A Study of Indian English novel and short stories

Maharanishree Nandkuvarba Mahila Arts and Commarce College 

Name : Chudasama Diptiba Pravinsinh 

Year : T.Y.B.A. (2025-26)

Semester : 6

Roll No. : 05

Subject : English 

Paper Name : A Study of Indian English novel and short stories 

Class Assignment : Character Of Short Stories 

Home Assignment : 1)Toba tek Singh 

2) Lihaaf 
Eassy : that long silence by shashi despande 

Submission Date : 17/2/2026

Class Assignment 

1.Toba Tek Singh 

1) Bishan Singh 

Situation:

Bishan Singh is a Sikh inmate in a mental asylum during the Partition of India. The governments of India and Pakistan decide to exchange lunatics according to their religion. Bishan Singh becomes confused because no one can tell him whether his hometown, Toba Tek Singh, is in India or Pakistan.

Reaction:

He refuses to accept the meaningless division of land. He keeps standing on his feet, muttering strange words, and repeatedly asks about Toba Tek Singh. His reaction shows silent protest, emotional pain, and deep attachment to his homeland.

2.Lihaaf

1) Begum Jan

Situation:

Begum Jan is married to Nawab Saheb, who ignores her emotional and physical needs. She lives a lonely life in a large house, restricted by social rules and patriarchy.

Reaction:

Due to loneliness and neglect, Begum Jan seeks emotional comfort and companionship in her servant Rabbo. This relationship becomes her way of surviving isolation.

2) Rabbo

Situation:

Rabbo is Begum Jan’s servant, living in close proximity to her mistress. She observes Begum Jan’s loneliness and emotional suffering.

Reaction:

Rabbo provides care, attention, and companionship to Begum Jan. She becomes emotionally and physically close to her, filling the emptiness in Begum Jan’s life.

3)The Narrator (Young Girl)

Situation:

The narrator is a young girl who stays in Begum Jan’s house. She witnesses strange movements under the quilt but does not fully understand them.

Reaction:

She reacts with fear, curiosity, and confusion. Her innocent perspective highlights the secrecy of adult relationships.

3. The Night of the full moon 

1)Malan 

Situation:

Malan is a Sikh woman living during the time of Partition. Communal violence creates fear and insecurity in her life, especially concerning the safety of her daughter, Minnie.

Reaction:

Driven by fear and emotional breakdown, Malan reacts irrationally. Her maternal instincts turn tragic under the pressure of hatred and violence.

2)Minni 

Situation:

Minnie is a young, innocent girl living in a time of communal unrest.

Reaction:

She does not react with hatred or fear; her innocence remains untouched by violence.

4. The night train at Deoli 

1) The Young Boy (Narrator)

Situation:

The young boy is a college student who travels by night train and stops briefly at Deoli railway station. There he meets a poor basket-seller girl.

Reaction:

He feels an instant emotional attraction towards the girl. He waits eagerly to see her again on every journey but never gathers the courage to speak openly about his feelings.

2) The Basket-Seller Girl

Situation:

The basket-seller girl lives a poor life and sells baskets at Deoli railway station to earn her living.

Reaction:

She responds with quiet interest and gentle warmth towards the boy. She stands silently, watching the train and waiting for a brief human connection.

5.How I taught my grandmother to read 

1) The Grandmother (Avva)

Situation:

Avva is an elderly woman who is illiterate and depends on others to read stories to her, especially the novel 'Kashi Yatre'. When her granddaughter goes away, she feels helpless.

Reaction:

She decides to learn reading and writing despite her age. With strong determination and daily practice, she learns the Kannada alphabet.

2) The Narrator (Granddaughter)

Situation:

The narrator is a young girl who reads stories to her grandmother and later becomes her teacher.

Reaction:

She patiently teaches her grandmother to read and supports her with love and respect.

3) Triveni (Author of Kashi Yatre)

Situation:

Triveni is a popular writer whose novel Kashi Yatre deeply influences Avva.

Reaction:

Through her writing, she inspires elderly women and highlights social issues related to women and education.

4) The Old Lady in Kashi Yatre

Situation:

The old lady in the novel Kashi Yatre wishes to go on a pilgrimage to Kashi but is prevented by family responsibilities.

Reaction:

She donates her savings to help a poor girl’s marriage, sacrificing her own desire.

6. Karma

1) Sir Mohan Lal

Situation:

Sir Mohan Lal is an Indian man who is highly anglicized and ashamed of his own culture. He dislikes his Indian wife and believes that adopting British manners makes him superior.

