Dreaming a Better World through Literature: Positive Psychology in the Select Short Stories of Humayun Ahmed

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.