'Journal of Research & Development' A Multidisciplinary International Level Referred and Peer Reviewed Journal, Impact Factor-7.265, ISSN: 2230-9578, 25June-2021, Volume-11, Issue-19, Changing Perspectives of Language, Literature, Science and Social Science 171 Apprehending the striking elements of Psychological Realism in Shashi Tharoor's short story 'The Boutique.' Priyanka Marwaha Research Scholar, CT University, Ludhiana Email:marwahapriyanka@gmail.com Abstract Literature and psychology have originated from the same womb: the human psyche. Psychological realism is a literary genre that gained its tempo in the second half of the 19 th century. It is a character-driven methodology that dives into the characters' psyche, focusing on what motivates them to make certain decisions and uses character's thoughts to express commentary on social or political issues rather than the plot. 'The Boutique' is a reflection of class discrimination embedded in Indian society. It is a story about the mother-son duo who feels insulted and succumbs to alienation in a posh boutique in Calcutta city. This paper attempts to critically examine the elements of psychological realism in 'The Boutique.' Through a close reading of the short story, relevant sentences and passages have been cited for providing textual evidence. Keywords- Psychological Realism, Indian English Literature, Shashi Tharoor, The Boutique, Short Story Introduction Literature is a mirror to society that reflects its virtues and, in its corrective function, also reflects society's ills to make people realise their mistakes and form suitable amendments. In the words of Walter Allen, "… contemporary novels are mirrors of the age, a very special kind of mirror, a mirror that reflects not merely the external features of the age but also its inner face, its nervous system, the coursing of its blood and the unconscious promptings and conflicts which sway it." (Allen 16) Each generation has its own set of aspirations, logic, fears, and tensions that inspire the writers to respond to those societal changes. Indian English Literature, right from its beginning, has been responsive to the changes in society. Indian English writers have written about the social realities like the reflection of India's tradition, culture, and ethos, partition effects and their impact on people, Indian middle-class life, nation-building, etc. Their solid fascination towards the changing scenes of the country and country life motivated them to depict the Indian people and the rustic background. Therefore, it can be said that the emergence of the Indian English Novel was not purely a literary phenomenon; instead, it began as a novel of realism. Realism Henry James describes realism as "… the drama of a broken teacup" that strives to present life as it is, omitting nothing ugly or painful and without idealisation or romantic subjectivity. As Ngugi wa Thiong'o writes, "… literature cannot escape from the class power structures that shape our everyday life. Here a writer has no choice whether or not he is aware of it, his works reflect one or more aspects of the ideological struggles in society" (Thiong'o 6). Realism is a slice of the Realist Art Movement that emerged in 19 th century France as a reaction to 18 th century Romanticism. Works of romanticism were considered way too exotic- that had lost touch with the actuality. Honoré de Balzac is one of the earliest realist writers, who infused his works with complex characters and detailed observations about the world at large. The realist writers applied journalistic techniques such as objectivity and fidelity to the facts of the matter and published their works either in serial form in periodicals or novels. The novel is fiction. Fiction and realism are strikingly opposite concepts that cease to exist together, and if they do, it is not easy to separate them. However, there are specific characteristics to identify Literary Realism- First, it tells the stories of ordinary folks and not heroes or villains, kings or queens. Second, it reflects the everyday lives of ordinary people generally belonging to the lower or middle class. Third, the character is more important than the action or story. Difficult ethical choices made by the character is often the subject of the plot. Fourth, it focuses on the sharp contrasts in society, for instance, the upper class v/s the lower class. Fifth, language is simple or vernacular, not heightened or poetic. The tone could be a matter of fact, satiric, or comic. And lastly, interior or psychological realism is present in a variant form. Psychological realism is an offshoot of literary realism that dives into the characters' psyche, focusing on what motivates them to make certain decisions and why. Rather than the plot, it uses the character's thoughts to express commentary on social or political issues. Psychological realism strives to explain that an individual is rather a composition of a network of motivations, interests, desires, and fears. These forces interact and battle with each other and build an individual personality. Thus, the novelists create complex and layered characters and lay their internal struggles bare for the readers through soliloquies or internal monologues. The actions in a psychological realist novel are internalised, and the changes in mood, perception, opinions, and ideas constitute the climax.