Gandi- The Movie: Key Scenes

Here´s a list of the key scenes I´ve chosen

1) assassination scene

That this scene is shown in the beginning and in the end of the film, shows that it is very important. It´s like a frame of the movie.  I think, the viewer´s feelings towards this scene are different when you see it for the second time, because in the end you are very much involved with Gandhi and his life. It´s like you know him and his great ideas and although you´ve already seen his assassination, the end is sadder than the beginning.

I also think that the assassination scene is a key scene because it shows that the radicalness of Gandhi´s ideas splits the people and also arouses opposition.

2) Gandhi´s thrown out of the train

In this scene Gandhi´s thrown out of a train in South Africa, because he travelles first class although he´s Indian. It is a very important scene because the injustice he experiences leads to his struggel for equality and independence.

3) Gandhi´s fast

The fast-scene is a key scene because it shows the radcalness of Gandhi´s ideas. He´s willing to die for his belief. The scene also points at the strong influence Gandhi has on the Indians as they all stopp their fightings to save his life.

4) salt march

Of course the salt march is a key scene as it is THE symbol for Gandhi´s non-vionlent resistance and his struggle for independence. He fights againts the British and with this protest he wants to arouse an reaction and at least independence. The saltmarch shows that Gandhi is able to unite Hindus and Muslims, because they all figth together for the same reason.

5) Indians are beaten by the British in front of the salt works

This scene shows how much the Indians follow Gandhi and his idea of non-violence. Although the British beat them they do not defend themselves or escape from them. In opposite, they even walk towards them knowing that they will be hurt. Gandhi has acchieved that the Indians want to fight and don´t let themselves be oppressed by the British. The scene shows the effect Gandhi has on the Indians ans that´s why it´s a key scene.

Plotting the Story pp. 143-149

1970´s

Explain what taboo the narrator broke in the hospital.

In the hospital, there´s a poor man lying next to Chid. He has a broken leg and broken ribs what makes it unable for him to move. Sometimes hospital sweepers come and push a bedpan under him, but as he can not pay them, they often leave him for several hours not removing the bedpan. Of course this is very disgusting and uncomfortable not only for the man himself but also for those around him.

One day the narrator, who comes to the hospital and visits Chid every day, removes the bedpan under the old man, because she recognizes how much he suffers and commiserates with him. However, by doing so she brakes a big taboo. She describes the reactions like that: “Everyone looked at me as if I had committed some terrible act of pollution, and the fruit man himself alos shrnak from me…” (p. 145, ll 20/21). This points again at the big fear of pollution and illness of the Indians. As it is already shown in the story of the old beggar woman, the Indians are very much afraid of touching an ill person, because the want to save themselves from the disease. This also explains, why no one helps the poor man and everyone is so much shocked as the narrator helps him. Another reason, why it´s a taboo to help ill people like the poo man maybe is the cast system and the Hindu religion. The Indians think that the ill people deserve their sufferings because of what they did in an earlier life and so they do not have compassion. They do not help because they think that the ill person doesn´t deserve help. Consequently the narrator´s behaviour contradicts the Indian opinion and religion. That´s why she brakes a taboo.

However, I don´t think that the narrator wanted to offend the Indian culture, but just had compassion as she is a very helpful person. One really can´t accuse her of her behaviour. 

Plotting the Story p. 127-143

1970´s:

What attitude to abortion comes across in this section, and what does it say about Indian society?

When the narrator finds out about her pregnancy, Maji offers her to have an abortion (p. 129, l 3). It seems to be a very common thing in Indian society, because Maji talks about it as if it was a matter course. As a midwife she knows how to do it professionally and tells the narrator that there are several ways to produce it. This hints again at the implicitness and commonness of abortions in India. Many woman have it done, because it´s the only way for them to be saved from dishonour and disrespect (p.129, l 9), when they are pregnat, but not married. The narrator is in such a situation and that´s why Maji offers her the abortion.

In my opinion this shows how important honour and reputation of a woman and her familiy are and that they even are superior to a child´s life. I think, a woman who gets a illegitimate child is often cast out of her familiy and has no chance to find a husband. In India life must be terrible for a woman with a child born of an unmarried mother. In contrast to “our” western world, in India a child often is a big burden, that a lot of woman cannot stand. On top of that it can also be very expenive for a family to have a child, especially a daughter, because the parents have to pay a high dowry (we already talked about this in course). So I think, these are the main reason why there´s such a high rate of abortion in Indian society.

When Maji offers the abotion to the narrator she just wants to save her from all the sufferings that are in store for her. She is not married and on top of that she´s English, which could be a big problem for her and the father of the child. Maybe Maji she can also guess who the father is, and wants to save Inder Lal and his family from dishonour, too. Maji knows, that if her guess is right, he and his family would lose all their reptution in Indian society.

