Nationalism and Madness in Three Translated Stories Of Manto: Toba Tek Singh; The Dog of Tetwal; See, Kabira Cried

Abstract

The work of partition-affected and brutally honest Saadat Hasan Manto delves into existentialist theory, social justice, and the struggles of oppressed people. He questions accepted wisdom, explores the nuances of gender roles and human desire, and clarifies the issues surrounding mental illness. Studying Manto opens our eyes to a raw image of mankind that challenges social inequities and the intricacies of the human condition. This study explores the rapport between reality and madness that is recurrently found in literature from the olden days to the present. The eccentricities and prototype of mad genius push the writer to see and express the ruthless reality, and this can be seen in the work of tortured genii like Saadat Hassan Manto, Sahir Siddiqui, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Wolfgang Mozart, Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Allan, Kafka, and many others. This paper aims to analyze the content of three of Saadat Hassan Manto’s stories to see the nuances and association between madness and the cannibalistic actuality of nationalism during and after the partition. The qualitative method is used to analyze the content of the stories written by Manto. Descriptive and narratory research designs have been used to analyze the content of the stories. The study of his narrative reveals the desire to make a distinction between ‘ethnic’ and ‘civic’ nationalism. His writing was a creative and cathartic process for him where he was, at the same time, fighting with his inner and outer demons as well as producing timeless art. The way Manto exposes the pretense and canard of society through the ink of madness is remarkable.