Tell-tale tales of tragedy – a review of Scattered Souls (original) (raw)
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Literary Representations of Death and Affliction in the Selected Regional Indian Short Stories
International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews, 2018
The theme of death has been long illustrated in literary works, not only in novels, dramas and poetry but it is also intensively discussed in short stories. Indian short stories also demonstrate outstanding realism and deal with wide-ranging themes, being rooted in traditional Indian setup. The distinctive treatment of death and use of several images to portray death as an abstract force stands remarkably in Indian short stories. The present paper attempts to meticulously examine and critically analyze these images of death in selected Indian short stories. Human existence is a mystery, an unsolved riddle, a journey that begins with birth and ends with death. In the path of this expedition, different individuals search differently for the meaning of their lives and this ride through world makes life interesting and enjoyable. Nevertheless birth and death are omnipresent episodes of human life as all human beings take birth and are prone to death and decay. Death is an integral and inevitable part of life, an ultimate end of the journey through world. Frank and Judith McMahon voice that "we may have seen death, read about death, or even close to death, yet we have never died. Thus, we face the ultimate unknown, and the fact that our society refuses to admit that death is a natural process". A sense of insecurity and immortality is a common feeling that is mutually shared generally by all the human beings. Literature as an art is the portrayal of life itself so; the theme of death is inevitable from it.
Online Link: https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/opinion/soul-and-the-story/ Here is the most difficult issue for a writer: How to be both tender and lucid in encapsulating marginal voices in a majoritarian narrative? Such creed of writing is not only taxing but also full of tangible risks. Things become more daunting when one attempts to surface out those voices which are totally swayed and lost beneath the credence of hegemonic narratives. In such a milieu, reality is constructed by a single narrative which eventually becomes ubiquitous, dominating and dogmatic-leading to a further marginalization of already marginal voices. Interestingly, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a famous Nigerian novelist and short story writer warns us against, what she calls, "the danger of a single story". In a place-like our own Mouj Kasheer-where multi-layered structures of violence are perennially quotidian and where truths and lies have constantly floated without an anchor and the facade of 'appearance' is unflinchingly deemed as 'reality', storytelling about marginal voices becomes even more complex, convoluted and tiring. To portray marginal categories of narratives eloquently, one needs to have a brilliant ear for an individual voice and profound insight about how to weave pain and anguish in the cluster of words. Story after all, as Salman Rushdie meticulously reminds us in Joseph Anton, helps us to understand truths that cannot be accessed otherwise and also because they belong in an intimate way to each of us. This is precisely what a good storyteller does. With a remarkable finesse, he turns simple narratives into fabulous stories and weaves trite ordinary experiences into the very fabric of the universal human condition.
The crushed people in Iranian short stories today
The short story is called the "voice only," because the reader cannot can do imaginary nature with their. The common feature of the modern short story is due to the presence of " crushed characters ". These people have been crushed; have different challenges due to the damage of different cultural, in different cultures. These people are different of a writer to another writer and from generation to generation. Personality dimensions are very important of simplicity and complexity, or flat and round, development or lack of character development throughout the story and multidimensional nature of him which makes the occurrence of contradictory traits and makes him unpredictable. Four short stories are examined in this article that has enough obsessions in it to provide the correct pattern, and is classified the fictional characters in three. 1-The chance for revenge. 2-Persistent and futile attempts to understand the tragedy that occurred to them. 3-Escape from the humiliation of the absolute ruin.
Jammu and Kashmir have been a disputed territory between India and Pakistan since the sub-continent partition in 1947. The history of any conflict zone is filled with ambiguous, gloomy and unresolved stories that are the outcome of violence. Such conflict zone violence has severe results on the common masses, who are the silent victims of such conflict. The period of '1990s was the most horrendous in Kashmir when insurgency was at its peak. The sufferings and brutalities evoked literary writings where the indigenous writers tell the painful past from the suppressed people's perspectives, which are otherwise not recorded in the nationalist narratives. Women are the silent sufferers of any conflict, and women in Kashmir are the most victimized. Over the last three decades, the Kashmiri women have undergone severe trauma; their sons have been killed, their children orphaned, husbands disappeared. This paper attempts to analyze selected short stories from Shahnaz Bashir's Scattered souls where he retells and recounts pathos and loss of women caught up in the conflict of Kashmir. These narratives are recorded as history seen and experienced by Kashmir's who have been silenced and marginalized.
