Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Mulk Raj Anand was a brave writer who dealt with the political structures and societal problems of the time and offered solutions in his own way. A similar story of the struggle of a growing kid against a prejudiced and discriminatory society is told by Mulk Raj Anand in The Barber’s Trade Union.
Chandu is the protagonist, a teenage boy. Unlike Bakha (Untouchable), and Munno (Coolie) who were submissive and succumbed to the circumstances, Chandu is a dynamic character full of confidence, candor, and ingenuity.
Summary of The Barber’s Trade Union
The narrator introduces Chandu as one of the makers of modern India. Chandu and the narrator used to live in the same village and they attended the same school. Chandu was a good student. Chandu’s father was the barber of the village. The narrator’s mother didn’t like Chandu much because Chandu won a scholarship at school while she had to pay fees for her son to be taught. Furthermore, the narrator belonged to a higher class and caste. His mother always dissuaded him from being a friend of Chandu, a low caste. Chandu’s father died of an illness and he had to stop his studies so that he may work and earn for his family. He already had learned all the skills of a barber and his father had taught him some other skills too like treating pimples, boils, and ulcers on people’s bodies. Chandu started visiting the homes of all the important people of the village, including the landlord Bijay Chand, Lawyer Lalla Hukum Chand, Pandit Paramanand, and the Sahukar of the village to shave their beards and cut their hair promptly. Everyone would offer 2 paise for his services that his mother would collect.
He used to visit Raja Bijay Chand’s house every morning to shave his beard. Often people gave gifts to Chandu for his good behavior and prompt service. The Subedar of the village offered him khaki pants to wear while Lalla Hukum Chand offered his old frayed black velvet waistcoat decorated all over with shell buttons that he no longer use, and a round felt cap to Chandu.
The narrator always felt a bit envious of Chandu as Chandu enjoyed much more freedom. After completing his routine of duties in the village and taking bath, Chandu used to visit the nearby big town while sitting on the footrest of the closed carriage of Lalla Hukum Chand who used to daily visit the district court situated in the town. As he was earning, he often used to buy little gifts for the narrator and would tell him the marvelous rich things he used to see in the big market of the town. Chandu often used to talk about Kalan Khan, a dentist who worked in the town. Chandu often observed him during his visits to the town and was highly impressed by his sense of duty and his clothing. While he was working as a barber, he had this dream of becoming a doctor but he couldn’t as he already had dropped out of school. Chandu would often talk about the nice impressive dressing sense of Kalan Khan who used to wear a starched shirt with an ivory collar and bow tie, a black coat and striped pantaloons, and leather shoes. Doctor Kalan Khan also had a leather bag that he used to keep his instruments to be used in dentistry.
One day, Chandu informed the narrator that he has bought a new set of barber instruments. He asked if it would be a good idea if he buys a leather bag for the new instruments, a new shirt, a coat, striped pants, and a pair of black leather shoes like dentist Kalan Khan? The narrator said that it would help him keep his tools properly and he will look great in the new dress. Chandu said that though he cannot learn as much as doctor Kalan Khan, his father taught him to treat pimples, boils, and ulcers on people’s bodies. Thus, even though he is not a doctor, he knows how to treat people and can wear the same clothes. The narrator agreed with him and encouraged him to buy the leather bag and new clothes.
The next day, when Chandu visited landlord Bijay Chand’s house to shave his beard, Bijay Chand noticed his leather bag and leather shoes and got furious. He stopped him from entering his house and debase the house with the leather shoes and leather bag which he said is made of the skin of a dead cow. Chandu said that this is the dress of a doctor to which the landlord abused him and said that he is the son of a barber and will always remain a barber and he should wear clothes befitting his status of a lowborn barber. He threatened him that if he saw him again in such a dress, he will flog him. Chandu got out of the landlord’s house and proceeded to Sahukar’s shop to shave his beard. Sahukar saw him coming out of the landlord’s house and started abusing him. He said that when Chandu must take care of his old mother and home as his father is no more, he is engaging in nefarious activities and disguising himself as a clown. He told him to get rid of the clothes of hospital folks and then only he will let him touch his hair. Chandu was humiliated and decided to go away from there. The narrator was observing all this and he tried to support him. He said to the Sahukar that he may ask Pandit Parmanand, who was coming out of the house of the landlord as he was summoned by Bijay Chand for cleaning his house because Chandu entered with leather shoes. Pandit Parmanand shouted at the narrator for supporting Chandu. Pandit said that if the narrator works hard and studies well in school, he may become a doctor one day, and then he may wear the dress of hospital folks but Chandu, being a low caste born, has no right to wear such a dress. Chandu was too humiliated and he decided to run away from the village.
In the evening, the narrator saw Chandu again. He informed the narrator that he went to the town where he earned more than a rupee by shaving the beards of people in the market. He said that what happened to him in the morning was good after all as it offered him a way to earn much more. Chandu said that now he has decided to teach a lesson to all those who humiliated him. He said that within three-four days, he will show the narrator something so hilarious that he will have the best laugh of his life.
The next day, Chandu met the narrator and said that he has decided to buy a secondhand cycle from Lala Hukum Chand’s son for rupees five and asked the narrator to help him in learning to ride the bicycle. It will allow him to go to the town early in the morning without waiting for Lala Hukum Chand’s carrier. The narrator agrees to help him learn to ride the bicycle. Chandu’s mother is anxious though as the people of the village told her that they won't let Chandu work in the village unless he atones his sin of using leather shoes and a leather bag. Chandu, being ingenious and intelligent, learns to ride the bicycle pretty soon and starts going to the town and earning much more than he was earning in the village. As his mother sees that her son is making much more money, she decides to support him and oppose the villagers from bullying him. After four-five days, Chandu visit’s the narrator’s house and takes him to show the hilarious thing he promised. He takes him to the farm village potter near the house of the landlord from where they could see the front of Sahukar’s shop. The narrator and Chandu observe a gathering of farmers sitting in front of the shop as they have come to sell their crops to the landlord and Sahukar. Chandu asks the narrator if he has observed something weird, to which the narrator says no. Then Chandu says that the narrator should see carefully and then he will see the landlord sitting among the peasants with his long-jawed face dirtied by the white scum of his unshaven beard. As the narrator notices, he laughs loudly. Then the narrator also sees the Sahukar with an excessive mustache dirtied by the brown tinge of tobacco he is chewing. Chandu asks the narrator to go running fast by the shop while shouting Beavers, Beavers, satirizing the landlord and Sahukar. The narrator readily agrees as he remembered how they abused his friend a few days ago. As the narrator passes by the shop and shouts Beavers, Beavers!, the peasants sitting around them started laughing loudly. This angered the landlord who told his men to catch the boy as he is supporting Chandu, the barber. But they failed to catch the narrator.
The landlord, Sahukar, and other eminent men of the village were deeply troubled as it has been seven days since Chandu stopped taking care of their growing beards and hair. The rumor of Chandu’s strike spread like fire. The Sahukar came up with a solution and told the landlord to call the barber from the nearby village Verka to cut their beard and hair and in return, they may pay him one Anna instead of two paise. However, Chandu had already thought of this situation and he outwitted them by contacting Dhunoo, the barber of village Verka, who was his cousin. Chandu had seen Niranjan Das’s barber shop in the town many times. Together, they opened a shop beside the road from the village to the town. They decided that from that day, they won’t go to anybody’s house to shave their beard or cut their hair. If anybody has to take their services, they must visit their shop and pay the genuine fee. They decided to name their shop Chandu Brothers, Hairdressing and Shaving Saloon.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of Indian English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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