Reaction:

He ignores his wife Lachmi and chooses to travel alone in the first-class compartment, trying to behave like an English gentleman.

2) Lachmi

Situation:

Lachmi is Sir Mohan Lal’s traditional Indian wife who loves simple pleasures and chewing paan.

Reaction:

She remains calm and accepts her situation without protest. She continues to live comfortably in her own way.

Home Assignment 

1. Toba Tek Singh – Saadat Hasan Manto

🔷 Summary

“Toba Tek Singh” is set during the Partition of India in 1947. The story takes place in a mental asylum where lunatics are to be exchanged between India and Pakistan according to their religion. Bishan Singh, a Sikh inmate, repeatedly asks whether his hometown Toba Tek Singh lies in India or Pakistan. No one gives him a clear answer. In the end, when forced to choose a country, he refuses and dies in the no-man’s land between the two nations.

🔷 Time and Society

The story is set during the Partition of India, one of the most traumatic events in Indian history. Society was divided on the basis of religion, leading to violence, mass migration, and psychological breakdown. People lost homes, families, and their sense of identity.

🔷 Social Problems of the Time

▪️Communal hatred

▪️Forced migration

▪️Identity crisis

▪️Meaningless political divisions

The Partition turned ordinary people into victims of decisions taken by politicians.

🔷 Origin of the Story

Saadat Hasan Manto personally witnessed the horrors of Partition. He was disturbed by how politics destroyed human lives. Through this story, Manto wanted to show that the division of land was illogical and inhuman.

🔷 Reflection of Society in the Story

The mental asylum represents society itself. The so-called “mad” inmates speak more sense than politicians. Bishan Singh’s confusion reflects the pain of millions who did not understand why they were uprooted from their land.

🔷 Conclusion 

“Toba Tek Singh” is not just a story about Partition but a powerful comment on the madness of society itself.

 2. Lihaaf ( Quilt ) Ismat chugtai 
 

🔷 Summary

“Lihaaf” is narrated by a young girl who stays in Begum Jan’s house. Begum Jan is married to Nawab Saheb, who neglects her. Lonely and emotionally starved, Begum Jan develops a close relationship with her servant Rabbo. The narrator senses strange movements under the quilt but does not fully understand them. The quilt becomes a symbol of secrecy and suppressed desires.

🔷 Time and Society

The story is set in a conservative, patriarchal society before Independence. Women were expected to be silent, obedient, and emotionally suppressed. Their desires were ignored and considered shameful.

🔷 Social Problems of the Time

 ▪️Patriarchy

 ▪️Suppression of women’s emotions

 ▪️Silence around female sexuality

 ▪️Hypocrisy of upper-class society

Men enjoyed freedom while women lived confined lives.

🔷 Origin of the Story

Ismat Chughtai wrote “Lihaaf” to expose the hidden realities of women’s lives. At that time, writing about female desire was considered immoral. She challenged social taboos and gave voice to suppressed women.

🔷 Reflection of Society in the Story

Begum Jan’s loneliness reflects the emotional neglect faced by many women. Rabbo represents silent support within oppression. The quilt symbolizes how society hides uncomfortable truths instead of addressing them.

🔷 Conclusion

“Lihaaf” is a bold and realistic portrayal of women’s inner lives and remains relevant even today.

Essay 

That Long silence by Shashi Deshpande 

 “When silence takes over your life, breaking it becomes an act of survival.”

🔷 Introduction 

Shashi Deshpande’s That Long Silence explores how silence, often adopted as a means of survival, gradually becomes a form of self-erasure. Through Jaya’s emotional journey, the novel reveals the psychological, social, and personal costs of suppressing one’s voice within marriage and society.

🔷 Jaya’s Life: A Reader’s Reflection

As a reader, I experience Jaya’s deep emotional isolation throughout the novel. She longs to speak, yet there is no one willing to listen to her. Her silence is not sudden; it is carefully cultivated over years of emotional neglect and self-restraint. Jaya herself admits that she has lived by the rule that “a woman should keep the silence,” revealing how deeply this belief has shaped her life.

Ironically, when Kusum seeks emotional support and wishes to express her pain, Jaya withdraws from her, unwilling to listen. Later, Jaya finds herself trapped in the same position of silence and neglect. This parallel becomes a moment of self-awareness. Jaya realises that silence harms not only the speaker, but also the listener who refuses to engage. Through this recognition, she understands that every individual has the right to speak, to live freely, and to question imposed roles.

