The Tunnel by Ruskin Bond | Themes, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. 'The Tunnel' is a short story written by Ruskin Bond that was included in his novella titled The Road to the Bazaar and was first published in 1980. The subtitle of the story is ‘Calmness in Commotion.’ The story is based on the themes of curiosity, friendship, dedication, innocence, care and respect. The short story, The Tunnel, is placed in the foothills of the Himalayas, where train passing is possible. Some distance from Dehradun lies a small village, and some distance from that village, up in the hills, through the forest, goes a railway line. The railway line has one tunnel.

The story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator who talks about a teenage boy and his experiences with a railway watchman.

Characters of The Tunnel

Ranji is a teenage boy who is very curious about nature and surroundings. He is an innocent yet brave child. Ranji is very fascinated by trains. He travels from his home to the countryside to look at the train pass. Watching trains move past him appears to be his favorite source of enjoyment. Kishan is a forty-five-year-old man who is the protagonist of the story. He works as a watchman for the railways and shoulders the duty of inspecting and taking care of a tunnel through which the trains pass. Kishan lives in a small hut and he loves and respects nature, the jungle, and its inhabitants, including the wild animals. Kishan is a very honest man devoted to his responsibility of inspecting the tunnel to safeguard both humans and forest inhabitants.

Summary of The Tunnel:

Ranji is a teenage boy who lives in a small town. He likes to watch moving trains and would often visit the nearby village to witness the steam engine come out blazing through the tunnel. One day, while walking through the village, he meets the railway's watchman appointed to take care of the tunnel who lives in a small hut near the tunnel. Ranji feels an exciting sense of freshness at his hut which is surrounded by margold flowers and a vegetable garden.

Being curious enough, Ranji develops a rapport with Kishan who appears to be friendly. Kishan advises him about the life in jungle and the probable dangers that one may come across. Ranji learns that Kishan deeply loves and respects nature, the jungle, and its inhabitants. Ranji asks him how he manages to live alone in the jungle to which Kishan answers that he prefers the company of the animals in the jungle to the people he might encounter in town. Kishan mentions how he was robbed and fooled by a pick-pocket once he visited the town and since then he preferred to avoid going to the town as he feels safer in the jungle than being around other men.

Kishan tells him that he must inspect the tunnel twice a day. Two trains, one at day, the second one at night pass through that tunnel. He must make the tunnel clear of manageable obstacles like small stones or wild animals. For the day train, he waves a red flag if he finds anything objectionable in the tunnel. At night, he waves the lantern if something is wrong in the tunnel. If everything is fine, he does nothing and relaxes in his small hut.

Ranji learns that Kishan deeply likes and respects the jungle and nature and it is for this reason he feels safe in the jungle. Kishan tells him that he does not bother the animals in the jungle as he is a visitor to their home. Kishan says that he not only safeguards humans traveling in the train by making sure that the tunnel is free from any obstacle but also, he protects the wild animals that may stray away on the railway track in the tunnel. He mentions how he once saved a leopard who got stuck in the tunnel while a train was about to pass through it. Kishan says that he took an axe with him as he couldn’t trust that the leopard wouldn’t attack him but it was his duty to ensure that the leopard was not killed by the train.

Ranji learns a lot from Kishan who appears to be a gentle teacher to him. Ranji notices that nature like society has its rules but unfortunately, man does not like to adhere to the rules of nature. Preferring instead to put himself at the top of the food chain with total disregard for other animals. This is unlike Kishan who not only respects his environment but also knows his place in it. However, he is not a foolish man and knows that he cannot trust all animals and as such he has an axe to protect himself.

Another important lesson that Ranji learns is the fact that the life he lives in town may be more dangerous than living a life in the jungle. The story of Kishan and how he was robbed by a pick-pocket in the town allows Ranji to wonder if the modern life in the town is better than the calm life in the jungle. As time passes by, Ranji notices that the sun is setting down. He enjoys the nightlife of the forest call of a barking deer, the cry of a fox, the quaint tonk-tonk of a nightjar, the rhythmic sawing sound of a leopard cutting through the trees. Anyhow, Ranji returns safely to his home in the town.

A week later when Ranji is traveling to Delhi with his father on the night train, he tries to make out the old man and his lantern and his hut, and soon he sees the lantern hanging outside the hut which means he has done his duty of checking the tunnel and retired for the night. Ranji feels gratitude for the watchman who strictly follows his duty for the sake of others and trains in which thousands of passengers exist.

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!

Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson | Themes, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. ‘Nature’ is a long spiritual essay, a book written by Ralph Waldo Emerson that was published in 1836. In this essay, Emerson talks about the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature and suggests that humans often fail to realize and appreciate the true beauty of nature. He says that while nature offers everything required for humans, they fail to reciprocate. However, he says that the only way to achieve true happiness and calmness is to experience the wholeness of nature. To attain oneness or wholeness with nature, one must shed of the flaws and distractions imposed on us by society. While people generally think that nature is the mere reflection of human will/manipulation, a means for human ends, Emerson suggests that humans are nothing but a part of nature and to attain their full potential, they should strive to be one with nature.

Later on, Emerson continued to explore these spiritual ideas and that became the backbone of Transcendentalism. This spiritual movement influenced many other thinkers and writers including Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Bronson Alcott.

In 1833, Emerson toured Europe where he came in close contact with William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Thomas Carlyle. He was influenced by the literary, artistic, and philosophical movement of Romanticism in Europe. His ideas expressed in Nature can be compared with those of William Wordsworth’s ideas in his poems ‘Expostulation and Reply’ and ‘The Tables Turned.’

Summary of Nature by Emerson:

In the Preface's first edition published in 1836, Emerson used a passage from the Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus which suggests the primacy of spirit and human understanding over nature. In the second edition published in 1840, he changed the Introduction and used one of his own poems instead which emphasizes the unity of all manifestations of nature, nature's symbolism, and the perpetual development of all of nature's forms toward the highest expression as embodied in man.

Emerson divided his transcendentalist essay into an introduction and eight following parts while outlining his initial ideas about the fundamental relationship of humanity with nature. These eight parts are Nature, Commodity, Beauty, Language, Discipline, Idealism, Spirit and Prospects.

Introduction:

In the introduction, he expresses his ideas while stressing that the current generation must avoid using the traditional knowledge and information given by the past, rather we should explore and find the hidden treasures of nature on our own. He says that God or nature are the two sides of the same coin that we should explore through our own personal, direct relationship to and revelations about the world. He advocates for spending time alone in nature.

