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Language and Trauma of Partition : A Review of Hazra’s Poststructural
lens on Manto’s works
Amina Ali (24252161003)
MS English (regular session 2024-26)
Research Methodology
Dr. Tahira Khanam
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Language and Trauma of Partition : A Review of Hazra's Poststructural
lens on Manto’s works
Introduction :
Mousumi Hazra is the author of the research paper “Remembering the Trauma of
Partition in Sadaat Hasan Manto’s Fictional Works: A Poststructural Critique”. He is a
member of English Department of the University of North Bengal, India.
This review analyses the argument of Hazra that partition stories of Sadat Hassan
Manto – namely “Ten Rupees”, “The Return” and “Toba Tek Singh” – embody the inability
of language to convey trauma. The author has utilised poststructuralism and trauma theory
analysis (particularly from Jacques Derrida, Giorgio Agamben, Cathy Caruth and Urvashi
Butalia) to debate that testimonies of partition are always partial and incomplete. This review
examines the mentioned research in terms of its argument, content, application of theory and
the discussion of it’s limitations.
Discussion :
The paper explores how language fails or succeeds in articulating partition trauma.
The study investigates the disrupted and repressed testimonies of victims of violence. Hazra
analysed fiction as a place where silence and collapse of language expresses trauma more
than historical fact.
The author emphasized that fragmented narration is a core aspect of trauma literature
as trauma doesn’t always find its way into words. Cathy Caruth idea that trauma emerges
with a temporal delay has been utilised. Giorgio Agamben and Jacques Derrida on the other
hand argued that testimonies are often lacking as a narrator can never entirely express his
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experience through words. Urvashi Butalia exclaimed that testimonies never equate to
complete truths as memory is fragmented and influenced by trauma.
The study argues that Manto’s works often portray the tension between experience
and narration. “Khol Do” is about a rape survivor named Sakina. The author proposes that
Sakina’s trauma unveils when she is told to “open it (window)” but she opens her waistband
instead of the window. Her gestures have replaced speech, depicting the collapse of language.
The study debates that in “Ten Rupees” Sarita’s refusal to take money she earned through
services conveys the everyday exploitation which has become invisible and unspoken. The
focus then shifts to main character of “Toba Tek Singh”, Bishan Singh, who resides in a
mental asylum. Linguistic paralysis can be observed in the story through Bishan Singh’s
gibberish locution and his standing on no-man’s land.
The approach to analyse the trauma of Manto’s characters through language paralysis
is both novel and sensitive. The core idea of the thesis is that testimony of partition is present
in silence, gestures and speech. The paper presents language as unreliable yet necessary tool.
A clear distinction is drawn between complete and pseudo-witness. Furthermore, the
employment of theoretical ideas enriches the interpretation of literary text.
While the utilisation of theories is impressive, yet some critical ideas (Derrida’s idea
of perjury or Agamben’s concept of pseudo-witness) related to theory require simpler
explanation for clarity. Even though the author has explicitly stated the risks of employing
Western theory on South Asian texts, yet the exploration of indigenous traumatic responses
and local cultural aspects are lacking. At times, the reading feels overly Western. Repetition
and Redundancy of the concept of failure of language can be observed. The information
could have been condensed in order to make the argument more impactful. An elaborate
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discussion on the stylistic aspects (irony, humour, narration and tone) of Manto’s writing
would have made the paper more appealing.
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Conclusion :
Overall, the research paper presents a thought provoking argument. It has deeply
analysed partition trauma in Manto’s fiction by exploring the use and failure of language. The
theoretical application. The addition of cultural context and a well defined structure would
make the argument compelling and balanced.
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Works Cited
Hazra, Mousumi. “Remembering the Trauma of Partition in Sadaat Hasan Manto’s Fictional
Works: A Poststructural Critique.” SCHOLARS: Journal of Arts & Humanities, vol. 7,
no. 1, 17 Feb. 2025, pp. 61–69. Nepjol, https://doi.org/10.3126/sjah.v7i1.75677.