🔷 Marriage as a Metaphor of Constraint

Jaya’s relationship with Mohan reflects a pattern of one-way communication. Mohan is eager to speak, justify, and explain his actions, but when it comes to listening, he merely hears without understanding Jaya’s emotional needs. Their marriage lacks emotional reciprocity.

Jaya compares their relationship to “a pair of bullocks yoked together,” a powerful metaphor suggesting forced togetherness. When the bullocks attempt to move in different directions, pain becomes inevitable. This image exposes the social reality of marriage, where separation is neither simple nor painless. Jaya realises that walking away is not an easy solution, yet remaining in silence is equally destructive. Marriage thus becomes a space of endurance rather than mutual fulfilment.

🔷 Jaya As a ideal wife 

When Jaya marries Mohan, he renames her Suhasini, a name that reflects the ideal image he desires in his wife. Suhasini represents obedience, cheerfulness, and silence—qualities that suit Mohan’s expectations. By accepting this name, Jaya attempts to mould herself into the role of the ideal wife.

However, in becoming Suhasini, Jaya gradually suppresses her true self. The ideal wife identity demands the sacrifice of her individuality, creativity, and emotional voice. Jaya later realises that maintaining this role has meant losing her identity as a thinking, feeling human being. Her journey in the novel is, therefore, not only about breaking silence, but also about reclaiming the self that was buried under the role of the ideal wife.

🔷 Giving Up Writing: Silence Beyond Speech

One of the most significant forms of Jaya’s silence is her abandonment of writing. Writing once gave her identity and emotional release, but she gradually gives it up to fit into the role of the ideal, non-threatening wife. Silence, therefore, extends beyond speech into creativity.

By suppressing her writing, Jaya suppresses her authentic self. She fears that her independent voice might disturb domestic harmony or challenge Mohan’s authority. Her decision to speak at the end of the novel symbolically suggests the possibility of reclaiming both her voice and her creative identity.

🔷 Mohan’s Social Image Anxiety

Mohan’s behaviour is shaped by his intense anxiety about social respectability. He fears failure, judgement, and loss of status, and therefore prioritises image over emotional connection. His need to appear successful and responsible governs his decisions.

Jaya’s silence unintentionally supports this anxiety. By not questioning him, she helps maintain the illusion of a stable family and a competent husband. However, this comes at the cost of her emotional well-being. Mohan is not portrayed as purely cruel, but as a man trapped by societal expectations, which further complicates Jaya’s silence.

🔷 Childhood Trauma and Emotional Insecurity

Jaya’s silence is rooted in her childhood. She was deeply attached to her father, who encouraged her to think, speak, and write freely. He treated her as an individual with a voice, providing her with emotional security.

His sudden death becomes her first major trauma. Unable to accept his loss, Jaya develops a fear of darkness and loneliness. This early experience teaches her withdrawal rather than expression, shaping her later response to emotional conflict and loss.

🔷 Questioning Identity and Patriarchy

Jaya’s feminist awareness emerges early in her questioning of the family tree. When she is told that she no longer belongs to her parental family after marriage, she questions why the kakis, who belong to the family through marriage, are also excluded from the family lineage.

This incident exposes a patriarchal system in which lineage is traced only through men. Women, whether born into or married into a family, remain invisible and unacknowledged, reinforcing their silence and marginalisation.

 🔷 Jaya’s Self-Realisation

Jaya ultimately realises that she herself has participated in sustaining her silence. She stopped questioning Mohan not because she agreed with him, but because she feared disagreement and emotional disruption. Although she never accepted Mohan’s claim that he alone did everything for the family, she never openly challenged it.

She assumed that Mohan would not accept her opinions and feared his anger followed by emotional withdrawal. Choosing silence over confrontation, she gradually lost her sense of self. This leads to a painful recognition: her suffering is shaped not only by Mohan’s dominance, but also by her own compliance.

🔷 Conclusion

That Long Silence presents silence not as virtue or patience, but as a gradual erasure of identity. Jaya’s journey demonstrates how silence, initially chosen for survival, becomes emotional imprisonment. When silence takes over one’s life, breaking it becomes an act of survival. By choosing to speak at the end of the novel, Jaya does not promise happiness, but she reclaims her right to exist, to create, to question, and to be heard.

🔷 Reference 

▪️ Deshpande Shashi, that long silence