Chapter 1 Nature:

He asserts that all our queries about the Universe can be answered by our experience of life and by the world around us. Emerson identifies nature and spirit as the components of the universe. He defines nature (the "NOT ME") as everything separate from the inner individual — nature, art, other men, and our own bodies. In common usage, nature refers to the material world unchanged by man. Art is nature in combination with the will of man. Emerson says that he will use both the meanings of Nature in his essay. Emerson supports the Stoic idea that nature could be found as the source of moral principles and well-being. However, in the present age, he argues, "few adult persons can see nature. Most people do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing." Seeing/understanding nature entails not only asking what nature is or how it operates, but also "To what end is nature?" Emerson says that while alone in nature when he becomes detached from everything, “I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or parcel of God.”

Chapter 2 Commodity:

In this chapter, Emerson treats the most basic uses of nature as commodities for heat, food, water, shelter, and transportation. He discusses the practical usefulness of nature as a source of raw material and energy and says that all parts of nature - as material, process, and result - work toward the benefit of humanity. However, Emerson argues the use of nature as a commodity is the lowest of benefits, and moves on to less material gifts and aspects of nature.

Chapter 3 Beauty:

In the third chapter, Emerson asserts that nature provides humanity with its ideas and standards of beauty. “The standard beauty is the entire circuit of natural forms – the totality of nature.” He says that nature not only works as a base commodity but it also satisfies another human requirement, the desire for beauty. He defines beauty as the idea that something can produce delight in the viewer in and of itself, and not for the usefulness it can provide. He says that nature’s beauty invigorates the soul and hence, "no reason can be asked or given why the soul seeks beauty." He classifies beauty as physical beauty, moral beauty (or virtue), and intellectual beauty (or truth). Every object in nature has its own beauty, which is magnified when perspective allows a comprehensive vision of the whole. Emerson says that beauty stimulates the intellect and generates creativity. He defines ‘art’ as the creation of beauty and says that all art is either the product of nature or the expression of it.

Chapter 4 Language:

In this chapter, Emerson says that just like beauty, language too, is grounded in nature. He says that for a man, nature is a vehicle for thought. He supports his assertion in three steps. Firstly, he says that all words represent particular facts in nature, which exist in part to give us language to express ourselves. Even the words conveying intellectual or moral meaning can be etymologically traced back to roots originally attached to material objects or their qualities. He offers some examples of this as "supercilious" is from the Latin super cilia, which means raising the eyebrow. He says that not only words are symbolic but the natural objects that they represent are symbolic of particular spiritual states. Human intellectual processes are, of necessity, expressed through language, which in its primal form was integrally connected to nature. Every appearance in nature corresponds to some state of the mind, and that state of the mind can only be described by presenting that natural appearance as its picture. An enraged man is a lion, a cunning man is a fox, a firm man is a rock, and a learned man is a torch. A lamb is an innocence; a snake is a subtle spite; flowers express to us delicate affections. Light and darkness are our familiar expression for knowledge and ignorance; and heat for love. Emerson argues that people who have been corrupted by their various desires use corrupted language. But a person with good character, who’s grown up close to nature, has a skillful grasp of language and is more creative.

Chapter 5 Discipline:

In this chapter, Emerson suggests that our experiences of Nature are a discipline, a multifaceted education for understanding intellectual truths (Understanding) and moral truths (Reason). All of nature serves to educate man through both the rational, logical "Understanding" and the intuitive, mystical "Reason." Through the more rational understanding, we constantly learn lessons about the similarities and differences between objects, about reality and unreality, about order, arrangement, progression, and combination. The ultimate result of such lessons is common sense. Emerson says that nature is bound to human will and is meant to serve men. We take what is useful from it in forming a sense of the universe, giving greater or lesser weight to particular aspects to suit our purposes, even framing nature according to our own image of it. Our intuitive reason provides spiritual and ethical ideas behind nature. Emerson says that all things are moral as nature is divine itself therefore every aspect of nature conveys "the laws of right and wrong." While studying nature, we make laws, ethics, and religions and abide by them.

Chapter 6 Idealism:

In this chapter, Emerson again explores what nature is and wonders if it is real, whether nature actually exists, or if God may have created it only as a perception in the human mind. However, he says that such a doubt does not diminish the usefulness of nature as an aid to human comprehension of the universe. He stresses that it is unknowable if nature really exists or if it is just a human construct and says that irrespective of it, nature is Ideal. Even if nature is not real, the natural laws are verifiable and applicable. However, he says that such questions hint that nature is not real, and harm the faith of the common man in the permanence of natural laws. Any distrust of the permanence of laws [e.g., gravity] would paralyze the faculties of man. It doesn’t really matter whether there is an external reality or whether everything we perceive to be real is just an illusion. Idealism imposes the superiority of spirit over nature. He mentions Kantian philosophy which suggests that matter is a phenomenon.

Chapter 7 Spirit:

In this chapter, Emerson asserts that a true theory of nature and man must allow progressive, dynamic comprehension. Emerson says that while extreme idealism denies the existence of matter or external reality, it is of no use if there is no distinction between the soul and the world/nature. When we recognize this distinction, we approve of individual liberty and the existence of each and it makes it easy to understand their relation to one another - that is, how spirit (the Supreme Being, the Universal Soul) acts through us, "as the life of the tree puts forth new branches and leaves through the pores of the old," and thus is not subject to the human will, as with the rest of the world/nature.

Chapter 8 Prospects:

In the last chapter, Emerson suggests that it is better to observe the world as a naturalist rather than a student of empirical science. He says that Empirical science hinders true perception by focusing too much on particulars and too little on the broader picture. "Untaught sallies of the spirit" advances the learned naturalist further than does precise analysis of detail. Different branches of science (e.g., geology) use observations, measurements, and calculations to study nature, and they also isolate different elements of nature (like rocks and minerals) to study instead of considering those parts within the larger whole of nature. Emerson advocates for a more holistic, intuitive approach to studying nature. But he suggests that there is value in the kind of observation that scientists use (he calls this observation “Understanding”), because people need to understand, or observe, the world before they can use their intuition to interpret those observations (he calls intuition “Reason”).

At the end of his book, Emerson says that in the past, we used to live in complete harmony with nature as a unit. But over time, we stopped paying attention to the spiritual truths that nature teaches and grew distant from nature. To remedy this, people must spend time in nature and use their intuition to understand it—this will unify humankind with nature again.

