Partition, Violence and Women in Sidhwa’s Ice-Candy-Man

Abstract

Aim: It has been the practice of Literature to record major historical events of the nation and present them with a fresh intensity and perspective. Lenny reports a balanced view of parallel atrocities against communities. The novel effectively depicts the unforgettable historical moment that has divided friends and neighbors and turned them into religious fanatics. The present research aims to explore themes such as Partition, betrayal, innocence, violence, and the misery of communal intolerance during this tense atmosphere. The paper also aims to analyze gender discrimination, particularly the condition of women, their vulnerability, and resistance during this disruption.

Methodology and Approach: I have consulted primary and secondary sources as part of my research. The approach adopted to write this paper is analytical and descriptive, including relevant quotations to justify the aim of the paper.

Outcome: The long-awaited freedom of India was achieved but accompanied by murder, mayhem, rape, and abduction. Indian writers repeatedly revisit this rupture to understand the present, with each new account adding a fresh dimension. The story of Partition will never be stale, and its literary presentation cannot be sufficed. Once communal passions are aroused, the social fabric vanishes, and anarchy prevails. The novel presents communal intolerance and its impact on women, depicting the trauma of Partition and the fruitlessness of violence.

Conclusion and Suggestions: The Partition has left deep scars, presenting horrifying migration, callousness, and human loss, exposing atrocities and the degeneration of values that hollowed the structural strength of society.