




































American International Journal of Social Science Research; Vol. 3, No. 1; 2018 

ISSN 2576-103X   E-ISSN 2576-1048 

Impact Factor: 4.6 

Published by Centre for Research on Islamic Banking & Finance and Business, USA 

   

 

48 

 

Dreaming a Better World through Literature: Positive Psychology 

in the Select Short Stories of Humayun Ahmed 
 

 

K. M. Wazed Kabir
1
 & Md. Shamim Mondol

2
 

 
1
Associate Professor and Chairman, Department of English, Green University of Bangladesh, Bangladesh   

2
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Green University of Bangladesh, Bangladesh     

 

Correspondence: K. M. Wazed Kabir, Department of English, Green University of Bangladesh, Bangladesh, 

Email: chairman@eng.green.edu.bd 

 

To cite this article: Kabir, K. M. W., & Mondol, M. S. (2018). Dreaming a Better World through Literature: 

Positive Psychology in the Select Short Stories of Humayun Ahmed. American International Journal of Social 

Science Research, 3(1), 48-52. Retrieved from https://www.cribfb.com/journal/index.php/aijssr/article/view/221 

  

 

Received: December 10, 2018        Accepted: December 15, 2018          Online Published: December 20, 2018 

                                          

 

Abstract 

Humayun Ahmed has been instrumental in guiding readership in Bangladesh with his profuse literary works for 

over forty years. He enjoyed in his life time and is still enjoying after death consistently unchallenged highest 

popularity. His acceptance among the readers specially the youth is due to his deeper understanding of the 

socio-cultural situations of post-independent Bangladesh and psyche of the people in general specifically the 

town dwelling middle class. His major focus in his writings is to bring out the lighter and brighter part to make 

life worth of living in every situation irrespective of its gravity. Both his novels and short stories stimulate a 

happier mood and purer mind through bringing out the positive aspects of life. This widely recognized area of 

Humayun goes well with the youngest branch of psychological studies, positive psychology. This paper is an 

attempt to study Humayun Ahmed's select short stories from the view point of positive psychology.  

 

Keywords: Positive Psychology, Unchallenged, Understanding, Stimulate, Brighter 

 

1. Introduction 

Humayun Ahmed (1948-2012) was man of versatile talent and epical success in his career as a writer, dramatist, 

film maker and professor. He made his appearance in Bangla literature in 1972 with his debut novel Nondito 

Noroke (In Blissful Hell) written when he was a university student. With the first book, he got appreciation and 

acceptance from the critics and scholars. In his career over forty years, he penned over two hundred books with 

unmatched popularity and influence. “He is the most widely read writer in Bangla literature.” (Murshid, 2012, 

95). He wrote over hundred short stories and touched the major trends and significant issues in them. “Among 

them, there are the stories of the middle class, poor, the Liberation War, love, mystery, supernatural, science 

fictions, farce, children’s story, ghost stories etc. Whatever may be the genre or theme, humanitarian aspects are 

prominent in most of his stories.”(Rahman, 2012, p. 217) Some scholars, however, has considered his short 

stories as the most important of all his contributions and consider him one such a powerful story teller that can 

be unparalleled even in the world literature. Syed Shamsul Haq (2012) thinks, “Humayun Ahmed will cement 

his position longest for his short stories. Some of his short stories are unique in consideration of not only Bangla 

literature but also the world literature. He has sketched life impeccably.” (Cited in Moom Rahman, p. 217) 

2. Literature Review 

Humayun Ahmed has been the maker of the dreams of the youth for decades in Bangladesh and he has 

successfully brought happiness in the life of the people plunged in crisis. His writings have been assessed and 

discussed by the scholars and critics often with general commentaries. Many of them find him a writer writing 

with a soul for human beings and their happiness. Hoque (2012) puts thus, “For forty years, he has built dreams 

of all people starting from seven and half crore to sixteen crore. ...He filled our period of growth with pleasure. 

He has molded our mind and built out taste and influenced our prose.” (27-18) In his writings, he put to use 

diction unlike others in the history of Bangla literature and his language not only holds the emotion of the 

people but also influences others in writing lucidly for the people. Zaman focuses on the background in which 



 
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Humayun wrote throughout his life. It was a trouble-torn society where problems creep up and boggle all in 

every step and the writer has succeeded in providing them a taste of life. He thinks, “The creations of Humayun 

Ahmed were done in the background of the all devouring despondency, unemployment, lack of democracy, 

depravation, emergence of autocrat and its oppressions, the urge of the youth to come out of this circle.”  

(Zaman, 2012,  p. 197) Humayun’s contribution to add pleasure and happiness in the life of the people torn with 

problems and crisis is immense and the people can feel it quite easily. Saha (2012) thinks, “He has quenched the 

thirst of the people who see so many cruelties around and want a bit of smile and pleasure.” (p. 177) Some 

critics also find humanitarian values in his narratives.  Moom Rahman (2012) sees the writer unparalleled in 

weaving human soul in his stories. To her, “Humayun Ahmed is truly unparalleled and powerful in his 

humanitarian values and diverse style of expressions.” (p. 233) While some writers have pinpointed the positive 

aspects in all the writings of the writer. Syed Shamsul Haq (2012) summarizes, “I can see three lights in the 

depth of Humayun Ahmed’s writings: truth, purity and beauty. These three lights have enlightened his stories, 

novels, travelogues, memoirs, even the light hearted writings. But it is true that his readers remain busy with 

discovering entertainment through simplicity instead of that light.” (p. 382) Mofidul Hoque finds him more 

significant as a writer than readers and critics think him to be. To him, Humayun Ahmed is a revolutionary who 

left the traditional way to deal with socio-political and cultural issues of the country and presented them in so 

diverse manners that often the people get baffled and can’t realize his worth. He thinks, “The Bngalee showed 

great deficiencies in understanding his worth despite his enormous emotionalism and exuberance, and boundless 

love.” (p. 170) He suggests deeper study of the writer for understanding more and more implications yet to be 

explored. This paper can contribute to add a new dimension to the study of the short stories of Humayun Ahmed 

and positive psychology can be the most fitting theoretical aspect for that exploration.  

3. Positive Psychology: A Theoretical Perspective  

Positive psychology as a new domain of psychology started its formal journey in 1998 when Martin Seligman as 

the president of the American Psychological Association chose this as the theme of his term and he along with 

Csikszentmihalyi (2000) define positive psychology as a “science of positive subjective experience, positive 

individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that 

arise when life is barren and meaningless” (p. 5) The premises of this approach draw from humanistic 

psychology advanced by Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and others who came to prominence in mid-twentieth 

century and emphasized the realization and expression of every individual’s capabilities and creativities, a 

process of self-actualization.  

Since the devastation of the World War II, psychology concentrated more and more on repairing the damage in 

human functioning and healing them which downplay the fulfilled individual’s perspective and flourishing 

community. Positive psychology fills in the gap by focusing more on building positive qualities for a life worth 

living. Its main focus is on eudaimonia, the good life which aims at a life more worthy and fulfilling. It can be 

seen as a reaction against the practices and premises of psychoanalysis and behaviorism which deal mainly with 

the negative psychological aspects to cure. In these practices, positive qualities like creativity, spirituality and 

hope are dealt negatively while positive psychology attempts “to understand and build the factors that allow 

individuals, communities, and societies to flourish”. (Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M., 2014. p. 5) 

Positive psychology relies heavily on the scientific method in understanding the complex human behavior and 

problems. It takes into account both issues of repairing the worst as well as building the best. In the study of 

positive psychology, Seligman with his “Authentic Happiness Theory,” and then “Well-being Theory”, Mihaly 

Asikszentmihalyi with his theory of flow and Christopher Peterson’s concept of Character Strengths and Virtues 

contributed in founding the base of this field. The workings of this approach are summarized in the following 

manner: 
 

The field of positive psychology at the subjective level is about valued subjective experiences: well-being, 

contentment, and satisfaction (in the past); hope and optimism (for the future); and flow and happiness (in the 

present). At the individual level, it is about positive individual traits: the capacity for love and vocation, courage, 

interpersonal skill, aesthetic sensibility, perseverance, forgiveness, originality, future mindedness, spirituality, 

high talent, and wisdom. At the group level, it is about the civic virtues and the institutions that move 

individuals towards better citizenship: responsibility, nurturance, altruism, civility, moderation, tolerance, and 

work ethic.” (Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M., 2000, p. 5) 

4. Locating Positive Psychology in the Select Short Stories of Humayun Ahmed  

“Ekti Neel Botam” (“A Blue Button”) is a short story anthologized in Premer Golpo (Love Stories) by Humayun 

Ahmed. It is about a relationship of a young man named Ronju working in an add farm with an aristocratic and 

wealthy family of Dhaka. He is inferior in his social, cultural and finical positions to the family. He puts it like 

this, “Who am I? Nobody. A meager man. I work in an add farm. I count every paisa of the small amount earn. 