So this is t for today. We will continue to discuss the history of American English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

The Over-Soul by Ralph Waldo Emerson | Themes, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Over-Soul is an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson that was first published in 1841. It is a long essay composed of 30 paragraphs. In the essay, Emerson discusses how every human soul is an embodiment of an all-powerful supreme soul that he names as Over-Soul. In the first 10 paragraphs (1-10), Emerson offers an idea about the Over-Soul that embodies all the human souls and unites them, offering them a sense of relationship. Emerson states that though each individual, every human soul is capable of experiencing the presence of this all-embodying Over-Soul, we often confuse ourselves. However, Emerson states that our souls can grow to more intimately connect with and experience the Over-Soul. Such growth occurs not by gradation, but by evolution or ascension into a new state of virtue.

In the next 5 paragraphs (11-15), he discusses the relationship between the Over-Soul and the society as a whole. Emerson says that despite all dissimilarities among people, we all share a common nature that unites us. This similarity, or the common nature among all the human souls is not just a social connection but it is the intimate relation of each human soul with the Over Soul.

In Paragraphs 16-21, Emerson says that the Over-Soul manifests itself from time to time, however, Emerson says that the Over-Soul does not reveal itself as some unnatural miracle or foreseeing, rather, he enables our human souls to realize and mingle with the supreme being, the Over-Soul. But once a human soul realizes his direct connection with that Divine force, he understands his innate relationship with all the other human souls because the Over-Soul embodies all and that emboldens the relationship of all human souls.

In paragraphs 22-30, Emerson stresses again that the ascension of an individual, or a human soul is not possible through voluntary teachings and gradation, rather such an ascension is dependent on individual efforts and belief in the innate goodness of the nature of human souls that are nothing but a part of the Over-Soul. Emerson says that it is entirely possible for any individual being to feel and experience the direct connection with the Over Soul but it cannot be achieved through established religious dogmas. He says that an individual seeking the truth exhibits the ‘tone of seeking,’ but one who blindly follows the dogmas of religion suggests that he already has that which is yet to be sought and exhibits the ‘tone of having.’ Emerson says that it is entirely possible for any human soul to ascend to the Over Soul with the knowledge of the entire plain truth but such a person will not exhibit any pride in that because such an enlightened soul has no rose color, no fine friends, no chivalry, no adventures; does not want admiration; dwells in the hour that now is. Emerson criticizes the established religious systems that act as an authority over their followers rather than a liberating experience. He says that religions create blind followers who lack faith but to connect with the Over-Soul, one must have faith in oneself, and thus in the soul.

The influence of Vedantic philosophies is visible in this essay though Emerson was also inspired by works of Plato, Plutarch, Plotinus, and Proclus. His affinity towards the literary works of Emanuel Swedenborg is also visible.

Summary of The Over-Soul

Emerson begins with a poetic epigraph "Psychozoia, or, the Life of Soul" by Henry More which was written in 1647. The epigraph suggests that moral ideas are innate in us. When we are born, we possess already the moral character that shapes our actions for the rest of our lives. The epigraph suggests the intimate relationship of all souls to the Supreme Being (God), or the Over-Soul.

He continues with another poetic epigraph that was written by himself and was a part of his own poem titled ‘Unity.’ In this epigraph, Emerson discusses the duality that may appear to be opposing, yet signifies oneness. He mentions naturally contrasting figures like "east and west," "sod and stone," and "Night and Day" in his poem. Although the paired objects are opposites, both are needed if a condition of wholeness is to exist. The epigraph further says that power resides that enables these and every other contrasting figure to unite and act towards oneness. He later mentions that power as the Over-Soul.

In paragraphs 1-3, Emerson introduces that power and exhibits his intent to define the Over-Soul that Henry More mentioned as God in his poem. He stresses that this supreme being can be understood only through moral actions and no language can describe it. Thus, he indirectly suggests that no religion or scripture can actually provide any true knowledge of God or the Over-Soul, one has to seek, find, and define the Over-Soul by their own efforts. Emerson says, "My words do not carry its august sense; they fall short and cold." While one cannot understand the presence of a universal spirit through words, one can demonstrate the presence of a Supreme being in their own soul by means of their actions and characters. Yet, Emerson states that he will try his best to define the Over-Soul through this essay. In Paragraphs 4-10, Emerson defines the Over-Soul but since the Over-Soul cannot be known through language, Emerson suggests what it is not and says, "All goes to show that the soul in man is not an organ . . . is not a function . . . is not a faculty . . . is not the intellect or the will . . ." He says that the soul is not an organ but it animates all the organs, The soul is not the intellect, or will, but it masters the intellect and the will. He says that the soul is eternal and is not bound by time or place, the soul has no physical bounds. An idea can transcend time because the soul advances by an "ascension of state"; we gain a deeper understanding of truth not by anything physical, but through our minds. The greater insight we gain into the spirit that connects everything in our world, the closer we come to the Over-Soul. Emerson stresses that one can unite with the Over-Soul by following “the law of moral and mental gain.” Emerson continues the theme of duality in these paragraphs as the soul is free of any physical bounds yet, it rules over the physical sense of life. He says that when a human soul attains the revelations of Over-Soul, he gets rid of the bounds of time, space, and nature (attains Moksha?).

In paragraphs 11-15, Emerson explains the relationship between the Over-Soul and society while stressing the importance of individual liberty. He says that since the Over-Soul embodies every human soul, the Over-Soul unites people and manifests itself in society. Emerson says that this unification manifests itself in the idea of a common nature. When we refer to our common nature in conversations with one another, we do not refer to a social connection, but rather an impersonal one -- in other words, a connection to God. He then implores that an individual must concentrate on his personal experience with the Over-Soul and must not worry about what society thinks. Although God exists in every one of us, society's pressures cause us to behave differently and unnaturally than God would have us act; this disparity creates a rift between our souls and the Over-Soul. One must think independently and act entirely.

In Paragraphs 16-21, Emerson explores the ways through which one may explore the existence of the Over-Soul. He has already established that the Over-Soul embodies all, or God is within all of us, but how can one recognize the existence of the Over-Soul? He says that one can recognize the Universal Spirit through Revelation which is not a miracle but "an influx of the Divine mind into our mind." He mentions various sects of religion including Moravianism, Calvinism, and Methodism, and says all these religions mention the fact of Over-Soul’s revelation in which "the individual soul always mingles with the universal soul" and the individual attains ecstatic understanding of the whole. He criticizes the idea of heaven or the afterlife and denounces the desire of people to know about the future of their spiritual being and says that "these questions which we lust to ask about the future, are a confession of sin. God has no answer to them. No answer in words can reply to a question of things." Emerson again stresses moral living and says that we should "work and live, work and live," for responsible actions are what will secure our immortality. Each person, alone, is responsible for the actions that will or will not ensure his or her salvation.

