Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Ponnagaram

Abstract

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory helps in understanding the literature. Good authors tell stories that are realistic because their characters are based on real life people who develop as Maslow observed. This leads to research in the literature and particularly a short story, which is one of the literary genres written with some characters based on a specific theme, is taken as the field of study. It can be known that Pudhumaipithan is a writer who creates characters based on real life as his stories are only ‘Sketches’ that are metaphors about life. One of his short stories, “Ponnagaram” is taken for the study as it reflects the life of the commons. Thus, based on the hypothesis this paper compares and examines the elements of the pyramidal hierarchy of needs as Pudhumaipithan’s “Ponnagaram” is compatible with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory.