Abstract :
The purpose of this research is to analyze the popular themes contained in Malaysian Tamil short stories like the anthology ‘Peravai Kathaikal’ published by the Tamil Language Society, University of Malaya and written by local Tamil authors. The material used in most of these stories are influenced by the daily struggles faced by Malaysian Indians of the past, especially in rural settings. This integral rural connection is particularly prevalent across the various writing techniques of all the authors in this anthology. Under that traditional surroundings umbrella, other critical themes discussed include that of poverty, education, parent sacrifices, love and marriage. With this myriad of themes being explored, the reader is able to glean an in-depth perspective on the circumstances of the Malaysian Indian community. The research method employed for this research includes mimetic theory, to reflect the external surroundings of the characters, and also expressive theory to highlight their innermost thoughts and desires. Thus, this research paper fundamentally analyzes the popular themes present in this anthology of Tamil short stories to portray the circumstances of the Malaysian Indian community from 1980 to 2000.
Keywords :
Tamil anthology of short stories , themes and issues , community sociology , plantation life and problems