In Paragraphs 22-30, Emerson stresses the individual character and says that a human soul who is spiritually close to the Over-Soul has a virtuous character and performs noble acts because the Over-Soul influences these actions. He again stresses that one cannot explore the Divinity within themselves from the study of outer religious texts. He says that a scholar or a poet who bases opinions on his own experience speaks "from within," but the scholar or poet who imitates rather than creates speaks "from without."

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of American English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

Appointment at Samarra by John O'Hara | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. John O’Hara was an American novelist and short stories writer who was born in 1905 and died in 1970. His first novel was titled Appointment at Samarra which was published in the year 1934. The novel concerns the self-destruction of the fictional character Julian English, a wealthy car dealer once a member of the social elite of Gibbsville, Pennsylvania. His other major work was the novel BUtterfield 8 which was published in 1935.

The story of Appointment at Samarra is narrated by an unnamed omniscient narrator who tells the story intermittently from the points of view of several key characters. These characters include Luther Fliegler, Irma Fliegler, Julian English, Al Grecco, Dr. English, Caroline English, Mrs. Walker, Mr. Harley, Alice Cartwright, Harry Reilly, Mary Manners, and Ross Campbell. The story is set in the fictional town of Gibbsville, Pennsylvania, in 1930. The town comes under the anthracite coal mining region and is a stronghold of union labor politics. Race, religion, and wealth play a dominant role in the position of a person in the social hierarchy of the town. The major themes of the novel are the failure of love and marriage, loneliness, and the struggle between fate and free will.

The title of the novel refers to a retelling of an old Mesopotamian tale by British author W. Somerset Maugham, in which a man is faced with the inevitability of his upcoming death. Somerset’s short story was published in 1933.

Characters of Appointment at Samarra:

Julian English is the main character of the novel, also known as Ju. He is a college-educated 30-year-old married man who owns an established Cadillac dealership in Gibbsville. He used to be a reputed member of the community Lantenego Street Club; however, he is an alcoholic. Caroline English is Ju’s wife. She is a beautiful woman who is forced to live with Julian who continues to disrespect her and himself. She wishes to leave Ju and lead a better life but her mother insists that she must maintain her marriage vows. William English is Ju’s father. Harry Reilley is an Irish Catholic socialite and a major investor in Ju’s business who has bailed him out many times in difficult situations. Harry is interested in Caroline and Ju fears that Caroline will leave him for Harry and this creates a sense of animosity in him against Harry. Ed Charney is the local mob boss of Gibbsville. He is a dangerous strong man who buys cars from Julian's business and recommends Julian's dealership to other car buyers. Helen is the mistress of Ed Charney. Helen is an overly flirtatious beautiful woman. Ed Charney is insecure about her and appoints Al Greco to watch Helene at the Stagecoach to ensure she does not leave with another man. Greco is an affiliate lower-level mob of Ed Charney. Froggy Ogden is a wounded war veteran who is a cousin of Caroline. Ju believes that Froggy is his friend however, Froggy admits to Caroline that he never liked Julian and wishes Caroline had never married him. Lute Flieger is an employee of Julian and Irma is Lute’s wife.

Summary of Appointment at Samarra:

The story begins on Christmas Eve when Lute Flieger and Irma discuss the married life of Julian and Caroline. Irma says that she is not envious of Caroline but she is worried about her constant fights with Julian. Later on, they all meet at Lantenego Street Ckub where all those who live on Lantenego Street are having a party. At the party, Harry Reilley is stealing the limelight with his jokes, stories, and charms. Ju feels that Caroline is attracted to Harry and he gets drunk. He is resentful of Harry and wishes to throw a drink at his face to humiliate him. However, Harry is a major investor in his business and his business is not doing too well. Harry believes that he is a reputed member of the club but most of the other members are irritated by his rash behavior under the effect of alcohol. Julian throws a drink at Harry’s face. A big piece of ice from the drink hits Harry in the eye.

Julian and Caroline then return from the party and they quarrel about the incident. Ju accuses Caroline of infidelity with Harry. Caroline says that Julian always drinks too much and chases women as well. She reminds him that Harry has a mortgage on the car agency and a good deal of influence with the Catholics, and he is a man who can hold a grudge. The next morning, Ju wakes up with a hangover and feels guilty about his behavior. Caroline informs him that everyone in Lantenego Street is talking about the incident of the last night. Ju asks Caroline if she has any relationship with Harry which Caroline furiously denies. Ju thinks of visiting Harry and apologizing for his behavior.

Ed Charney, the boss of the local mob of bootleggers calls Al Greco to meet him at Apollo restaurant. Al Greco reaches there at the right time and starts having his lunch. Ed Charney fails to visit the restaurant because his son broke his arm and thus Ed Charney decided to remain at home with his wife and son. He sends a message to Al Greco to keep an eye on Ed’s mistress Helen Holman who is scheduled to spend her evening at the Stage Coach, a local club for the second-tier society of Gibbsville. Helen is an excessively flirtatious woman and Ed wants to make sure that she doesn’t offer herself to other men.

Jullian and Caroline go to meet Ju’s parents. William English, Ju’s father believes that Ju is more like his grandfather who committed suicide after getting caught in a bank fraud. William feels that Jullian too has similar immoral tendencies. As they leave, Caroline convinces Ju to meet Harry and apologize for his behavior. They visit Harry’s house but Harry refuses to meet Ju. Caroline is concerned about what this means for their social standing.

Before attending the party at night, Caroline insists that Jullian must promise that he will not drink alcohol. At the party, Ju notices that everyone is trying to avoid him while they whisper about the incident of the last party. He learns that most of them believe that he is religiously intolerant of Harry who is an Irish Catholic. Ju used to believe that he still is a reputable member of the Lantenego Street Club but realizes that nobody respects him. In his frustration, he forgets his promise and starts drinking again. Caroline tries to stop him but he demands that she should go out with him in the car. Caroline refuses to leave the party and he continues to drink more.

All the people then visit the Stage Coach for the festivities where they meet Al Greco, Helen, Lute, and Ed. Jullian continues to seduce Caroline and insists that she should leave with him but she continues to refuse him. Jullian then sits with Al Greco and Helen whom he knows because he buys his alcohol from Ed. Helen and Al Greco are friendly towards him. He notices that Helen is very beautiful and she is wearing a raunchy revealing dress. He gets obsessed with her and takes her to the dance floor. Everyone notices how flirtatiously Ju dances with Helen and then he takes her to his car where they have sex. After some time, Helen returns in a disheveled situation while Al Greco and others take out Jullian from the vehicle who is heavily inebriated. Al Greco is unhappy because he was assumed to take guard of Helen while Caroline feels humiliated in front of all the party people.

