Dr.Mushtaque B Barq
A short story is a work of fiction that concentrates on a single event, character, or theme. It explores a moment of crisis and conflict. Since this is a fiction work, a writer experiments a lot, and that is what makes this genre a pulsating one. In this paper, I won’t repeat what has already been written about this genre, but my interest is to connect this genre with regional literature.
From our school days to university, we have been reading a lot of European literature, and that has impacted our own indigenous literature to a large extent. As a student of literature, it has been seen that a chasm has been created either by the overinfluence of the West on any regional literature or by following the convention that was set, keeping the past scenario into consideration. Now that regional literature is emerging as a substitution, we all have a role to promote it sincerely.
If we keep talking about short stories, this module can play a pivotal role in shaping regional literature by capturing the essence of a particular geographic domain, its people, culture, heritage, language, and traditions. These serious narratives can provide a much-needed space for expressing regional identities, conflicts, social issues, and personal experiences. This tool is rich enough to boost regional literature by preserving, disseminating, and exchanging the regional narrative at the global level, thereby bridging a gap that for centuries has only been deepened.
Regional short stories are reflections of local life that focus on the day-to-day experiences, customs, and social fabric of a particular region. These short stories can hold on its strong wings the existing folklore, local festivals, rituals, besides the local setting, and above all, the voice of the masses. Authors have a role to reinterpret the regional oral tradition and make it pertinent and relevant to contemporary readers. This way a fiction writer, most often people of other genres of literature, believes that fiction is devoid of truth, which certainly can be easily challenged for the reason that characters may be fictitious but the themes are purely based on true experiences. So this is truth spoken by made-up characters.
Talking about the scope of short stories, the author can widen his canvas by applying regional dialects, slang, idioms, and other linguistic diversities. So the fiction writer can play a double role, at least to say, in promoting his regional language. He can revive the language in addition to connecting it with other cultures and take a leap to register his locale with that of a global audience.
Regional literature in particular reflects the culture of the place; therefore, culture and literature are integral parts of a system we call society. The relation between them is associated with realities because literature is generally derived from society and written to benefit it. A fiction writer, for that matter of fact, fulfills the various requirements of society, may they be physical, spiritual, social, political, or literary.
Every state has its own unique platform to represent its writers; similarly In Kashmir, there are so many literary organisations that work to promote regional literature, and one such organisation is the Fiction Writers’ Guild, which is a workshop in its texture where fiction writers read their stories to add up in regional literature. The Fiction Writers’ Guild of Kashmir is a momentous literary organisation devoted to the content and improvement of fiction writing within the region. In a region known for its unparalleled linguistic and cultural heritage, such organisations play an essential part in conserving and boosting indigenous narratives. The Fiction Writers’ Guild of Kashmir is a momentous literary organisation devoted to the content and improvement of fiction writing within the region. In a region known for its unparalleled linguistic and cultural heritage, such organisations play an essential part in conserving and boosting indigenous narratives. The FWG offers space to emerging writers and receives constructive feedback and guidance for their betterment. The interaction between writers and listeners not only sharpens the writing skills but also builds a sense of community among local writers. The local writers, through their narratives, engage listeners and address their social, political, and cultural needs, thus connecting contemporary issues through fiction, which in reciprocity serves as an important medium for the expressing the complexities of identity, conflict, resilience, and daily life in Kashmir.
