Aesthetic Representation of Reality in Sadat Hasan Manto’s Story Open It

Sunita Khadka ‘9’

The Theory of Literary Criticism, Eng. 553

Prof. Markas Dangaura

17^th April, 2018

Aesthetic Representation of Reality in Sadat Hasan Manto’s Story Open It

This paper tries to seek the aesthetic representation of reality in Sadat Hasan Manto's short partition story "Open it." It is story that reflects the violence of India and Pakistan partition. Thus, how Georg Lukacs's theory of art and objective truth is applicable to Manto's story is a researchable issue.

Before analyzing the text from the perspective of Lukac's theory of course it is necessary to know about the key elements of his theory. His theory deals with 'Art and Objective truth.' In his theory he presents his view on how art should reflect the reality. He argues, "The goal for all great art is to provide a picture of reality in which the contradiction between appearance and reality, the particular and general the immediate and the  conceptual is so resolved that that the two converge into  a spontaneous  integrity" (59). Here, Manto's story provides the picture of reality of India Pakistan partitionship of 1947. Manto himself had to be its victim and he had to leave Bombay for Lahore.

Lukacs argues, "The universal appears as a quality of the individual and particular, reality becomes manifest and can be experienced within reality" (59). In the story the particular story of Sirajuddin becomes the manifestation general reality of those common marginalized people. The story narrates, "Old Sirajuddin opened his eyes on the cold floor of the camp; seeing the swelling sea of men, women and children, he become still more confused" (2). Here the writer doesn't bring the stories of whole victims but only the story of particular individual. Actually, Lukacs was inspired by Karl Marx and Hegel. That's why somewhere his theory is also affected by philosophy of above mentioned people.

According to Lukacs, "Artistic work must be circumscribed, self-evident, self-contained and have complete context within itself" (59). Here the story has its own complete context. The context is of partition and it has its own world to prove its authenticity of social and objective reality. The context provides the information of violence and brutality of human war. The story narrates, "Many people were killed en route, many injured; some went astray" (2). The necessity for the immediate obviousness of the special context is clearest in the story. The context of mass murders and killings and the context of mayhem are clearly presented from the beginning.

The story 'Open it' is actually based on historical context of India. In 1947 when India was divided into Pakistan what happened and how common people had suffered has been clearly shown in this story by Manto. During the partition of India Muslim people of India migrated to Pakistan and Hindu people of Pakistan migrated to India. But this migration from one country to another was violent and full of obstacles, misery, loot, rapes and fatal events. This is the historical context of the story.

Lukacs argues, "The true, fundamental interrelationship in any novel or drama can be disclosed only at the end. Because of the very nature of their construction and effect, only the conclusion provides the full clarification of beginning" (60). Now if we analyze the story we can find the real situation of Sakina only at the end. We come to know that she has been brutally raped and thrown to die by her own Muslim brothers. The story at the end narrates, "At the sound of the words, Sakina's corpse moved. Her dead hands undid her salwar and lowered it" (60). The final piece of event provides the full clarification of why Sakina was lost and abducted by rioters as well as rescuers. Now if we analyze the story, we find as Lukacs argues that artistic work must represent the reality meditatively not photographically or mechanically. Manto does not describe all the events that happens at railway station, how was his wife killed, how other people suffered. But through artistic form, he enables reader to grasp the events which are not depicted in text.

From the beginning to the end the writer creates suspense, doubt and readers are curious to know what is going to happen next. They go through the each events of plot but at last readers find the outcome themselves which writer desired to give. This story also follows the principle of necessity. The volunteers are portrayed as civilized, gentle from their appearance activities.  Later on, we come to know that Sakina was raped by the same volunteers. so, it resolves the contradiction between appearance and reality. The writer doesn't describe each people's events rather he takes one particular individual and family narrative. Georg Lukacs argues," The work of art in its totality reflects the full process of life and does not represent in its details reflections" (64). He narrates their suffering to generalize the sense that how the victims of that part repeitionship had been suffered by their own race.

The volunteers appointed by the government of Pakistan refer to elite class, more clearly 'haves.' Sirajuddin and Sakina are representative of 'haves not' proletariat. We find Sakina has been raped by those volunteers. This actually shows how marginalized people are exploited by elite class people. Lukacs argues, "Bourgeoisie ascendancy was isolated from social reality which reflections of social problems" (65). As Hegel argues that though art reflects objective reality, it must be circumscribed, self-contained, complete in context and self-evident. It means it must have its own world. The evident described in story is total reflection of historical and political events. Its context is also clear but through refining the events it has created its own world in which we find character, geography, situation, events and so on. It is complete in itself. But it actually reflects the real historical reality and context.

