TRAUMA LITERATURE AND COLONIAL VIOLENCE: A POSTCOLONIAL ANALYSIS OF MANTO’S A SPECTACLE

Abstract

Trauma literature serves as a powerful medium to convey the brutality of colonialism, depicting the scars inflicted upon entire communities, cultures, and families. The perpetuation of colonial violence has led to profound human suffering, necessitating an examination of the lasting impact of colonialism on individual and collective identities. While significant scholarly attention has been devoted to analyzing the story in the light of Pre-Partition violence, there is a limited focus on exploring A Spectacle through the theoretical framework of colonial violence and how it serves as a piece of trauma Literature. Therefore, through the use of qualitative approach, this study aims to theoretically examine Saadat Hasan Manto’s A Spectacle using Frantz Fanon’s theory of Violence and identify its elements of trauma literature by analyzing the emotional and psychological wounds caused by colonial violence. The findings of the study reveal Saadat Hasan Manto’s short story A Spectacle as an example of trauma literature, portraying the haunting impacts of colonial violence on individual and collective identities.