Progeny as Identity: A Comparative Study of Three Contemporary Indian Short Stories

Abstract

Life is a mixture of emotions and feelings based different instincts in human life. According to an interpretation presented in one of the Upanishads, life of a human being is a response to four basic instincts namely fear, hunger, sleep and sex. One has to respond to these instincts differently in different situations depending on the needs. This often mixes different emotions which give birth to some more emotions which can be easily found among people even if they belong to different geographical regions or different cultural systems. One of the sets of emotions is directly associated with one’s own offspring which has been a perennial source of energy for survival in the traditional societies. With innovations in the science and technology, societies have undergone sea changes and have changed the human life in an unpredictable way. The altered lifestyles have given different aims for survival in the world which becomes the source of life for many people. Even after so many social changes, most of the Indians still breath and attempt to extend their life span only to bring happiness in the lives of their children. This paper aims to elaborate the theme of existence of parents only for the progeny in the short stories Her People by MallikarjunHiremath (Kannada), Dadan byKshetrabasiNaik (Odia) and The Seventh Month by HimanshiShelat (Gujarati) in English translation.