The next morning, Jullian goes out to work much earlier to avoid Caroline. At the office, Lute informs him that the business is falling again. Jullian is distraught as he knows that neither Ed Charney nor Harry will help him now. He contemplates committing suicide when Caroline calls him. He is surprised to notice that Caroline is not complaining about what he did the last night.

Jullian then goes to meet Froggy Ogden, his childhood friend to seek his help. Froggy refuses to help him and says that he never liked him. He chastises him for his behavior against Caroline who is Froggy’s cousin. Froggy dares Jullian for a duel but Jullian doesn’t wish to fight because Froggy has already lost an arm during World War I. Yet, Froggy continues to challenge him and they engage in a fistfight. When other people intervene, Jullian runs away from the place.

He goes to Caroline’s mother’s home and overhears that Caroline is complaining about him to his mother. She says that she wishes to divorce him because of his erratic behavior but her mother insists that she should continue the marriage. Jullian decides to go back but Caroline rushes out at the same time. Jullian informs her about the fight with Froggy. Caroline is aghast. She threatens him that she will leave him if he doesn’t stop drinking and cancels the party they had to visit that night.

Jullian returns home and starts drinking again. Meanwhile, a woman visits his house to ask about the list of guests for the party at night. He tries to seduce that woman who ignores him and goes out.

He drinks more and then goes to the garage and locks himself in the car and turns on the engine. He imagines a girl Mary whom he loved during his younger days but couldn’t marry because she was poor. Soon he suffers suffocation. He smashes the clock on the dashboard: it’s 10:41 p.m. and then he dies.

An hour later, his neighbor notices him dead and calls his father William English. The coroner declares that Julian committed suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning. Caroline is initially distraught at her husband’s death but soon accepts that it is time for him to die. Lute Flieger takes up the car dealership in Julian’s place.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of American English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Clarissa was an epistolatory novel written by Samuel Richardson that he published in 1748. The full title of the book was Clarissa; or, The History of a Young Lady, and it was published in four volumes. The novel tells the story of a virtuous, beautiful young woman who is brought to tragedy by the wickedness of the people around her. The writer lets the reader know about the events happening in the life of Clarissa with the help of letters written by her, her friend Anna Howe, and the antagonist seducer Robert Lovelace. Another letter correspondent in the novel is John Belford, a friend of Lovelace who sides with Clarissa and tries to help her. Clarissa is one of the longest English novels consisting of more than one million words. The novel is known for the psychological depiction of the protagonist and the antagonist.

Characters of Clarissa:

Clarissa Harlowe is a 17 years old, young, beautiful, virtuous girl who is universally loved and admired by everyone. She belongs to the Harlowe family which is a newly rich and uprising family. Her family possesses great wealth but little social status. Sr. James Harlowe is her father who is a successful businessman. He owns mines, commercial capital, and other properties. He is a bad-tempered and unforgiving man. Jr. James Harlowe is Clarissa’s elder brother. He is not very smart or courageous however he has extreme pride. Arabella Harlowe is Clarissa’s elder sister and eldest child of Sr. James Harlowe. Like her father, she is bad-tempered and overvalues money and reputation. Mrs. Charlotte Harlowe is the mother of Clarissa. She is the obedient and submissive wife of Sr. James Harlowe. Mr. Anthony Harlowe is the uncle of Clarissa, the elder brother of Sr. James Harlowe. Anna Howe is a close friend of Clarissa. She is a lively girl who tries her best to help and save Clarissa. Robert Lovelace is the antagonist of the novel. He belongs to a rich and well-reputed family. He is a playboy and seduces women. He believes that all women are corrupt and he can seduce any woman. He is a vile and selfish character who refuses to stop lusting after Clarissa until he gets what he wants. John Belford is a friend of Robert Lovelace and he is also a playboy. Mrs. Sinclair is a widowed woman who runs a brothel in London. She is an accomplice of Robert Lovelace. Her brothel is the home for many such girls whom Robert Lovelace first seduced and then forced into prostitution. Mr. Hickman is Anna Howe’s admirer. He is a gentleman who always wears formal clothes. Roger Solmes is a selfish, wealthy, and cruel man whom Clarissa's parents wish her to marry. He is obsessed with money and wishes to marry Clarissa only to gain her property. Col. Morden is a cousin of Clarissa who decides to take revenge against Lovelace.

Summary of Clarissa:

The novel begins with a letter to Clarissa from her friend Anna who asks her about the squabble between Clarissa’s brother James Harlowe and Robert Lovelace in which James was wounded. She is also curious about why Clarissa’s grandfather decided to give all his property to Clarissa, but none of his sons or other grandchildren.

Clarissa writes back and informs that Robert Lovelace visited their house to pay court to Clarissa’s sister Arabela. Arabella rejected him because he was not enthusiastic about her. Instead, he got attracted to Clarissa. She writes that she has no interest in Lovelace but her sister is jealous of her and suspects her. She also mentions that James was always jealous of Lovelace because of his aristocratic refinement and ease of communication, which cannot be gained with the help of money, but only by origin. This became the reason for the quarrel between James and Lovelace.

Clarissa writes that all the sons of her grandfather are doing well in their businesses and they created much more wealth of their own. She informs that her brother is secured by his godmother while her elder sister has been given huge property by her father. Clarissa remained with her grandfather since her childhood and always took good care of him and thus, he pronounced her as his heiress. She also informs that she will be able to hold all the property of her grandfather once she turns 18 years old.

None of the members of Harlowe’s family is happy about Clarissa being declared the heiress of her grandfather. The whole family threatens Clarissa to give away her inheritance and marry Roger Solmes, a wealthy man belonging to a reputed family. Roger Solmes is interested in marrying Clarissa for her wealth but Clarissa doesn’t like him as she understands how greedy and selfish he is. Clarissa’s father didn’t wish to break all ties with Lovelace’s family as his father Mr. M is an influential person who could harm Sr. James Harlowe’s business interest. Thus, James Harlowe asks Clarissa to write a letter to Robert Lovelace to pacify him. This offers Lovelace a chance to communicate with Clarissa. Lovelace decides to take revenge on Harlowe’s family by using Clarissa. Meanwhile, Clarissa’s family strictly forces her and confines her in a solitary room until she agrees to marry Roger Solmes. Clarissa continues to reject the marriage. Arabella then accuses her of being involved with Lovelace but Clarissa insists that she has no interest in Lovelace. Lovelace pretends to be a wellwisher of Clarissa in his letters to her while he writes a letter to his friend John Belford informing him how he plans to seduce another 18 years old beautiful girl and will have his way with her.

