Unpacking the Trauma of Partition: A Critical Analysis of Khushwant Singh's "Train to Pakistan"

Partition, Train to Pakistan, Trauma Theory, Displacement, Historical Memory

Anisha Attrey1*,
Ph.D. Research Scholar,
Department of English, School of Humanities
and Liberal Arts, NIMS University Rajasthan,
Jaipur, Orcid Id: 0009-0000-8980-5697,
[email protected]

Dr. Suresh Kumar2,
Associate Professor HOD,
Department of English, School of Humanities
and Liberal Arts, NIMS University Rajasthan,
Jaipur, Orcid Id: 0009-0003-3497-0857,
[email protected]

Dr. HarshKumar Chauhan3*,
Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Sciences,
School of Engineering and Technology, CGC
University, Mohali, Punjab, Orcid Id: 00090008-0295-2757, [email protected]

Dr. Darshan N. Chhaya4*,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Humanities and Social Science,
Silver Oak University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat,
Orcid Id: 0009-0003-1624-4640,
[email protected]

Received:29-06-2026
Revised:05-08-2026
Accepted:10-08-2026

European Journal of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry (2026) 34(7s), 1118–1122

Unpacking the Trauma of Partition: A Critical Analysis of Khushwant Singh's "Train to Pakistan"

The 1947 Partition of India was a devastating event that caused tremendous pain for millions of people, upending communities and identities. Khushwant Singh's Train to Pakistan (1956) is a chilling literary depiction of this historical catastrophe, encapsulating the horrors of communal violence, relocation, and loss. This research examines the novel through the lens of trauma theory, focusing on how Singh's narrative portrays both individual and social pain. Using qualitative literary analysis, the study looks at significant passages that depict pain, quiet, and the train as a metaphor of death and forced migration. The findings underscore Train to Pakistan's contribution to trauma research by illustrating the unspeakable nature of traumatic occurrences and the deterioration of community cohesion. By drawing on theoretical viewpoints from historians like as Cathy Caruth and Jeffrey C. Alexander, this research emphasizes the novel's lasting relevance as a historical and cultural witness to Partition's impact.

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