 

1923:

Assess the reactions of Douglas and the Nawab to Olivia´s pregnancy.

Both of them, the Nawab as well as Douglas, react very happy and positive to Olivia´s pregnancy. They are proud and none of them has doubts about not being the father of the child. Their reactions are very similar which is shown as both say exactly the same to Olivia:

Nawab: “Really you will do this for me?”…”You´re not afraid? Oh how brave you are!” (p. 141, ll 12 f.)

Douglas: “You´re not afraid?”…”You´ll really do this for me? How brave you are!” (p. 143, ll 8 f.)

This also shows that both are really proud and looking forward to be father. Their dream comes true and to both of them Olivia is the perfect mother of their child. This becomes clear as both of them always stroke “her slender hips and her flat abdomen”. Olivia is torn between two men, who both show that they love her and make no secrets of their love and happiness (p. 141, ll 3 f. + p. 139 ll. 6-11). Although the Nawab and Douglas are very different persons and do not like each other their reactions towards the pregnancy are the same. They are sure to be the father and think that the other one is already dismissed not knowing what´s really going on.

Plotting the Story pp. 103-116

Explain the significance of the story of the old beggar woman!

The story of the old beggar woman has a strong influence on the narrator´s attitude towards the way the Indian treat the homeless people , but also towards the Indian way of life. 

When the narrator finds the old woman lying apart of the people and dying she is appalled that no one cares. She wants to save the old woman, however, she doesn´t really know how, because no one wants to help being afraid of pollution and touching an ill, dirty person. Also Inder Lal is not willing to touch the woman and warns the narrator not to do it as well. This is the first point where the changing of the narrator is shown as she suddenly understands the Hindu fear of pollution. (That this is not the only reason why the Indians do not help homeless people, can be read in my article about beggars and cripples in Indian life.)

In the totally overcrowded hospital the narrator cannot find help either. The English doctor is the only one who is interested in her problem, nevertheless he cannot do anything. After she has seen all the other ill people in the hospital, the narrator feels that no one would miss the old woman, that she is just one out of thousands.  The question, where the old woman should die is no longer important and once again it becomes clear that the narrator is changing. She becomes more like everyone else and adapts to the Indian world around her.

However, also in this Indian world there are some people who do care and who do have the question, where the old woman should die. This is shown in the last part of the old woman´s story, when Maji brings her to a quiet place where she can peacefully die. The narrator experiences, how lovely Maji cares for the old woman and finds out, that although most of the Indians do not care, some of them are different.

On the one hand the story of the old woman has shown the narrator, why so many people do not help and has made her understand the fear of getting ill, but on the other hand the narrator has seen the love and tenderness of Maji, which support her own compassion and help.

Plotting the Story pp. 90-102

Assess Inder Lal´s reaction to the narrator´s reasons for being in India.

When Inder Lal asks the narrator why she has come to India, she explains to him, that many Europeans come to India to find spirituality, because they want to leave behind the Western materialism. Inder Lal can´t understand this explaination and it really hurts him. Although he is a very tradional and religious man, he is very interestd in sience and the modern western world. He can´t believe that people, who have everything, leave their luxurious life to live in a country which has nothing. He doesn´t feel the Indian spirituality, but is longing for progress.  Inder Lal feels ashamed for the poverty and the bad conditions in his country in front of the narrator. He is sure, that there´s no spirituality in a place like that and he is also sure that no one else could find it there. That´s why in his opinion the narrator´s explainations are a mockery. He even gets a little bit angry, because he feels ashamed and that his problems are not taken seriously.

I can understand Inder Lal´s reactions very well, becuase his feelings are comprehensible. How shall he understand that people leave their country and come to India, if he would so much like to swap with them?

Plotting the Story pp. 77-90

Explain the role of beggars and cripples in Indian life.

Beggars and cripples are part of the daily Indian life. There are so many of them on the streets that people are used to them and do ignore them. Some of them have afflictions and suffer from bad diseases, but also that is ignored by the other people. The homeless and poor people always trie not to attract attention and be part of the crowd. To foreign or European people the conditions and circumstances under which the baggars are living often are very cruel and the ignorance seems to be very inhumane.

In my opinion the way the Indian treat those people shows that they still maintain the cast-system. It´s also part of their religion, that everything a person gets or doens´t get in life is what he/ she deserves, because of his earlier incarnations. That means that all the beggars and cripples are responsible for their own sufferings because they did something bad in an earlier life. I can imagine that this is the reason why they get no help or charity from anyone.