James and Arabella decide to search Clarissa’s room for the letters written by Lovelace to prove that Clarissa is having an affair with him. They send Clarissa’s trusted caretaker away and harass Clarissa brutally. None of the family members help Clarissa and thus, she finds herself trapped. Meanwhile, Lovelace began living in an inn near Harlowe’s mansion and succeeded in planting a spy in Clarissa’s house to gain all vital information. Anna sends a letter to Clarissa warning her about Lovelace’s intentions and informs her how he exploited a naive good girl living in the inn in which he resides now. However, Clarissa writes her back that it is a false rumor and Lovelace actually helped that girl in marrying the boy she loved by offering her dowry for the marriage.

Sr. James Harlowe decides to send Clarissa to her uncle’s home where only Roger Solmes will be allowed to visit and meet her. Clarissa realizes that if she is transferred to her uncle’s home, she will fail to save herself from the clutches of Roger Solmes. She shares her worries with Lovelace and he suggests that she should run away from her home. Clarissa is not willing to run away but she doesn’t have many options. Yet, she decides to meet Lovelace in person and tell him that she is not willing to run away from her home as she doesn’t wish to betray her father. When she walks to the garden where she is supposed to meet Lovelace, she notices that her family members are following her. She trusts Lovelace and believes that he is a devoted friend. When she meets Lovelace, she clearly says that she has no intention to run away from her family but Lovelace says that her family has seen her meeting him and now they will never trust her. He tries to persuade Clarissa to run away and takes her to a carrier coach that he had prepared to run away with her. Clarissa hears the voices of her relatives nearby and sees that a persecutor is running towards her as if to catch her. She gets frightened and decides to run away with Lovelace. She hopes that soon she will be 18 years old and then she will be able to stand by herself. Lovelace, on the other hand, had other plans. The apparent persecutor was his own servant who pretended and frightened Clarissa to make her run away. Clarissa doesn’t realize that she has been abducted by Lovelace.

Lovelace takes Clarissa to an inn where two prostitutes pretending to be noble kinswomen of Lovelace accompany him. Lovelace then proposes to Clarissa for lovemaking but Clarissa refuses. Lovelace forgets about it and continues to treat her well. Lovelace loves Clarissa but doesn’t wish to marry her, rather, he wants her to cohabitate with her. He already had ruined many girls by seducing them to have sex with him and then leaving them on their own as he doesn’t believe in marriages and responsibilities. He continues to change hotels without letting Clarissa that she is his prisoner. Clarissa realizes that she is in complete control of Lovelace as her reputation has already been ruined and her family is unwilling to support her or forgive her. Yet, she continues to strictly follow her virtues. Lovelace continues to tempt her to compromise her strict morals. He continues to write letters to Belford, informing him how is experimenting with Clarissa. He writes that if Clarissa is truly an exemplary woman, she will withstand his contrivances and remain a model of goodness. However, he believes that all women are corrupt at their core and Clarissa too will break soon.

After a few months, he persuades Clarissa to go to London with him where he keeps her at Mrs. Sinclair’s house which is a brothel. Most of the prostitutes in this brothel were the girls who had been involved with Lovelace in the past. He fooled and ruined them and then forced them into prostitution under the wing of Mrs. Sinclair. These prostitutes are jealous of Clarissa and when they see that she is not willing to compromise with her virtues and chastity, they encourage Lovelace to rape her. Lovelace continues to write letters to Belford, informing him about Clarissa’s behavior who is not ready to fall for his temptation. He says that Clarissa is not sure of the sincerity and seriousness of his feelings.

Meanwhile, Clarissa starts suspecting Lovelace and the woman with whom she is living. She feels something sinister is going on. Lovelace decides to rape her and forcefully enters her bedchamber. Clarissa understands his intentions and tries to placate him and vigorously opposes his assault. Under the threat of rape, she promises to forgive him and marry him. However, she considers this promise made under duress as void; soon after she makes her first successful escape from Lovelace, concealing herself in lodgings in Hampstead. Lovelace gets enraged and decides to take revenge. He engages many men to find her out and when he gets the information of her whereabouts, he hires some men to pretend to be his family members and then goes to meet Clarissa with them. He begs her forgiveness and the fake family members vouch for his true intentions to marry her. Clarissa returns back to Mrs. Sinclair’s house where Mrs. Sinclair offers her a drink corrupted with a sleeping potion. Unaware of the trick, Clarissa takes the drink and falls unconscious. Lovelace then rapes her. When Clarissa wakes up, she realizes what had happened in her unconscious state. She soon realizes that all good behavior of Lovelace was a sham and that she is being forced to live in a brothel for many months. She comes to know that the women whom she considered relatives of Lovelace are actually prostitutes who almost hate her. Clarissa is deeply affected by her rape and falls insane. Even in her insanity, she continues to follow a strict moral code and accuses Lovelace of cheating her. Gradually, she recovers her sanity while Lovelace realizes that despite all his efforts he failed to corrupt her. He continues to write letters to Belford, informing him about his acts.

Belford, on the other hand, starts praising Clarissa’s virtuous character and believes that she is a divine human being.

Lovelace starts feeling that he cannot corrupt the virtues of Clarissa and decides to release her. But soon he starts thinking that his efforts failed because he raped her when she was unconscious. He thus decides to rape her again and this time, he decides to rape her in her conscious state, without using drugs. He pretends that he has caught a servant whom Clarissa bribes to help her escape and starts harassing Clarissa. Clarissa realizes that he is willing to rape her again but she refuses to give up and picks up a pen-knife. She threatens to kill herself if Lovelace tries to rape her. Lovelace gets shocked by her determined virtuous behavior and decides to go away. He asks Mrs. Sinclair to keep good care of Clarissa until he returns. Meanwhile, Clarissa succeeds in making contact with real family members of Lovelace through letters. She also manages to have correspondence with John Belford. She decides to leave Mrs. Sinclair’s home but Mrs. Sinclair manages to get her imprisoned for some unpaid bills. Lovelace continues to send marriage proposals to Clarissa but she refuses all such proposals and claims that it would be better for her to take her own life than marrying her rapist. She gets very ill and weak. Belford tries to help her but finds that she has no desire to live anymore. Clarissa buys a coffin for herself and wishes to be buried next to her grandfather. She writes a will offering all her property to her relatives equally and declares John Belford as the executioner of her will. Meanwhile, Col. Morden finds out Clarissa and comes to know all about her ordeals. Clarissa says that she doesn’t want her relatives to pursue Lovelace. She dies in front of him and he vows to take revenge. John Belford informs all the relatives of Clarissa of her death and her last will. Her family members realize their mistake in understanding the true intentions of Clarissa but they cannot help her now when she is already dead.

