Embedded Files
Ishwar Singh’s voice was failing. ‘I’ll tell you.’ He ran his hand over his throat, then looked at it, smiling wanly. ‘What a motherfucking creature man is!’
Ishwar Singh’s voice was failing. ‘I’ll tell you.’ He ran his hand over his throat, then looked at it, smiling wanly. ‘What a motherfucking creature man is!’
Click on the image or heading above to access this short story, which is taken directly from our edition of Mottled Dawn. It’s important to use this specific version—the one from the book—rather than any other version you might come across online. Since this is a translated text, other versions may differ in their translation and interpretation.
Consider This...
Consider This...
The "Consider This..." questions are designed to help you think about the methods used by the writer, and the different ways in which the text could be interpreted. Collect evidence and give possible answers to each of the questions to better understand this story.
Skill Builders
Skill Builders
ٹھنڈا گوشت
ٹھنڈا گوشت
Manto’s original Urdu title "Thanda Gosht" (Cold Meat) for Colder than Ice is stark, visceral, and deliberately jarring. It conjures both physical and moral decay—suggesting lifelessness, numbness, and a chilling aftermath of violence. The title roots the story in bodily horror and the dehumanising effects of communal hatred, forcing readers to confront the brutal realities of Partition on an intimate, corporeal level. The English title "Colder than Ice", while still chilling, has a different impact.
Consider: How does the transformation from "Thanda Gosht" to "Colder than Ice" shape your understanding of the protagonist’s guilt and the story’s depiction of violence? Does the abstraction deepen or dilute the horror?
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse