Trauma and Bodies: A Study of ‘Traumatic Neurosis' in Saadat Hasan Manto's “Toba Tek Singh” and “The Return”

Saadat Hasan Manto is a story teller and one of the best Urdu writers of South Asia. The realistic and robust portrayal of the events in his works made him the most controversial writer of his times. The themes of his works revolve around the dehumanizing effect of partition, communal riots, emotional breakdown, struggle for free-nation, plight of the marginalized etc. Manto's short stories are deeply concerned with the serious repercussions of partition. His stories speak about how partition leads to serious mental disorders? Manto's stories namely “Toba Tek Singh” and “The Return” recalls the darkest chapter of Indian history which led to the migration and interchange of millions of people across border. The partition phase was marked by brutal activities forced upon by the political forces which created havoc on the personal, emotional and intellectual fronts. This paper deals with the trauma theory which includes the study of the psychological, philosophical, aesthetic and ethical representation of trauma in fiction. Trauma theory helps us to read the wounds afflicted on to the characters during the time of crisis in literature. One of the most common disorder with which millions of people suffered during partition is PTSD (Posttraumatic stress disorder). The short stories “Toba Tek Singh” and “The Return” depicts trauma in its true sense which consequently leaves the reader despondent and jittery. Manto attempts to preserve the collective memories of catastrophe in his works.