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.
