Englishes Today I September 2016 I Volume II, Issue III ISSN : 2395 4809 ENGLISHES TODAY I September 2016 I Vol. II, Issue III I ISSN : 2395 4809 Githa Hariharan’s The Art of Dying: Stories and Himanshi Shelat’s Frozen Whites in Dralk Alley and Other Stories: A Comparative Study Nikita Gadani Assistant professor in Communication Skills General Department Aditya Silver Oak Institute of Engineering Ahmedabad, Gujarat, INDIA. Abstract Short Story writing has been amongst the earliest forms of literature. It has evolved from oral traditions of story telling, and is one of the oldest modes of recitation. Story is a sequence of events and incidents, or certain situations, either retold exactly as it happened or is knitted around an imaginative plot structure, ploy or a fictitious narrative. Hannah Arendt says that story telling is specific to human life. It is always full of events which ultimately can be told as a story. She related it to ‗life bios‘ from ‗Zeo‘ similar to Aristotle‘s notion that story is kind of an action (praxis). (qtd. in Kearney 2002 3-4). It focuses on a single aspect and can also simultaneously deal with several concepts altogether. This paper will focus on comparative study of two female short story writers, as comparative study of literature deals with the cultural expressions across the linguistic, cultural and national boundaries and concern with the relation between literature broadly defined and other spheres of human activity. These writers focus on the women‘s issues and try to locate their legitimate place in the society. Though they belong to the different regions and cultures, but the condition of the women all over the world is the same. Keywords : comparative literature, Short story, comparative study, Indian Female writers. Githa Hariharan’s “The Art of Dying and Other Stories, Himansi Shelat’s “The Frozen Whites in Dark Alley Englishes Today I September 2016 I Volume II, Issue III ISSN : 2395 4809 Introduction Short story writing has been amongst the earliest form of literature, which has evolved oral tradition of story-telling. A short story is a piece of fiction, which can be read in a single sitting. Short story is usually concerned with a single effect conveyed in only one or a few episodes and scenes. It is generally tends to be shorter and less complex than novel and novellas, the focus shifts from long plots to shorter plots, from long life spans to single incidents. The number of characters in a short story is lesser than that in the novel. The emphasis in a short story is on a particular theme, incident or an important concern (Matthews 1994,73). It focuses on a single aspect that distinguishes it from the novel. Brander Matthews says: …a short story deals with single character, a single event, single emotions or the series of emotions called forth by a single situation”. (qtd. in Pratt 1994, 101) Despite its relatively limited scope, though, a short story is often judged by its ability to provide a ‘complete’ or satisfying treatment of its characters and subject. Story telling has been an integral part of Indian culture. The collection of folktales, mythological legends, recitation of episodes from epics, which forms an important cultural practice, and other traditional forms such a kathasagaritsagar, Gaundya’s Brihatkatha, and the Buddhist’s Jataka tales. During the 20th century, the Indian short story has gone through various changes in form, style and subject matter. In the pre-independence era, the growth of literary periodicals and journals has played a vital role in the progress of short story. Periodicals like Premchand‘s Hans in Hindi, Lakshminath Bezboroa‘s Bahi in Assames, Mukura and Sahakara in Oriya, M.G.Ranganekar‘s Satyakatha and Yasvant in Marathi and Kadamvari Samgraha in Kannada (Ramakrishnan 2005, xv), published a number of region-specific stories. The growth of the story is related to the movements of independence before partition in 1947 (Ramakrishnan 2005, xv). During the freedom struggle Gandhiji and other leaders such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Baba Rao Ambedkar, delivered speeches in a metaphoric and symbolic language which helped the masses to understand the literariness of language. A reflection of these speeches had an influencing impact on short story writing. These stories reflected the reality through it and captured the social, political, cast systeam and cultural collisions apparent in the society during those years. As B.R.Ambedkar says: Caste cannot be abolished by inter-caste dinners or stray instances of inter caste marriages. Caste is a state of mind. It is a disease of mind. The teachings of the Hindu religion are the root cause of this disease. We practice casteism and we observe untouchability because we are enjoined to do so by the Hindu religion. A bitter thing cannot be made sweet. The taste of anything can be changed. But poison cannot be