Literary Representation of Trauma and Displacement after the Partition of India in Indian English Fiction
Author : Dr. Gajanan Malviya
Abstract :
This research paper examines the literary representation of trauma and displacement in Indian English fiction following the 1947 Partition of India. The division of the Indian subcontinent resulted in the largest mass migration in human history, affecting approximately 18 million people and causing between 500,000 and 2 million deaths. While official histories often focus on political timelines and border negotiations, this study explores how fiction captures the "interior history" of the event. By analysing recurring motifs such as the "Partition train" and the "unhomely" domestic space, the paper illustrates how novelists document the psychological breakdown of individuals and the collapse of communal harmony.
The study utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating trauma theory, post-memory studies, and quantitative data from contemporary digital archives. It highlights the gendered nature of Partition violence, noting that nearly 100,000 women faced abduction and social rejection. Furthermore, the paper discusses the transgenerational legacy of 1947, showing how "post-memory" continues to shape the identity of the third generation. The research concludes that Indian English fiction acts as a vital cultural archive. It preserves the silences of the marginalized and offers a path toward empathy by universalizing the human experience of loss. Through this analysis, the paper proves that the Partition is not a closed chapter of the past but a living psychological reality that continues to define the South Asian consciousness.
Keywords :
Partition Literature, Trauma Theory, Displacement, Indian English Fiction, Post-memory, Communal Violence, Transgenerational Trauma.
