UMASHANKAR JOSHI’S HILLI: A TALE OF ‘SEARCH FOR IDENTITY’

Umashankar Joshi was a remarkable poet and playwright of twentieth century Gujarati literature. He remained one of the chief contributors amongst Gujarati writers to lead the society as well as Gujarati literature towards new directions. He emphasized the Gandhian ideology and enriched the tradition of Gujarati Literature. Umashankar Joshi exposes the social and economic ills deeply entrenched in the society. The girl named Hilli in the story is devoid of motherly love since her childhood. She is shown motherless growing under the care of Bavaji, the Sadhu at the outskirts of a village. Joshi stresses on the wretched predicament of motherless girl deprived off her social identity and her ultimate comfort in the form of seeking the mother within herself. Hilli remains the victim of immoral societal structure. The writer seems to confirm the hopes and despairs of human mind in a striking manner. One of the fascinating features of this story is ‘Hilli continues to exist herself within two personalities': mother and a daughter.