And these people? I think, the guard standing at their gate is paid more than I do.” (p. 75) He happens to come 

to this house with one of their relatives and is fascinated with the behavior of the pretty young girl of the house 

named Esha towards him. She appreciates his tall figure and makes him do a fancy work of fitting a nail. But 

she does not tell him the use of it and keeps it at suspense by telling him to come again and see. He takes it as a 



 
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pretext to come here again, but he knows that is not necessary. When he comes again, he is afraid that they may 

not recognize him though he has a firm conviction because their house is always open. “Any one can come at 

any time. There is no barrier.” (p. 75) 

However, he is recognized by Esha’s father who interacts with him and wants to know from him of the news 

about the country in a tone as if he were known for a long time, as if he were a knowledgeable person, as if he 

were an important man. Even Esha who is in a hurry and is going out,  stops seeing him, repents for not being 

able to give him time, but still adds value to him by showing him the use of the nail he has fixed on the first 

visit. He hesitates whether he should go inside or not, Esha’s father insists him to go. He finds a beautiful show 

piece having flowing light if electric connection is given. Thus he comes in contact with a positive old man, a 

pretty and positive young girl and a beautiful showpiece that he has never seen before. She tells him how they 

got it. She tells him of her father and his story telling pattern and informs him of their father-daughter 

relationship. She also gifts him a beautiful smile that brings a deep sigh and a thought, “I don’t know who the 

lucky fellow who will get this girl all his life.” (p. 76) The father too shares his views on life and the world 

which can be done with the intimate persons. This feeling of intimacy grows in Ronju. Positivity breeds 

positivity. Everything looks beautiful to him. He gets spontaneous invitation from them, “Come again.” (p. 79)   

A great change comes over him and he dreams a better life. He stops gossiping with the friends who use nasty 

words about the girls and enjoy. He can no longer tolerate this nonsense. He gets admitted in a college at night 

shift to do his MA. He buys a new window screen, a mosquito net and a bed sheet. He manages a painting from 

an artist friend and whitewashes the walls of his room himself. His friends insinuates to the physical pleasure in 

that new setting. He asks himself, “In what darkness are they groping? Will they not come out of it?” (p.78)  

He has his own philosophy of life which is better and brighter and full of positivity than before. His life changes 

as he gets a space to nurture his strength by changing the attitudes to life. Thus the writer shows a way where 

people of different classes can interact to bring a better change in the society through mutual respect.  

Love affair is common among the youth and the break ups are also common which often makes one side 

embittered and frequently the incidents of acid throwing and physical tortures for refusal in affair are seen in our 

society. Humayun Ahmed deals with the issue delicately to change the view point of the youth.  In the short 

story “Ekjon Kritodas” (“A Slave”), the writer has narrated a very simple and familiar story of a young couple 

who is supposed to get married on the day the story starts. The unnamed hero is waiting for his beloved Parul to 

go to his friend, Harun's house where they are to get married. Shocked hero gets back home and finds a slip left 

by Parul to call a land phone number. Being shattered, he spends the whole noon on bed and touches no food, 

and continues thinking that his relation with Parul is over.  At the evening, he gets out and calls Parul. She talks 

in a very playful tone with the air of a child. She informs him of her getting a job in a kindergarten. When 

reminded of marriage, she in a very normal tone tells him to delay it. She adds in a spontaneous tone, “The state 

of your business is such these days that if we get married, we would have to eat a single meal a day.” (p. 92) He 

understands that she will never marry him though they both made shopping in the New Market for arranging the 

room. He feels like killing himself but fails as he lacks the courage. He incurs consecutive loss in his business. 

He loses money as his friend who borrowed from him dies. He fails in all attempts and investment for business. 

He even takes pain in managing a decent life. He realizes, “Girls can conjecture well. Parul in the truest sense 

foresaw my future.” (p. 92) This gives him space to justify Parul’s stand. Communication slackens, and he never 

approaches her. But sometimes they meet, and every time Parul comes forward and shows every sympathy and 

feels genuinely shocked for the degraded health and business and shows courtesy by offering him tea. She even 

seeks his help in buying gift for her friend's son's birthday. She never mentions even mistakenly about their 

marriage. He gets surprised to see confident and vain Parul with her “post of a school master of three hundred 

taka.” (p. 93)  

He gets the news of her marriage in April and “almost forgives her for not showing cruelty by sending him 

invitation card.” (p. 93) He feels relieved, enjoys a film, gossips with friends, and has the air as if nothing 

happened and what happened is happening on regular basis. He feels relieved and says, 

That night the air in my room starts feeling warm and humid. I keep awake till mid night. Lying on bed, I 

gradually delve down in the thought that with a bit progress in my business, I will marry a simple girl with sad 

look. And I will guffaw while sharing Parul's story of heartlessness. (p. 93) 

Thus he bounces back while he is supposed to be hard and harsh. The writer’s attempt to show how to deal with 

the tough situations in adversary is obvious. His situation deteriorates and comes to a point when he has to sell 

all the fancy items like a three band Philips transistor, a record player and a table clock. Still one day he has to 

pass a day eating a bit of bread. He even starts feeling that the marginal people eating street side food are much 

happier. He does some petty jobs and Parul gets deleted from his memory. So the bitter days does not breed 

bitterness at all. Life must be welcome whatever may be the situation.  