The Complete Short Stories of Tariq Rahman
The Complete Short Stories of Tariq Rahman, 2024
This is the complete collection of my short stories written originally in English and published in the same language in three collections between the 1980s to 2002. As some of them are taught at various levels (bachelors, masters, research etc.) in Pakistan and read in other countries, I have arranged them in a chronological order so that researchers on post-colonial creative writing in English may study the evolution of my literary style. Some short stories, written from 2022 to 2024, have never been published and are appearing for the first time. To remind the readers, when my book A History of Pakistani Literature in English first appeared in 1991, there were no histories of the subject and this literature was not taught as a discipline anywhere in Pakistan. Nowadays, it is taught at various levels and is a popular subject of research by students at the M. Phil and Ph. D levels. Also, there are many novelists, poets and writers in other genres who have attained international fame. This collection of short stories is dedicated to them. Tariq Rahman 11 March 2024
Stories Varied - A book of short stories
Stories Varied delve into the possibilities of woman’s life in the man’s world. While Ilaa’s Ire takes one back to woman’s life and times in the Vedic age, ‘200’ Qualms depicts her predicament when torn between trust and duty. If “?” addresses woman’s marital stress in an alien land, Cupid’s Clue is about her acting on a rebound in the native place. Even as Autumn Love enables a woman to discover the void late in life, A Touchy Affair renders her amenable to her man’s other woman well in time. Just as Love’s How’s That inflames her old flame, A Hearty Turn brings the female lesbian leanings to the fore. As Love Jihad bridges lovers’ religious divide with a secular plank, Tenth Nook creates a marital gulf on the material plane. If Eleventh Hour is about woman’s lust for love, Twelfth Tale underscores her quest for power. Book Review by Melissa Tanaka for Readers' Favorite - "Stories Varied: A Book of Short Stories is a wonderful collection written by BS Murthy. The stories focus on the avenues women must go through in order to succeed in a world that favors the male point of view, whether it is in regard to love, marriage, or simply a woman’s own sense of self and independence. Murthy utilizes both first person and third person points of view, extending the overwhelming emotions of the characters onto readers with varying degrees, depending on which perspective is used, and proving them to be successful in both. One thing I really liked about Stories Varied was that the stories were incredibly diverse, taking readers back in time to a small rural village called Sauviragram or staying more modern day with a drink at Starbucks. Although the influx of characters and settings that change from story to story can be somewhat confusing, Murthy’s rich descriptions help readers make an easier transition from one story to the next. Some of my favorite stories include Cupid’s Clue, which is about a woman who is afraid her husband is having an affair and seeks revenge by beginning an affair of her own. Murthy’s dialogue shines especially in this story, relaying the conversation in a way that is both entertaining and realistic. In addition, Eleventh Hour is about a woman who has fallen for a man, only to discover that he has a wife she knew nothing about, and the chaos that follows, even some years down the road." This book is Dedicated to readers - past, present, future, of my body of work, in full or in part(s).
Venturing Through the Paradoxical Perceptions of Life and Death: Outlook in a Folktale
Perception of Happiness And Sadness. Introduction Vijaydan Detha (1926-2013) remains a perennial fragrance of Rajasthan"s Oral Traditions. He has accomplished the herculean task to collect more than a thousand oral folk narratives and reform them with his intellectual literary fervour. His fourteen volume masterpiece Baatan ri Phulwadi remains a precious treasure of his valuable contribution to the world of literature. Detha"s works have inspired both the silver screen and theatre performances as they are enriched with ever relevant themes and profound spiritual impact. The Limit is a tale from his vast collections that delves into the perplexities of human mind over the conceptions of existence, life, happiness quotient, death and aftermath. Aim of the Study The study applies an interdisciplinary approach within the sphere of English Literature and aims to explore the philosophical vision of oral traditions. The Limit In our desire for eternal life we pray our eternity of...