Provincial Patterns of Alice Munro and Ruskin Bond’s Select Short Stories: A Comparative Analysis
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Date
2024-05
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Avinashilingam
Abstract
Literature, in forms like novels, short stories, essays, and dramas, reflects human
experiences, forging a connection through emotions. The short story genre, originating from
various narrative forms, follows a structure of exposition, complication, climax, and
resolution, but its modern interpretation includes broader elements like plot, characters,
setting, and theme. Canadian short fiction provides a distinct perspective on global issues,
often exploring identity, diversity, and the Canadian landscape. Alice Munro, a renowned
Canadian author, delves into universal truths, transforming ordinary occurrences into
extraordinary tales, with her unique approach to characters, setting, language, style, and
themes. Similarly, Indian short fiction highlights tradition, culture, and nature, emphasizing
the country’s landscapes. Ruskin Bond’s stories, set in the Indian Himalayas, resonate
deeply, characterized by distinctive elements of character, setting, language, style, and
theme, carving out a significant place in Indian literature.
This research examines the application of Comparative Literature and the
Transactional Model’s Aesthetic Reading Theory, drawing from Susan Basnett’s
Comparative Literature: A Critical Introduction and Dr. S. Chellaiah’s Comparative
Literature: Its Theory and Practice, as well as Ihab Hassan’s Parallelism theory. It
integrates Louise M. Rosenblatt’s transactional model from The Reader, The Text, The
Poem: The Transactional Theory of the Literary Work, focusing on Aesthetic Reading, to
analyse selected short stories. Twenty-nine short stories from collections by Alice Munro
and Ruskin Bond serve as primary texts. The research aims to analyse the depiction of
provincial life in Munro and Bond’s works, comparing Canadian and Indian contexts. It also
aims to identify and study similarities in their writing styles regarding provincial life
portrayal.
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English