Narrative Space and Spatial Reading of Gurdial Singh's Select Novels

Abstract

Gurdial Singh is an important literary voice in Punjabi literature. He is accredited with bringing the voice of the marginalized and oppressed communities of Punjab to the forefront. In his novels, he has given an account of social injustice, casteism, deprivation and struggle of the poor. He exhibits his profound understanding of deeply embedded caste/class structure in the society of Punjab. Set in Malwa region, a backward region of Punjab, his novels portray an authentic picture of the society with focus on its dialect, sociological and historical backdrop. While telling the plight of the low caste and working class, he has described the everyday way of life of the people, their houses, landscape of Malwa, and open fields seen through his critical eye. It is imperative to understand space(s) in his complex and multilayered novels. In the present paper, the attempt is to study spaces in Gurdial Singh's novels using spatialization of narratives as a technique to interpret novels.