Self, State and Universality: Re- reading A Chronicle of the Peacocks by Intizar Hussain

Abstract

A Chronicle of the Peacocks (Morenama), a short story by the Pakistani writer
Intizar Hussain, is a typical example of how the writer travels from personal feelings to
feelings of a nation and at last how he realizes the issue of humanity in it. Narrator’s own
experience forms the crust of the story, politics of the subcontinent is its mantle and
humanness is its core. Thus he actually chronicles the voice of his soul. Narrator is not given
a name, representing the nameless voices that are in the void. The story was written in
1990’s, period of tension in Indo-Pakistan border. He negotiates the relationship and we
realize the history and civilisation both countries have in common. Sometimes literature can
act as a mouthpiece of the downtrodden. Provided with different entities, it is not easy to
define the identity of a human being. At times as a result of political turbulence and
differences of opinions, creation of a new nation becomes a political necessity. Mid
Twentieth century witnessed the geographical boundaries across the globe being re- drawn
and thus resulted in a search for re-defined identities. In many cases, these political
boundaries became incapable of encompassing the cultural and historical complexities and
the cultural boundaries remained fuzzy. Cultural and historical existence of man is
inseparably linked to his geographical space and when the state splits and is itself insecure, it
is naturally reflected on one’s self. This colonial consciousness of being stranded across the
cultural boundaries makes Intizar Husain’s stories universal in nature