Saadat Hasan Manto
Saadat Hasan Manto’s works portrays the darkness of the human psyche, as values continuously plummeted during the Partition. His works, released during the dark social climate of post-partition Indian subcontinent reflected an innate sense of human helplessness towards darkness that prevailed in society. The tragedy of partition is brought into focus by his works. Manto’s life and works serve as a mirror to capture the human element of sectarian conflict in the final decades and immediate aftermath of the British Raj. This paper draws on Manto’s stories, characters and incidents to paint an image of the Indian subcontinent during partition and to personify its devastating toll.
The 20th century will always be remembered for two major catastrophical events, the Holocaust during the Second World War and then the proceedings closer to home, the Partition in India. These events of the past have been shaping the ideology and thinking of several generations both in India and around the world. Contemporary literature written in various Indian languages possesses many a masterpiece which has taken inspiration from these historical events. To clearly understand the ideology and thinking behind each character and their story, it is important to know about Manto’s life. Manto was born into a middle class Kashmiri family of Amritsar. Even as a child, Manto was a rebel, questioning what others took for granted; his father scoffed at the idea of him taking up writing, he wanted Manto to become a lawyer as his brothers. His hometown of Amritsar was the hub of revolutionary thoughts during those days, he was deeply motivated by these. It was here, in the spring of 1919, when Manto was seven years old, that a British general had opened fire on some twenty thousand Indians gathered in a
Kumar S Bhattacharya
HSS F316- Popular literature and culture of South Asia
BITS-Pilani
15th April, 2013
Turmoil and the ensuing Stories of Saadat Hasan Manto
Saadat Hasan Manto’s works portrays the darkness of the human psyche, as values continuously plummeted during the Partition. His works, released during the dark social climate of post-partition Indian subcontinent reflected an innate sense of human helplessness towards darkness that prevailed in society. The tragedy of partition is brought into focus by his works. Manto’s life and works serve as a mirror to capture the human element of sectarian conflict in the final decades and immediate aftermath of the British Raj. This paper draws on Manto’s stories, characters and incidents to paint an image of the Indian subcontinent during partition and to personify its devastating toll.
The 20th century will always be remembered for two major catastrophical events, the Holocaust during the Second World War and then the proceedings closer to home, the Partition in India. These events of the past have been shaping the ideology and thinking of several generations both in India and around the world. Contemporary literature written in various Indian languages possesses many a masterpiece which has taken inspiration from these historical events. To clearly understand the ideology and thinking behind each character and their story, it is important to know about Manto’s life. Manto was born into a middle class Kashmiri family of Amritsar. Even as a child, Manto was a rebel, questioning what others took for granted; his father scoffed at the idea of him taking up writing, he wanted Manto to become a lawyer as his brothers. His hometown of Amritsar was the hub of revolutionary thoughts during those days, he was deeply motivated by these. It was here, in the spring of 1919, when Manto was seven years old, that a British general had opened fire on some twenty thousand Indians gathered in a