Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part D (2025)

The Partition of India in 1947 was one of the most violent and traumatic events in South Asian history, leading to the displacement of millions and widespread atrocities, particularly against women. Women bore the brunt of Partition’s horrors—abduction, sexual violence, forced conversions, and displacement—leading to severe psychological trauma. This paper analyzes the psycho-traumatic condition of women during Partition, focusing on four novels: Ice-Candy Man by Bapsi Sidhwa, Difficult Daughters by Manju Kapur, The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh, and What the Body Remembers by Shauna Singh Baldwin. Through these works, the paper explores the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and mental illness among women who suffered during this period. Using trauma theory and feminist perspectives, the paper examines the ways in which memory, silence, and mental breakdowns manifest as symptoms of psychological distress in these novels.