            If we pay attention to the last event of the story, doctor is shocked when he sees Sakina's corpse moving. Here, Manto is empathized towards Sakina. Doctor perhaps thinks that she was raped by the race of her own race. Thus, we can find partitionship of objectivity with the writer. His feelings and emotions are more inclined towards Sakina and other victims of partitionship.

Georg Lukacs argues, “The basic materialism of all great artists appears in their depiction of the pertinent preconditions and motivations out of which the consciousness of their characters arises and develops” (60). Here, Sirajuddin after the unconscious travelling from Amritsar, remembers his daughter Sakina through the piece of dupatta. He also remembers his dead wife killed from ripping the stomach. The precondition to remember the past consciousness is dupatta. Sakina’s black mole on her right cheek is also the precondition of how he recognizes and asks other to recognize his daughter.

Similarly, Lukacs argues, “Every significant work of art creates its own world, character, situation and action” (60). This story has also its own world. It has its own characters. The situation resembles the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. The geography described is about the violent riot of partition. The story describing the geography narrates, “The special train left Amritsar at two in the afternoon and reached Mughalpura eight hours later” (2). The geography of Punjab and Pakistan is described in necessary level.

Lukacs argues, “The effect of the work of art ceases once the reader becomes the aware of contradiction, once he senses that work of art is not an accurate reflection of reality” (61). Here, while reading this story readers come to assume it as reality. But actually it’s not real event of some particular Sirajuddin. This story is only the medium to portray the picture of reality of then partition. It reflects the picture of reality as a whole. Thus, according to Lukacs, it possesses the quality of the particular to general.

This story does not bear the extensive totality of life. Because if it will bear the extensive totality of life, the single story would change into a long narrative as a form of novel. So, the unnecessary details and intensive qualities are only included. As argued by Lukacs, “the detail must be so selected and so depicted from the outset” (66). The extensive totality of reality necessarily is beyond the possible scope of any artistic creation. Manto writes, “10 am. Old Sirajuddin opened his eyes on the cold floor of the camp, seeing the swelling sea of men, women and children, he become still more confused” (2). Here, the artist does not describe the photographic details of Sirajuddin’s situation and the situation of the camp. The writer only presents the selected details that gives the picture of whole reality to the audience. Lukacs also argues that the briefest song can be as effective as the mightiest epic. The objective quantity  and quality of life is depicted by Manto.

As claimed by Lukacs, “Art represents the unity of the immediate and the universal” (62). Here, in the story the immediate reflects to the individual story of Sirajuddin. Likewise, universal refers to the general condition of whole marginalized Muslim class people. Sirajuddin’s immediate story brings forth the whole scenario of the emergency period of partition.

Lukacs also argues about the “propaganda effect of genuine work of art” (63) which explains that the artist should not take stand or side to any party. But Lukacs claims that since this kind of impartial imitation is impossible or false objectivity, the writer should have partisanship of objectivity which means that writer should show sympathy or support the subaltern people indirectly. Manto in this story is not directly advocating for those Muslim sufferers but through artistic representation, his attachment or empathy is with them.

            Lukacs states about the “aesthetic illusion” (64) in the great work of art. It means that we surrender ourselves to art while reading it as though it presents reality to us. This story also enchants us to believe that this is factual or historical narrative of certain real person called Sirajuddin. But its not necessary that Sirajuddin was there in reality. If the writer writes about reality, the writer becomes historian not artist. Thus, the realistic art deceives us for taking something as reality. Its not necessary that artist should have direct experience. Through indirect experience also, the artist can portray the picture of reality. Here, Manto portrays the picture of reality which makes us feel that Manto has really experienced it.

            There is objective anarchy in the selection and arrangement of story material. The events, characters, and scenes are very objectively selected. Unnecessary description is not there. The traumatic condition of Sakina after rape is artistically represented. Thus, while reading this story, there is not ‘ahh…ooh…ssshh’ feeling.

Works Cited

A Course Packet of Primary Books for Literary Criticism. CDE, TU, 2017, pp. 2-6.

Selden, Raman. “The Theory of Criticism: From Plato to the Pesent.” Longman, 1990, pp. 59-66.