There are numerous fiction writers who have carved out niches for themselves, whether they are affiliated with FWG or not. In the context of regional literature we have Shafi Ahmad, a writer transitioned from English literature to Kashmiri literature . With the changing times, he has realised that his contribution in Kashmiri is much needed. Keeping in view , his endeavour has resulted in an anthology of Kashmiri short stories titled: Nagbal, a collection of twenty two short stories on various themes. Before delving into his writing style, there are a few things to keep in mind, such as story craft, style, and the overall impact of the story. A particularly interesting study reveals that Leo Tolstoy would often criticize Anton Chekhov’s stories for being incomplete or lacking profound substance. However, Chekhov effectively countered this claim by pointing out that life itself does not always provide conclusions, and this realism should be reflected in fiction as well. Critiquing a story requires deep insight into the writer’s state of mind and an understanding of the characters moving across the narrative canvas. Analysing a story is a serious task, and care must be taken to base opinions on careful consideration rather than personal biases or literary dominance. Opinions vary and must be given due respect, but every opinion should be supported with details to prove its worth. Take, for example, Gorky, who appreciated Chekhov’s stories for different reasons, such as their focus on atmosphere, mood, and the inner lives of characters. Edgar Allan Poe criticised fiction writers for including redundant information or toning down the unity. Chekhov’s intention of gaining control over the complex and unclear nature of reality later inspired modernists and postmodern writers, which was initially disagreeable to many for lack of structure. Henry James, on the other hand, in his famous essay The Art of Fiction, recommends that even a short story should render a full experience, a self-contained world. He criticised some short stories for being too simplistic or sketchy in comparison to novels. James viewed the short story as an art form that should not lose richness for brevity. Woolf critiqued traditional short stories for their linear structure, demanding a more fragmented, impressionistic approach that reflected human thought processes. She praised the work of Chekhov and Katherine Mansfield for their ability to convey the complexities of consciousness within the constraints of a short narrative. She goes on arguing in her essay, Modern Fiction, and criticises H. G. Wells and Bennett for failing to explore the complexities of human consciousness. She was of the opinion that stories must focus on internal expediences rather than external events. She was a strong contender for the fact that stories must have psychological insight, an authentication to the modernist approach. Kafka’s stories were initially criticised for their ambiguity, as it would confuse the reader because the allegories and symbols within them were too complex to be deciphered. Kafka’s lack of clear resolution or answers divided the critics, with some viewing it as a limitation while others see it as his greatest strength. Keeping in view the aforesaid criticism and rebuttal, it is really a daunting task to analyse a work of art.
Talking about Shafi Ahmad’s Nagbal , the first story frames two friends who are separated by circumstances. The struggle of settling down in an alien place for Kanwal Ji and restoring the worship place of Hindu friend by Akbar is a narrative of exodus. After years they meet at Nagbal as expected to express their ordeals. The story is gripping, yet there are occasions where time line has not been strictly followed.When the events move in the story, the time has to be taken care of. Time is one such powerful element that spares none, and the impact of it must affect the story, which in most of the cases is ignored for reasons known only to authors.
Regarding time impact, there are various theories we need to know before making a point.
Symbolic Time: In a linear progression in some short stories, time passes without causing any change in the character’s age; in this case, time acts as a symbol for an emotional state that governs regret, longing, or detachment. This significant time line deliberates upon emotional immobility, thus trapping a character in a fixed space.
In Narrative Discourse by Gérard Genette, it helps us understand how time functions in a storytelling, breaking down the relationship between chronological time and narrative time. He argues that the sequence of events in the story may not coincide with the order in which they are described. This truly helps the author to put in use flashbacks, or flash forwards, to alter the perception of time for the reader. He goes on arguing that narrative can be stretched or compressed using a technique called slowdown or deceleration, or at times years pass in a single sentence using ellipsis.
Similarly, David Lodge in The Art of Fiction describes various techniques of narrative fiction, including time-shift. He argues that instead of portraying time as a linear progression, many authors depict time as the character experiences it emotionally or mentally. The inner state of mind of the character decides time; his feelings may prolong or contract based on his state, which the author carries or captures in the story. This applies to modernist fiction writers. Even if we put for the sake of argument that Stream of consciousness disregards traditional chronological structure of time, it would not be denied for the reason Virginia Woolf and James Joyce put in use this method to show the fluidity and subjectivity of time.
Going back to the story when Kanwal Ji and Akbar meet after years, the time has almost closed its eye, leaving the external world untraced. The author has defined timelessness or a circular time module to explore the trapping of characters in a situation or emotional state, thereby highlighting the existential theme where time seems to lose its meaning.
E M Foster in Aspects of the Novel identifies time as one of the fundamental dimensions, including plot and character development. He debates that flat characters don’t change with time. A character whose age or circumstances don’t change despite the passage of time could suggest that the character is “flat”—emphasizing a theme of emotional or psychological stasis.
In the above story, the time sequence has been established in a proper way. A delay in external time may not be the same as the time sequence within the character’s need. Akbar and Kanwal ji’s characters are time-bound; their emotional state has been frozen in such a way that it hardly leaves any scar on their appearance. The change in their appearance is well exhibited since they are liberated from the chain of intrinsic time frames. Once they are freed from the narrators timeline, they are exhausted, wrecked, and dependent, which is obvious with reference to the conclusion of the story.
Dr.Mushtaq B.Barq is a Columnist, Poet and Fiction Writer. He is the author of “Feeble prisoner, “ Wings of Love” and many translation works are credited to the author like “ Verses Of Wahab
