Influence Of Manto's Stories On Sindhi Short Stories

Abstract

Literature is often the interpreter of societal issues, mores, culture and psychosocial tendencies. The 20th century was also a harbinger of the rapidly changing political landscape, from the Bolshevik Revolution of Russia to the Independence movements happening in much of the developing world, including South Asia, which inspired a different age of literature that depicted this new age reality. Saadat Hasan Manto is one such writer whose stories about the independence movement in India, it's partition into the modern republics of India and Pakistan portray the cultural, social, religious and political fault lines drawn in the aftermath of the Partition. Manto's stories have stood the test of time and continue to inspire contemporary writers working on similar issues. This article briefly analyzes the key themes of Manto's stories before discussing their impact on the writings of contemporary Sindhi literati.