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.