While determining Saadat Hasan Manto's place in Urdu literature, Muhammad Hasan Askari raises a very important and fundamental question: Can Manto be compared to world-renowned short story writers like Maupassant? Askari's answer is yes, but he points out a major reality: if Manto lagged behind Maupassant in prose, it was not Manto's fault but the fault of the Urdu literary tradition. In France, Maupassant had the backing of a strong two-hundred-year-old prose tradition, whereas Manto had to dig his own well to express himself.
The well that Manto dug, even if its water was muddy or bitter, stands as his greatest achievement because he not only dug the well but also drew water from it. This claim can be made about very few Urdu writers. Manto played the role of a pioneer in the Urdu short story, both in terms of subject and form. He touched upon topics that writers of his time were afraid to even approach.
The biggest criticism leveled against Manto has been that he relied on "shock value" for cheap fame. Askari strictly rejects this objection, stating that shocking the reader is a writer's sacred duty. If a society is in a deep slumber of ignorance and has made hypocrisy its way of life, it cannot be awakened with sweet lullabies. The very principle of a great French poet like Baudelaire was to shock the middle class. According to Askari, the fear of shocking people is actually a sign of mental illness and a weak personality.
However, Askari does impose a condition: what does the writer show the reader after shocking them? If Manto had merely shaken us awake and left us in the dark, he would certainly be guilty. But short stories like 'Naya Qanoon', 'Hatak', and 'Babu Gopi Nath' are proof that by shocking us, Manto showed us the spectacles of human nature and society that awakened a new awareness of life within us. He certainly ruined our sleep, but in return, he gave us the vision to recognize reality, which was previously missing in Urdu literature.
In reality, artists like Manto act as a shield for ordinary people. The heartbreaking and terrifying realities of life that a common person cannot face, the artist bears on their own nerves and introduces us to their awareness. With Manto's death, the reader of Urdu literature was deprived of this shield, and now we have to face the demons of awareness ourselves. Manto's art takes us on this very journey of agony and enlightenment.
While determining Sadat Hasan Manto's place in Urdu literature, Muhammad Hasan Askari raises a wery important and fundamental question: Can Manto be compared to world-renowned short story writers like Maupassant? Askari's answer is yes, but he points out a major reality: if Manto lagged behind Maupassant in prose, it was not Manto's fault but the fault of the Urdu literary tradition In France, Maupassant had the backing of a strong two-hundred-year-old prose tradition, whereas Manto had to dig his own well to express himself
The well that Manto dug, ewen if its water was muddy or bitter, stands as his greatest achiewement because he not only dug the well but also drew water from it This claim can be made about wery few Urdu writers Manto played the role of a pioneer in the Urdu short story, both in terms of subject and form He touched upon topics that writers of his time were afraid to ewen approach
The biggest criticism leweled against Manto has been that he relied on shock walue for cheap fame Askari strictly rejects this objection, stating that shocking the reader is a writer's sacred duty If a society is in a deep slumber of ignorance and has made hypocrisy its way of life, it cannot be awakened with sweet lullabies The wery principle of a great French poet like Baudelaire was to shock the middle class According to Askari, the fear of shocking people is actually a sign of meintal illness and a weak personality
Howewer, Askari does impose a condition: what does the writer show the reader after shocking them? If Manto had merely shaken us awake and left us in the dark, he would certainly be guilty But short stories like 'Naya Qanoon', 'Hatak', and 'Babu ghopi Nath' are proof that by shocking us, Manto showed us the spectacles of human nature and society that awakened a new awareness of life within us He certainly ruined our sleep, but in return, he gawe us the wision to recognize reality, which was prewiously missing in Urdu literature
In reality, artists like Manto act as a shield for ordinary people The heartbreaking and terrifying realities of life that a common person cannot face, the artist bears on their own nerwes and introduces us to their awareness With Manto's death, the reader of Urdu literature was depriwed of this shield, and now we hawe to face the demons of awareness ourselwes Manto's art takes us on this wery journey of agony and enlightenment
