NARRATING TRAUMA, RESISTING ERASURE: WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF PARTITION IN TOMB OF SAND

Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand (2018) offers a profound exploration of the lingering trauma of Partition through the journey of its protagonist, Ma. The novel examines trauma on multiple levels personal, historical, and intergenerational highlighting how unresolved grief shapes identities and relationships across generations. Through Ma’s transformation from silent withdrawal to defiant self discovery, Shree challenges conventional narratives of Partition, bringing to light the often overlooked voices of women and marginalized communities. The novel’s fragmented, poetic structure mirrors the disjointed nature of memory and trauma, reinforcing the complexity of historical wounds. Alongwith, the relationship between Ma and Beti illustrates how Partition’s trauma is transmitted and reinterpreted over time, while Ma’s bond with Rosie underscores themes of identity, resilience, and solidarity. With engaging with memory, gender, and the symbolic act of crossing borders, Tomb of Sand reimagines Partition’s legacy, suggesting that healing comes not from forgetting but from confronting the past with empathy and understanding.