Textuality of public place in the selected short stories of Ruskin Bond

Abstract or Introduction

This paper deals with four major short stories of Ruskin Bond where railway station is the setting and Bond attempts to build private relations in public atmosphere. I have not specifically dealt with space theory, but certain concepts like Auge’s idea of non-place, Tuan’s meaning of existence, and the relation between man and environment, which were necessary while justifying the tendency of the author to transform the railway station into a private place for expressing his character’s personal desires.The bond of human relationships emphasizes Bond’s understanding of the human mentality, nature, thoughts, and behaviour. Bond’s stories display human feelings like affection, care, kind heartedness, insecurities, sorrow, and disgust. As his art is often referred to as autobiographical, his characters are real and we can find them in our neighbourhood. The incomparable way in which he alters the unexciting, dull things in our everybody life into something really striking and interesting fascinate not only the common reader but also the literary world. Travelling and communication with masses is equally important for humanity which makes one socially upgraded and sometimes may give birth to inventive artists like Ruskin Bond.