The Hindi Short Story Read In An Occidental Light

Abstract

Of all species of Indian literature the Hindi short story is the one most difficult to channelize. It stands apart from other Indian literatures and genres for its spontaneous multiplicity of themes and techniques. The pre- and post-Partition narratives, rustic romances, casteist and untouchability themes, agrarian tales, institutionalization of socio-political conflict, human virtues and avarice, injustices and the overall struggle for survival, and all the possible threads that make for individual introspection are presented in a reflective background. A majority of these stories are firmly rooted in realism and afford a microscopic examination of the core of the discourse.