In hard times nations come together and individuals learn to work together under the fact that they are one nation. But nationality and identity do not always go hand in hand and it can be very unsettling when the aspects do not coincide. Saadat Hasan Manto wrote many stories depicting the life and troubles of the soldiers during the Partition of India, including his famous stories, “The Last Salute” and “The Dog Titwal.” In both stories Manto focuses on the relationship of nationality and identity within the soldiers as they are in the middle of the conflict surrounding the Partition of India. In the stories there are major internal issues between the soldiers’ country and their own beliefs. Although nations initially come together in times
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For instance in “The Dog of Titwal,” Manto writes about the encounter of a dog and the Pakistani and Indian Soldiers. During the encounter the with the dog the soldiers demand, “Prove your identity,’ Ram Singh Ordered the dog, who began to wag his tail”(Manto 175). These Indian soldiers went on to argue about whether the stray dog was Indian or Pakistani. The Partition made the soldiers so nationally prejudice that they were even demanding the dog to take a side. The indian claimed the dog as their own and put on the name tag that the dog was Indian. After the Pakistan encountered the dog they replaced the name tag with one that claimed the dog as Pakistani. One of the Pakistani Soldiers said to the dog, “Now look here, my friend, no treachery. The punishment for treachery is death”(Manto 177). By the end of the story the dog does not know which soldiers to stay with and out of frustration both sides aim and kill the dog. The represents the frustration that the soldiers felt, killing dogs because it would take a side and the inability to separate individual identity from …show more content…
it states, “The confusion of the idea of the nation with the practice and power of the nation-state makes nationalism one of the most powerful forces in contemporary society”(5). Although there is nothing wrong with one being proud of their nation the concept of heavy nation pride can lead to many issues. It can lead to people valuing their over the individual identities of people, it can lead to harsh generalizations, and as seen in Manto’s stories, Identity issues, and pointless war. Ashcroft also stated, “This myth of nationhood, masked by ideology, perpetuates nationalism, in which specific identifiers are employed to create exclusive and homogeneous conceptions of national traditions”(4). This speaks on the characteristic of nationalism and how it often creates harsh stereotypes of the people in various countries and
For instance in “The Dog of Titwal,” Manto writes about the encounter of a dog and the Pakistani and Indian Soldiers. During the encounter the with the dog the soldiers demand, “Prove your identity,’ Ram Singh Ordered the dog, who began to wag his tail”(Manto 175). These Indian soldiers went on to argue about whether the stray dog was Indian or Pakistani. The Partition made the soldiers so nationally prejudice that they were even demanding the dog to take a side. The indian claimed the dog as their own and put on the name tag that the dog was Indian. After the Pakistan encountered the dog they replaced the name tag with one that claimed the dog as Pakistani. One of the Pakistani Soldiers said to the dog, “Now look here, my friend, no treachery. The punishment for treachery is death”(Manto 177). By the end of the story the dog does not know which soldiers to stay with and out of frustration both sides aim and kill the dog. The represents the frustration that the soldiers felt, killing dogs because it would take a side and the inability to separate individual identity from …show more content…
it states, “The confusion of the idea of the nation with the practice and power of the nation-state makes nationalism one of the most powerful forces in contemporary society”(5). Although there is nothing wrong with one being proud of their nation the concept of heavy nation pride can lead to many issues. It can lead to people valuing their over the individual identities of people, it can lead to harsh generalizations, and as seen in Manto’s stories, Identity issues, and pointless war. Ashcroft also stated, “This myth of nationhood, masked by ideology, perpetuates nationalism, in which specific identifiers are employed to create exclusive and homogeneous conceptions of national traditions”(4). This speaks on the characteristic of nationalism and how it often creates harsh stereotypes of the people in various countries and