Vol. 5, Issue 2, Part A (2023)

Existentialism is a philosophical movement that places a strong emphasis on personal existence, freedom, and decision-making. Existentialism holds that no single theory can encompass the entirety of the experience of human life. Existentialism is a school of thought that holds that each person determines the purpose and essence of their existence. As the founder of existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre advanced the idea that a man is nothing more than what he creates for himself. That is the first existentialist tenet. Sartre is essentially referring to what he refers to as man’s past. Man encounters himself first to establish value is the purpose of existence. As he lives, every individual creates his essence. Western philosophy serves as the foundation for existentialism in Indian English novels, because of the trend toward westernization in our society and the modernization of human life. Man must now inevitably consider his identity and his place in the social and physical universe. The forces that surround and dominate the contemporary Indian are dictated and controlled by existentialist complexities. Azadi by Chaman Nahal is a tragic tale about the subcontinent’s partition and the ensuing catastrophe. This partition is also an outcome of western culture or because of people from western culture. The novel portrays a picture of human cruelty and perversity realistically by recounting the specifics. Additionally, it boasts “amazing penetration and convincingness in its well-executed and compelling plot, clear-cut and easily recognizable characters and a type of gruesome, horrific atmosphere that has its piercing appeal.”