Economic Analysis of Society Depicted in Fakir Mohan Senapati's Stories

Abstract

Fakir Mohan Senapati is the pioneer of Odia storytelling and literature. He tirelessly struggled to establish the prominence of Odia language and literature. Among the Odia-speaking people, his creations hold great significance. The first part of his collection ‘Galpa-Galpaswalpa’, the second part ‘Galpaswalpa’ (1817), ‘Chhamana Atha Guna’ (1902), ‘Lachhima’ (1914), ‘Mamu’ (1913), ‘Prayashchita’ (1915), poetic translation of the ‘Sanskrit Ramayana’ (1884-1895), poetic translation of the ‘Mahabharata’ (1887-1905), poetic translation of ‘Harivansh’ (1902), poetic translation of the ‘Upanishads’ (1905), ‘Atma-Jeevani’ (1877), and ‘Srimad Bhagavad Gita’ (1885) are highly respected works.

            In contemporary Odia literature, Fakir Mohan Senapati is currently being widely read in Hindi due to translations. He is credited with bringing realism to Odia literature. Prominent Hindi critics like Namvar Singh, Manager Pandey, and Lalana Prasad Singh have praised his writings extensively. His stories provide a true reflection of the society and politics of his time. Reading his stories feels similar to experiencing the early works of Premchand before Premchand. Fakir Mohan Senapati has significantly contributed to Indian literature by connecting literature with the lives of common people.  He developed a new style of storytelling, where realism and satire blend seamlessly. Through comparative analysis of his stories, character dissections, and rapid dialogues, it becomes evident that Odia society underwent economic exploitation during colonial times. This led to widespread poverty and fear, which is depicted vividly in his stories.