English Language, Literature and Creative Writing Blog

The story begins with a description of the mountainous region around Tithwal in Kashmir, where Indian and Pakistani soldiers are positioned against each other. The natural surroundings are peaceful and beautiful. Flowers bloom on the hills, birds sing, and clouds move slowly across the sky. However, the presence of armed soldiers creates a sharp contrast with the beauty of nature. Both armies are watching each other and are prepared to fight. The soldiers have been struggling to gain control of the hills, but the results of their fighting are temporary. A hill captured by one side may be taken by the other side the next day. Manto presents this repeated struggle to show that the conflict has become almost meaningless. Nature continues to exist peacefully, while human beings disturb that peace through their political divisions. The opening paragraph establishes the contrast between the natural world and the violence created by human beings. The story then moves to the Indian army camp...

Nadine Gordimer’s “Once Upon a Time” is a short story about fear, insecurity, racism, social division and the danger of trying to protect ourselves too much. Nadine Gordimer was a famous South African writer and a strong critic of apartheid, the system of racial separation that existed in South Africa for many years. In the story, she uses the form of a fairy tale to talk about a serious social and political reality. The title “Once Upon a Time” sounds like the beginning of a simple children’s story, but the story gradually becomes frightening and tragic. Gordimer uses this contrast to show that a society that looks safe and comfortable on the outside may actually be full of fear, prejudice and violence. The story begins with the narrator talking about herself. She says that someone has asked her to write a fairy tale for children. She is not comfortable with this idea because she does not normally write fairy tales. One night, while she is in her house, she hears some strange sounds. ...