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.