changed into nectar (Thus Spoke of Ambedkar). The short story also highlighted the cultural plurality of the society which has been depicted through varied themes. In this connection, Sisir Kumar Das suggests that, The thematic range of Indian short story today is as extensive and varied as the geographical and social diversities of the country…It is in some sense most complete world (1995,276). Englishes Today I September 2016 I Volume II, Issue III ISSN : 2395 4809 In the pre-Independence era, a need for social reform in society was also felt. Due to the lack of education and lack of awareness, short story became an instrumental tool for educating the masses, while the post –Independence era is remarkable for unexpected changes in short story writing. Before independence, success of the story depended on a structural form, with a well beginning, middle and end. While after independence, focus shifted from the form and plot to the inner and psychological state of a character. It explored the complexity of human life. Contribution of woman writing in English or other languages in the contemporary era, is of great importance. Issues related to woman in a patriarchal society were of major concern to women writers. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, prominent English writer who published four collections of the short stories, like Birds and Like Fishes (1963), An Experience of India (1966), A Strong Climate (1968). How I Become Holy Mother’ (1976) raised the issues related to the system of joint families and the complexity of personal relationships. Sujata Bala Subhramaniyam wrote The House in the Hills and other stories (1973) which captured life of people under the landlords. Kamla Das‘s A Doll For a Child Prostitute (1977) is based on the theme of sex. While contribution of Shashi Despande The Legacy (1978) can not be negated. (Naik 1999, 251-254) A remarkable contribution by women is seen not only in English, but also, in other regional languages. Amazingly, the stories from different cultures and diverse regions address similar issues, proclaiming that the experience of woman across the nation is the same. The patriarchal order functions in the same fashion in different regions. The contribution of women in Telugu is also remarkable. Illindala Saraswati Devi, (1918), was one of the best woman writers amongst her contemporaries in Telugu literature. K.Saraswathi Amma, (1919-1975) wrote in Malayalam, was born in Kunnappuzha, village near Trivandrum, in an upper class family. Her stories are mostly about the husband-wife relationship. Her collection of the short stories includes, Ponnumkudam (Pot of Gold) 1945, Strijanman (Born as Woman) 1946, Kizhjivanakkari (The Subjugated Woman) 1949, Kalamanduram (Temple of Art) 1949, Penbuddi(Woman‘s Wit) 1951, Kantta Madil (Thick Walls) 1953. (Tharu, Latika 1995, 164-65). Madhavikutty, another major writer, wrote under the name of Kamala Das (1934), became one of the most important literary figures of India. Her collection of the short story includes, Mathilukal (Walls) 1955, Pathu Kathakal (Secret Stories)1958, Narichirukal Parakkumpol (When Little best Fly) 1960 and during sixties she published several collection of the short stories like, Ente Snehitha Aruna (My Friend Aruna) 1963, Pakshiyude Manam (A Bird‘s Honor) 1964, Thanuppu (Cold) 1967. Shantsa Shelke (1921), Gauri Despande (1942) and Chhaya Datar (1944) were major contributors amongst Marathi writers. (Tharu and Latika, 1995 170-71) Amongst the Gujarati writers Dhiruben Patel (1926) wrote Adhuro Kol(The Incomplete Promise)1955 (Tharu, Latika 1995, 225). Kundanika Kapadiya,(1927) wrote Vadhu ne Vadhu Sundar (Increasingly Beautiful)1967, Prem na Ansun (Tears of Love)1978, and in 1984 won Gujarat State Sahitya Akademy Award for Sat Pagla Akashma (Seven Paces in the Sky) ( Tharu, Latika 254-55). Varsha Adalja‘s (1940), ‘E’ (He) was published in 1979. (Tharu and Latika 1995, 465-66) Introduction to the Authors: Githa Hariharan Githa Hariharan was born in 1954 in Coimbatore, India. She grew up in Bombay and Manali. She Englishes Today I September 2016 I Volume II, Issue III ISSN : 2395 4809 was educated in these two cities and United State. Her first novel Thousand Faces of Night (1992) won commonwealth writer‘s prize in 1993. Her other novel includes The Ghost of Vasu Master (1994), When Dream Travel (1999), In Times of Seigh (2003) and Fugitive History (2009). Her short stories include The Art of Dying: Stories (1993) and The Winning Team (2004). She has also edited a volume of stories in English from four major south Indian languages A Southern Harvest (1993) and co edited a collection of short stories for children Sorry Best Friend (1997). Himanshi Shelat Himanshi Shelat was born in Surat in 1947. She is well-known amongst her contemporaries. She brings out the issues related to new generation and also gives a voice to women emotions.