Torn Hearts and Bleeding Populace: A True Reflection of Partition in Train To Pakistan

Abstract

The various genres of literature, especially novels, serve different purposes. Many people read them in order to escape from troubled times. But there are also novels that portray stark realities, not just the simple ones, but also those general realities that we share with other people. Such realistic novels give us a better idea about ourselves as belonging to a group, sharing common worries, threats, achievements etc. This article is an analysis of such a realistic novel - Khushwant Singh's Train to Pakistan, a novel set in India following its independence and partition. The author explores the impact of partition in the lives of individuals who were affected by it. These individuals represent all the common folks of India and Pakistan during the time of partition. The author doesn't try to omit details of violence and horror, nor does he soften the gravity of the events in his narration. Clearly, his aim is to give a more realistic picture, not just a general outline, of the socio - political impacts of partition. He digs more into the individual level, but at no point the reader feels that it's someone else's story. The article looks at how Train to Pakistan is a socio - realistic novel that has the power to help readers see the unpleasant realities consequent of the independence and the partition of India.