P10115 The short stories of Vinthan

    This lesson elaborates on the works of Vinthan, a very important Tamil short story writer.

    Vinthan is a noted Tamil short story writer. He stands apart from other writers of his age. A fearless writer and liberal thinker, Vinthan protested against social injustice. He voiced the concerns of the working class in his stories.

    Vinthan was born on 22nd September, 1916, in Navalur, Chengalpet district. He was called Govinthan. His parents did not show much interest in educating him. When he grew up Vinthan realized the value of education and joined a night school. He began his career in 1936 as an illustrator in the advertising department of Gemini Studio. Later he worked as a typesetter in a monthly journal called “Thamilarasu”. It was here that he cultivated the friendship of Bharathidasan. His work as a typesetter brought him in touch with writers and good writing. This enabled him to widen his knowledge. In the course of a literary career spanning 33 years he also worked for a number of magazines and tried his hand at scripting for films.

    Vinthan started writing in 1942 when he was working for “Kalki”. His short story collection “Mullaikodial”, published in 1946, was awarded the first prize by the Tamil Valarchi Kazhagam. From then on there was no looking back. Apart from writing short stories, Vinthan has also made his mark in other genres of writing such as poetry, novel , essay and biography.

    Vinthan always identified himself with the working class. The problems faced by the poor and the middle class; disruption of family life due to financial constraints; disappointment in love; divorce and rapidly disappearing humanitarianism are his major themes. “Muthal Thethi” is a poignant depiction of the plight of the middle class.

    Vinthan draws his characters from the lowest rungs of society. He captures their constant struggle for existence. More than generating sympathy for these characters, he is intent on arousing our hatred for the callous rich. Stories like “Ezhaigalin Kuttram” and “Naalai Nammudaiathe” are illustrative of this.

    Through his stories Vinthan launched a scathing attack on society. Economic disparity is a recurring theme in his works. His treatment of love was different from that of the other writers of his age. He punctures all the illusions surrounding the idea of love. According to him in real life lovers can only face disappointment. “Mullaikodiayal”, “Vazhavazhiyillai” and “Aval Ennavanaal” reflect Vinthan’s attitude to love. Oppression of women is another dominant theme in his stories. In “Maattuthozhuvam” he draws a parallel between women and cows.

    Vinthan wrote in a very lucid style. Simplicity and realism are the hallmarks of his writings. He wrote in short sentences that were easy to understand. Like Puthumaipithan he employed irony and sarcasm. At times Vinthan used a descriptive style. He often relied on striking metaphors and similes to convey his ideas. He did not waste words and had the ability to articulate his thoughts in one or two sentences. class.