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International Journal Of Literature And Languages

Peer Reviewed | Open Access | E-ISSN: 2771-2834
Published Article

The Principle of Alienation in Nirmal Varma’s Story Writing

The Principle of Alienation in Nirmal Varma’s Story Writing

Nirmal Varma Hindi literature principle of alienation

This article examines the influence of the principle of alienation on the story writing of the renowned Hindi writer Nirmal Varma. Particular attention is paid to his short stories written during the 1970s and 1980s, a period in which the representation of the individual’s inner world, loneliness, psychological distance, and separation from society became increasingly significant in his fiction. The study analyses the ways in which alienation is reflected in Varma’s short stories and examines its relationship with the psychological state of the characters, family and social relationships, and narrative organisation. The analysis focuses particularly on the stories Ek Din Ka Mehman (“One Day’s Guest”), Andhere Mein (“In the Darkness”), and Parinde (“Birds”). The study demonstrates that alienation in Varma’s short fiction functions not only as a thematic element but also as an artistic principle that contributes to the psychological depth and narrative structure of his works.

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