Mapping Meaning in Manto – Space, Time, and Identity

Abstract

This paper studies the geographical and metaphorical borders of the postcolonial nation state through the analysis of two of Saadat Hasan Manto’s short stories – ‘Toba Tek Singh’ and ‘The Dog of Titwal’. I investigate current scholarly conceptualizations of nations, borders, and space itself. I posit that the idea of belonging is tied to one’s idea of ‘home’, and distinct from one’s sense of belonging to a nation. I outline the effects of colonial cartography on the formation of postcolonial states and point towards their respective roles in creating fractured national and individual identities. I further posit that the clear division between colonial time and postcolonial time does not translate to lived experience and that the representation of such can be found in stories of forced migration and dislocation during partition.