A Case of Fiction as Testimony, Manto's Partition stories

This paper explores the links between fiction and testimony. Fiction – though an imaginative medium still it can prove witness to the trauma of historical event. Taking Derrida’s theory of testimony as an example this work discovers similar links between Manto’s partition stories and the catastrophe of Partition. Partition is the traumatic time in the history of South Asian sub-continent, when India was divided to create an independent Pakistan. In such tormenting time period Manto is one such writer who holds witness to the trauma suffered by the general public and present to us neither Indian nor Pakistani but a neutral perspective of a common person. To prove the authenticity of this testimony Manto’s biographical references are cited in the paper which serves to testify the credibility of his knowledge. Therefore this paper serves to draw relation between literature and testimony; and explores the role of fiction in keeping ‘unexperienced experience’ alive.

Keywords: Trauma; Testimony; Demeure; witness; unexperienced experience; role of fiction.