Work

Saadat Hasan Manto, Partition, and Mental Illness through the Lens of Toba Tek Singh

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: "Toba Tek Singh," which describes the exchange of mental asylum inmates between India and Pakistan in the wake of partition, was perhaps Saadat Hasan Manto's most well-known short story. Manto's work was coloured by his experience of mental illness, including alcohol addiction and possible depressive disorder. This essay attempts to use "Toba Tek Singh" as a lens through which to shine an integrative light on the role of mental illness in Manto's work and life, by discussing his personal experiences, themes of mental illness in the story, and the implications of his writing in the historical context of post-partition South Asia.

Source: Journal of Medical Humanities

DOI: 10.1007/s10912-019-09590-w

Authors: Tahir Jokinen, Shershah Assadullah

Institutions: King's College London, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

Language: English

Topic: South Asian Studies and Diaspora

Subfield: Philosophy

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,690