A Critical Review of Thadshayini’s Short Stories

Abstract

A short story delves into the experiences of characters, events, and situations, conveying emotions and revealing inner strengths. These narratives hold profound meanings and deeply connect with readers. Skillful authors raise stories to exceptional heights by integrating real-life issues, making them timeless. Regardless of the era or presentation style, storytelling’s essence remains enduring. Successful authors effectively convey their storytelling essence and captivate the audience's attention, employing various literary techniques to enrich the narrative and make it relevant. In the 1990s, Thadsayani emerged as a prominent figure in Eelam short story writing. While her early stories were associated with research, her later published collections lacked that connection. Moreover, upon analysis, her short stories did not encompass research. Therefore, this research, titled 'Thadsayani’s Short Story Collections: A Critical Study in Semiotics,' encompasses social sciences, anthropology, semiotics, literary genre theory, and more. It sheds light on the structure and content of Thadsayani’s short story collections, namely 'Onpathavatahukural,’ ‘Vensuvar,’ and ‘Raniyamma.’ The study focuses on world literature, highlighting the significance of short stories and their evolution in the Tamil language. It primarily centers on Thadsayani’s life and works, exploring themes such as war, its effects, women's issues, feminism, children's literature, and contemporary topics. By delving into elements such as theme, introduction, plot, climax, narrative technique, dialogues, stylistic elements, and satire, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of Thadsayani’s works. It serves as a valuable guide for future scholars interested in studying Thadsayani’s works, offering insights through semiotic analysis and contributing to the field of literature