Trauma, Identity and Human Response: A Comparative Psychological Examination of Train to Pakistan and Ice-Candy-Man

Description

Page: 715-717

Renu Bala (Guru Teg Bahadur Public School (Bardwal), Dhri, Sangrur, Punjab)

This paper dives deep into the emotional and psychological scars left by the 1947 Partition of India, as portrayed in two landmark novels-Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh and Ice-Candy Man by Bapsi Sidhwa. Using trauma theory as the guiding lens, it explores how this historic event fractured identities, silenced voices, and inflicted lasting wounds on individuals and communities. Drawing on thinkers like Freud, Cathy Caruth, Dominick LaCapra, Veena Das, and Urvashi Butalia, the study analyzes how both novels use fragmented stories, silence, repetition, and internal struggles to reveal the complex nature of trauma. Singh’s novel highlights a border village’s moral collapse, while Sidhwa focuses on women’s suffering amid communal violence. Together, they show how literature not only witnesses trauma but also preserves collective memory and offers a path toward healing.