However, one day while passing by Mohammadpur Bazar, He sees a baby like a doll holding Parul's part of 

saree. He tries to avoid any meeting. Still “Just for a moment, it seems to him, this doll like girl could be his 

daughter.” (p. 94) He gets back to reality thinking of his job in Sobhan Mia's Indenting Farm. He gets the job 

and attends office on foot, but he cannot enjoy at all. To him, “It is a boring, insipid life and while gets awake at 



 
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mid night, I feel like dying.” (94) He avoids the meeting with the familiar people. Still he sees Parul one day 

possibly with her husband and another day with another girl walking and laughing. He, however, has got 

transformed in look and body. So, even the most intimate people cannot recognize him. He is by then sure that 

Parul too will not be able to recognize him, but he fails. “Parul can recognize me in a moment. She stands 

confounded seeing me. She cannot speak for few moments.” (p. 95) He inquires of Parul and tells her of his 

emergency to go away instantly. With surprise and sadness, she stares at him. When he takes steps forward, she 

only says, “You have reduced to such state!” (p.95) He tells her of his failure in business and seeks her 

permission to leave. “Parul says nothing in reply. I see with surprise, her eyes fill with tears. Turning her face to 

another direction, she stands for some time, and then leaves walking in an exhausted manner.” (p. 95) 

This tear does a lot for him. “I totally forgot Parul. Love affair is merely a trifle matter to the life which I am 

living. But Parul gets herself established with the few drops of her worthless tears.” (p. 95) Love returns to his 

life. There is no sense of revenge, only reward. Humayun just reiterates Rabindranath’s poem,  

“He who looks up to me 

With unfathomable forgiveness 

All my depths and deficiencies 

I’ll sacrifice myself for him.” (2013, 63) 

The writer knows that the people of Bangladesh are happy not because they have desired affluence, rather 

because they have their own faith in something or somebody. With this faith and waiting, they have their own 

type of fulfillment. This mode of life with hope and dream has been explored by the writer. The short story 

“Ochin Brikkho” (“The Unknown Tree”) is all about waiting for golden days of human beings in general and 

elongating that with optimism. There is a tree in a remote rural area which carries fairy tales of its own that once 

a witch was passing over the village. She felt thirsty and was quenched here. Feeling satisfied, she awarded 

them the tree asking them to take care of it. She said, “The tree will bear flower after a long time. You all will 

then be free of pangs and pains. The flowers of this tree are elixir. It will work if it is taken after a day’s 

fasting.” (121) It has earned great veneration for itself through a long nourished faith that once the tree yields 

flower, it will work as elixir, every ill one will be cured, poverty and suffering will disappear and all will be 

happy. But nobody knows when that time will come. But all people there in the village at least know it clearly, 

“The time to yield flowers have not come. Flowers will bloom in the right time. This tree takes much time for 

bearing flower.” (p. 119)  

The area is a remote one and the people are poor. They have their fight of life. The most important man among 

them is a primary school teacher who, “Seeing him at a glance, he looks like a man defeated in the struggle of 

life. He is alive because he has to.” (p. 120) His wife is in death bed suffering from serious illness and he can do 

nothing as he has already sold all his property for her treatment. Still he is hopeful that she will be cured with 

the help of the tree. The people feel proud that the dignitaries come to the village for the tree. “The dignitaries 

come from the town to see the unknown tree, we feel very good. We get chance to meet the people of high 

esteem.” (p. 120)  

Humayun Ahmed has written over one hundred stories and all are with his magical touch of love and affection 

for human beings and the surroundings. His efforts are always with betterment of life and the society which 

instantly brings to mind the assumptions and aims of positive psychology.  

5.Conclusion 

The study shows how Humayun Ahmed has made use of his pen to portray the characters and themes in a 

positive light without any imposition of a humanitarian writer. He rather incites the potentials, makes them 

space to flourish, unenvelops the unexcavated parts of a personality and shows the way to make life worth 

living. His tasks go well with the positive psychologists who endeavor to make life better by throwing light on 

the positive psychological aspects and socio-cultural phenomenon. Humayun Ahmed's contribution is no less 

than a positive psychologist in reshaping the psyche of the people and boosting the best to advance in the better 

and pleasant track which shows his dreams of a better world through his literary works. 

References 

Ahmed, H. (2000), Premer Golpo (Love Story), Dhaka, Ananya.  

Haq, Syed Shamsul. (2012), Humayun Ahmed, His Departure, In  Humayn Ahmed: Souvenir, Dhaka: 

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Hoque, Mofidul, (2012), The Hero of Transforming the Form: Humayun Ahmed, In  Humayn Ahmed: 

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Tagore, R. (2013), Shesher Kobita (The Last Poem), Dhaka, Bishwo Shahitto Kendro.  

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