Outline Olivia´s daily routine

Every day of Olivias life in India is the same. After she has had breakfast with Douglas early in the morning, Harry arrives with a Nawab´s car to pick her up. Together they drive to Khatm to the Nawab´s palace, where they spend the day together. The three of them, Olivia, the Nawab and Harry, have become quite good friends and a good company for each other. 

However, Olivia always has to return to Satipur before Douglas arrives at home, because he doesn´t know about her daily trips to the Nawab´s palace. She doesn´t tell him, because she wants him to forget and leave behind all his problems when he comes back from work. She does everything to make him feel comfortable and they spend wonderful evenings and nights together, which make Douglas love her even more.

The Suttee: Comment

“Being in favour of a barbaric ritual like the suttee reveals Olivia to be unreasonable, naive and disloyal. Her infatuation with the Indian culture makes her ignore that oppression, barbarism and cruelty are rife in this country.”

I wouldn´t say that Olivia is infatuated withthe Indian culture because she doesn´t really konw it. Althouch she´s living in India, exept for the Nawab everything around her is English: the friends, the language, the food…As Douglas doesn´t talk a lot about his work Olivia has no contact with the real Indian world and I guess she doesn´t think about all the cruel things happening around her. They´re no part of her life as it is the whole Indian culture.

In fact I think Olivia doesn´t really want to judge about the Indian culture when she supports the `suttee-idea`at the dinner party.  She only wants to make another stand to get attention and to have a different opinion from the others. By doing so she makes herself interesting and suddenly is the centre of the conversation. She get´s the advertence that Douglas doens´t give her.

In my opinion this is the main reason why she is in favour of the suttee. However, the ritual itself is not important in this situation, but having a different opinion. For Olivia it´s like a challenge and she enjoys it very much.

Plotting the Story pp.49-61

Analyse the relationship betwenn the narrator and Inder Lal

As the narrator says on page 50, she and Inder Lal make a strange couple: she is a tall and self-confindent English woman and he is a tradionally small Indian man who is not used to the emancipated western world. Nonetheless they have become good friends and both of them like to talk to and spend time with the each other. In the first time Inder Lal only liked to talk to the narrator so much because he wanted to practise his English. However, his attitude has changed during the time. This is shown as he now tells her lots of personal things and also his feelings, e.g. abpout his wife or his mother.

In opposite to Ritu, his wife, the narrator, who is educated and open-minded, is able to understand him and can answer or give advices. She seems to be everything for him Ritu isn´t and that´s why he spends so much time with her.

Also the narrator´s view in Inder Lal has changed. By talking about his feelings and dreams he has shown her that he is not the quiet, boring Indian man he seems to be, but full of live and energy. Also for her he is a trustful friend.

India in the 1970s-The Hippie Trail

Although it wasn´t a British colony anymore there were lots of Europeans travelling to India in the 1970s. They came with the ´Hippie trail`, a big movement of mostly young people in search for spirituality. The reasons why they came were several. On the one hand they wanted to leave the money-oriented European world, on the other they expected to find the spirituality. It was like a search for love, peace and yourself. Most of them had become fascinated by the Hindu religion and hoped to get inspiration from Hindu gurus.

This trail was caused by the Beatles in 1966 who got effected by Indian music and religion. Many young people wanted to follow their heros and live on their example. However, most of them failed. Instead of spirituality they found poverty and homelessness. Often they took drugs and suffered not only physically but also emotionally from cuture shock and illness. The narrator of Heat and Dust meets some of those people (Chid) and is confronted with their situations (e.g. the people she sees on the streets in her first diary entry). 

India in the 1920s

As it was a British colony in the 1920s India was ruled and controlled by the British. At that time the British were involved in India for more than 300 years and since it had become a British colony in the 1850s there had been lots of wars and movements for independence.

The chief representive of British rule in India was the Viceroy who was sent there by the British Crown. as the country was divided in provinces and districts there were several chief administrators being reponsible for one district. They collected the taxes, kept law and order and gave advice to people who came to them. In our novel Mr Crawford has this job and Douglas is his assistent.

The British also ruled the Indian princes such as the Nawab in Heat and Dust.

In general, the British had a very good, often even luxurious life. As they were the rulers they belonged to the upper class and lived in comfortable bungalows, often waited on by a large number of Indian servants.  The progress and industry Britain had brought to India was more an advance for the British than for the Indians themselves. They made the law and were the economic winners.

However, the poor Indian people and the farmers didn´t benefit from the new progress. In oppisite, they suffered from the high taxes and the force to cultivate export products like cotton and not their daily food anymore. In fact, the poverty grow higher and there were bad famines caused by aridity and flood. The British did less to help the Indians out of their terrible situation.