Perspectives

Literary movement

The short story “Dusk over Atlantic Wharf” by Susmita Bhattacharya has several elements of modernist literature.

One of them is the open ending, which also has an element of ambiguity. We are not given a resolution to Lata’s story, and we can only guess whether she will manage to adjust to her new environment, as well as to her marriage. The last sentence of the story: “ ‘Let’s go home.’ ” (l. 150) could provide a glimpse of hope, meaning that Lata is beginning to see her house in Cardiff as home, or it could echo her wish to go back home to India.

Another modernist element is the pessimistic nature of the story. The mood is gloomy throughout the narrative, as we see things from Lata’s point of view, and she feels awkward and out of p...