Influences of European Existentialism on Syed Waliullah’s Chander Amabassya

Abstract

Some theorists and authors, after the WWII, attempted to focus on the concept of meaning and meaninglessness of life and its inevitability in society. Though the concept dates back to the ancient period, as a literary issue, it has been popularized following two World Wars. Existentialism, as a concept, was coined in the late nineteenth century by Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard in his Either/Or (1843). Later on, Albert Camus, Franz Kafka, and Jean-Paul Sartre became well-known for their vivid use of the notion in their writings that emphasized and promoted ultimate freedom. As a result, they have garnered a sizable following worldwide. However, Syed Waliullah was the first novelist among his contemporaries who applied this concept to his works. Chander Amabassya (Night of No Moon) is one of them, with his search for the meaning of life and truth-bearing a strong continental philosophical impact. This article discusses how Waliulla's novel gets influenced by Camus, Kafka, and Sartre's concepts while retaining its uniqueness. Furthermore, it elucidates how the narrative of Chander Amabassya sheds light upon the vital issues of Existentialism.