Major Themes in Rohinton Mistry's Novels Nidhi Gupta - lapis lazuli

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Lapis Lazuli –An International Literary Journal / Vol.II/ Issue I /SPRING 2012 ISSN 2249-4529 Journey that Mistry foregrounds aspects of national politics and integrates them into the main plot of his narrative. With A Fine Balance, he reproduces his concerns about the imbrication of national politics and the fate of the individual. However, in Family Matters, because of the more intimate nature of his fictional terrain, state politics, though present, affect the main narrative only towards the end. Such a Long Journey is set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh—Pakistan wars of the 1970s. In this novel, public events have direct repercussions on the life of the ordinary citizen. Since the wars are a narrative excuse for the exploration of both political ethics and the problems of individual ethical-moral responsibility, an explanatory note on the historical events is in order. Such a Long Journey is the story of Gustad Noble who lives in Parsi compound with his wife and three children. A bank empoloyee, he commands respect in the compound. He is greatly loved by Tehmul-Lungraa- the lame man who also lives in the compound. Dinshawji is Gustad‘s close friend, whom he meets every day. Gustad nurses a silent pain caused by the disappearance of his former close friend, Jimmy Bilimoria, which he sees as betrayal. Until one day, missive comes from Bilimoria asking him to transfer some money to a new account. Reluctantly Gustad obliges, after having unsuccessfully tried to return the money. Bilimoria is involved in a national plot with political ramifications. He is arrested and imprisoned and when Gustad visits him, he listens to the helpless narrative of the dying man and surmises that he himself has been used. As he copes with the problems on the home front-the growing pains of his adolescent sons, the frailty of his young daughter (which implies further demands on an already strained household budget)-he attempts to improve their living conditions by asking a pavement artist to paint the htpp//www.pintersociety.com
Lapis Lazuli –An International Literary Journal / Vol.II/ Issue I /SPRING 2012 ISSN 2249-4529 wall of their compound. This wall becomes the focus of municipal attention and will be witness to the final movement of the novel. As a procession to demand better sewage facilities stops in front of what has become a wall of all religions, Tehmul dies. Sohrab reconciles with his father as the latter breaks down and cries in front of the corpse of the unwanted Tehmul for all the deaths he has stoically faced dry-eyed: his mother‘s, Bilimoria‘s and Dinshawji‘s. Historically, the Parsis came to India after the Arab conquest of Iran and their point of entry was Gujarat. The Parsis were active in the world of business and politics. Dadabhai Naoroji and Madame Cama were prominent Parsis in India‘s freedom movement. According to T.M. Luhrmann, the Parsis were influential player during the British Raj. They viewed the issue of independence with mixed feelings since many of them identified with Western culture. There was regret for the passing of an old way of life (during the Raj) and they linked their changed social fortunes to the departure of the British. (The Good, 14) This theme is interspersed throughout the stories, from the pitiful figure of Najamai in ―Swimming Lessons‖ to the ordinary heroism of the pathos-filled figure of Gustad Noble in Such a Long Journey. The narratives of A Fine Balance and Family Matters grow simultaneously more intimate and more closely concerned with the inner life and complex experiences of the protagonists, while paradoxically, also more concerned with contemporary social and political contexts. In Mistry‘s novels, we can easily find interconnectedness of various themes like theme of nationalism, alienation, oppression, human-relationship, fear and temptation. The homelessness of Ishvar and Om in the city makes them victims of the central government‘s plans for a city beautification-project endorsed by people of the middle class such as Nusswan Shroff and Mrs. htpp//www.pintersociety.com
Page 1: Nidhi Gupta Lapis Lazuli -An Intern
Page 5 and 6: Lapis Lazuli -An International Lite

Major Themes in Rohinton Mistry's Novels Nidhi Gupta - lapis lazuli

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?