Belford writes a letter to Lovelace, informing him about the death of Clarissa and Col. Morden’s vow to take revenge. Col. Morden then challenges Lovelace to a duel that he accepts. Col. Morden kills Lovelace in the duel while he too gets some minor injuries. Mr. and Mrs. Harlowe die soon after, and James and Arabella marry badly and are miserable for the rest of their lives. Anna Howe gets married to Mr. Hickman, her admirer, while John Belford reforms and gives up his libertine ideas. He decides to collect all the letters of Clarissa and create a book of them that may help other girls how to lead a virtuous life.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

Pamela by Samuel Richardson | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Samuel Richardson was an English writer, and printer, who was a good friend and contemporary writer of Samuel Johnson. He was baptized on August 19, 1689, and he died on July 4, 1761. Richardson began his career as a printer in 1706 at the age of 17 when he chose to work as an apprentice of a well-known printer John Wilde. Richardson chose the profession of printing because he hoped to "gratify a thirst for reading.” Being an avid reader, he developed an interest in writing, however, he failed to get any patrons. He began his writing career in 1733 when he wrote The Apprentice's Vade Mecum, urging young men like himself to be diligent and self-denying. In 1739, his friends asked him to write and publish epistolatory articles in a common style to help those countrymen who find it hard to attain quality literature. This proposal inspired him to write his first epistolatory novel titled Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded which was first published in 1740. An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of letters between the fictional characters of a narrative. Pamela is considered one of the first English novels and the first modern novel. It is a form of conduct literature about marriage. Conduct literature is a genre of books that attempts to educate the reader on social norms and ideals.

Characters of Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded:

Pamela Andrews is a 15 years old young girl who works as a maidservant of Lady B. She is the daughter of Mr. John Andrews and Mrs. Elizabeth Andrews, a poor couple living in the countryside. Pamela remains in contact with her father through letters. Lady B was a kind old woman who employed Pamela as her maidservant and ensured that she attains proper education and develops a virtuous character. On her deathbed, she told her son to look after all the estate servants, especially Pamela. Mr. B is the son of Lady B who is a country squire. He is around 25 years of age and owns properties in Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Kent, and London. After her mother’s death, he gets infatuated with Pamela and pursues her, trying to force Pamela to accept his sexual advances. He is a rakish person with fundamental decency. Lady Davers is the elder married sister of Mr. B. She objects to the marriage of her brother with the waiting-maid of her mother but ultimately, accepts Pamela as her sister-in-law. Mrs. Jewkes is the housekeeper of Mr. B’s Lincolnshire estate. She is a loyal ally of Mr. B. Mrs. Jervis is another lady servant of Mr. B who is a virtuous lady and tries to help Pamela out. Mr. Williams is a junior pastor of Mr. B’s parish in Lincolnshire. Monsieur Colbrand is a Swiss man, a servant of Mr. B whom he sends to Lincolnshire to keep a watch on Pamela. Jackey is Lady Davers' nephew who tries to exploit Pamela but soon understands that she is a respectable virtuous girl. John Arnold is the footman of Mr. B’s estate who delivers Pamela’s letters to and from her parents. Nan is another maidservant of Mr. B at his Lincolnshire estate. Sally Godfrey used to be a mistress of Mr. B who bore him a girl child named Miss Goodwin.

Summary of Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded:

Pamela is a beautiful young girl of age 15 who is working as a maidservant of Lady B at her Bedfordshire estate. She belongs to a poor family and her parents are living in the countryside. Her father is an educated man and Pamela continues to write letters to him. John Arnold, the footman (postman) of Lady B’s estate delivers Pamela’s letters to and from her parents. Lady B falls ill and then dies and all her property is transferred to Mr. B, her son, who is a squire. Before her death, Lady B recommended that Pamela should work for Mr. B. Pamela desperately needs money to help her family and thus she accepts her new position as maidservant of Mr. B. She excels at her work and Mr. B rewards her four guineas and some silver. Pamela sends all the money to her father and informs him about her new job position as a servant of Mr. B through a letter.

Pamela is a good learner and she gets help from an old servant Mrs. Jervis who likes her and advises her well in time of need. However, Pamela soon notices a change in Mr. B’s behavior as he starts flirting with her incessantly. He kisses her many times without her permission and continues to pursue her. Pamela writes a letter to her father informing her new employer’s ill behavior and vows that she will suffer any injury or social penalty rather than sacrifice her chastity. Her father writes back, praising her devotion to her virtue, and advises that she should leave the job and return home before Mr. B may physically assault her.

Pamela isn’t willing to return to poverty and tries to change her job instead. She requests Mrs. Jervis to recommend her to be transferred to Lady Davers’ estate who is the elder sister of Mr. B. Mr. B promises to transfer Pamela to Lady Davers’ estate but Pamela’s departure date never seems to come.

Pamela realizes that Mr. B has no intentions to send her to his sister’s estate and thus, she decides to return back to her parent’s home. Meanwhile, she continues to write letters to her father. One day, Mr. B accuses her of gossiping against him in letters and Pamela realizes that he stealing her letters written to her father. On the same night, Mr. B hides in the closet of her room to spy on her and as she undresses, he rushes out to have his way with her. Pamela gets frightened and faints. When Mr. B notices that Pamela is unconscious, he loses his libido and realizes that he doesn’t just sexually desire Pamela, rather he wishes her to love him. Nonetheless, he continues to harass Pamela who, despite being willing to go back to her parents, fails to do so.

Finally, she determines that she can take no more and packs her bag to leave Bedfordshire estate. Mr. B gets frightened that if Pamela goes away and complains about his rape attempts at her, it will ruin his reputation. He tries to bribe her and promises her that he will arrange for her marriage with Mr. Williams, a clergyman in his parish. He lets her go back to her parents. However, the coach driver that takes Pamela out is a loyal man of Mr. B who takes her to Mr. B’s Lincolnshire estate where Mr. B intends to keep Pamela as a prisoner. Mr. B writes a letter to Pamela’s father with a fake explanation of why she failed to reach them in the village. Mr. Andrews doesn’t trust Mr. B and thus he arrives at his Bedfordshire estate and tries to seek Pamela but fails to get any information about her.

Pamela is kept in the Lincolnshire estate under the strict ruling of Mrs. Jewkes who is the housekeeper of Mr. B’s Lincolnshire estate. She harasses Pamela and tries to force her to accept Mr. B’s sexual advancement. Pamela makes friends with another maid named Nan who is working in Lincolnshire estate. Mrs. Jewkes forces Pamela to share the bed with Nan. Nan is a good girl but she is addicted to alcohol. Pamela maintains her virtue and continues writing letters but since she doesn’t know when she will be able to send them to her father, she keeps them to herself with dates and signature. Meanwhile, she meets Mr. Williams, the junior pastor of Mr. B’s parish in Lincolnshire. She finds him a good man and seeks his help in escaping. They arrange a system of secret correspondence whereby they will hide their notes from each other beside a sunflower in the garden. Mr. Williams tries to gather support for Pamela in the local public but fails to do so because people suspect his intentions. Mr. Williams then proposes that Pamela should marry him to escape the clutches of Mr. B but Pamela declines the offer as she knows that Mr. B already planned her marriage to Mr. Williams. One day, Pamela gives all her letters to Mr. Williams and asks him to send them to her father. But when Mr. Williams goes to send the letters, some robbers attack him and snatch all the letters from him. Pamela then tries to run away from the Lincolnshire estate on foot but is soon caught by Monsieur Colbrand a strong Swiss man whom Mr. B sent to keep an eye on Pamela. Meanwhile, Mr. B suspects that Mr. Williams is colluding with Pamela and thus, he gets Mr. Williams arrested for debt.

One day, Mr. B arrives at Lincolnshire estate without letting Pamela know about it. He then orders Mrs. Jewkes to offer too much alcohol to Nan. Nan gets surprised and drinks a lot and soon falls into a stupor. At night, Mr. B decides to impersonate Nan by wearing her dress and goes to the maid's room to share the bed with Pamela. Pamela fails to recognize Mr. B in the dark and believes that Nan is sleeping with her. When Mr. B gets convinced that now he can easily overpower Pamela, he surprises her by removing his impersonation and attempting to sexually exploit her. Yet again, Pamela faints and Mr. B fails to make any sexual advancement when she is unconscious. He returns to Bedfordshire the same night but continues to spy on Pamela.

After some days, he returns to Lincolnshire with some letters written by Pamela that she gave to Mr. Williams and asks her to submit all the letters she has written till now. Pamela hesitates but submits all her letters. However, she gets surprised that Mr. B doesn’t get angry even after reading those letters, including those in which she crudely criticized Mr. B. Rather, she notices that Mr. B is going through a change while reading her letters. Mr. B realizes his mistake and decides to let Pamela leave and go back to her parents. Soon Pamela takes a coach and leaves the Lincolnshire estate. However, much before she could reach her village, Mr. John Arnold, the footman delivers a letter from Mr. B to her. Pamela reads the letter and comes to know that Mr. B is very ashamed of his bad behavior but he insists that he really loves her and has fallen ill since he couldn’t bear the pain of losing her. After reading the letter, Pamela realizes that despite all the harassment she has faced, she doesn’t hate Mr. B, rather she finds him handsome. She gets worried that Mr. B is ill and decides to return back and take care of him.

When Pamela returns to the Lincolnshire estate, she notices a marked difference in Mr. B’s behavior who is now a much moderate and sincere person. Soon he regains his health and proposes to Pamela to marry him. However, Pamela is not convinced as she suspects that Mr. B might only be trying to trick her into a sham marriage. Mr. B then tries to win her trust back. He even gets Mr. Williams out of jail on bail and takes back all charges against him. Finally, Pamela agrees to marry him but insists that they should not make it an expensive wedding. She asks Mr B to clean up his chapel in Lincolnshire where she wishes to marry him.

After their marriage, Mr. B appears to be a completely changed man who takes good care of Pamela and respects her. His elder sister Lady Davers arrives with Jackey, her nephew, to meet him. Lady Davers is unaware of Mr. B’s marriage to Pamela. She abuses Pamela accusing her of trying to trap Mr. B in her lure for his money. Jackey too harasses Pamela but finds her very attractive and tries to flirt with her. Soon it is revealed that Mr. B is already married to Pamela. Lady Davers declines to accept their marriage and demands Mr. B should reveal the truth about Sally Godfrey to Pamela. Mr. B then explains that he had an affair with Sally Godfrey during his college days and he impregnated her. He reveals that he has a daughter from Sally who now studies at a school in Bedfordshire. Mr. B reveals that her daughter is Miss Goodwin who doesn’t know anything about her parents and considers herself an orphan. He informs that Sally Godfrey moved to Jamaica where she married a rich landlord.

Pamela listens to all these revelations with calmness and promises to improve everything. Mr. B gets angry at her sister for forcing him to reveal these things to Pamela in such a manner but Pamela and Lady Davers calm him down. Lady Daver starts treating Pamela well as she finds her beautiful, virtuous, and compassionate. Pamela and Mr. B return to the Bedfordshire estate and start living as husband and wife. After some time, Pamela suggests that they should adopt Miss Goodwin to which Mr. B agrees. Pamela takes good care of Miss Goodwin, treating her as her own child while inculcating virtuous behavior in her.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!

The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond | A Novel for Children | Characters, Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. The Blue Umbrella was a novel of the children’s genre written by Ruskin Bond that was first published in 1980. Books for children explore and portray themes that children can identify with and find relevant and meaningful. The novels and stories of this genre are not very lengthy because of the limited retention span of children. Lively and often colorful illustrations add to the overall effect of the story. The Blue Umbrella is a short and simple story but it gives valuable lessons about human goodness and kindness. The story is based on the themes of innocence and compassion and expresses a message against materialism. We do not need an object to be happy. Good people around us and the beauty of nature are enough to make us happy. If we fall in love with an object, one day or the other, the love will fade away. The love between people never fades away.

Characters of The Blue Umbrella:

Binyadevi or Binya is the central character of the novel. She is a teen girl who lives with her widowed mother and brother Vijay or Bijju in the village of Garwhal, Himachal Pradesh in India. Binya belongs to a poor, low-income family. Bijju is her elder brother who is very fond of her and takes care of her. The family owns two cows named Neelu and Gauri and Binya often lets them graze on their own and searches for them in the evening if they don’t come back. The English woman is a tourist accompanying a group of Japanese tourists visiting Garwhal for their holidays. She owns a beautiful blue umbrella. Ram Bharosa is a small shopkeeper and tea stall owner in the village who earns a good living. Rajaram is a teenage boy from another village whom Ram Bharosa employs as a helper at his shop.

Summary of The Blue Umbrella:

The story is set in a small village in Garhwal district in Himachal Pradesh. Binya is a teen girl, around 10 years old. She belongs to a poor low-income family and lives with her widowed mother and an elder brother Vjay who is around 13 years old. Vijay deeply cares for his sister who calls him by his nickname Bijju. The village is set in the mountainous terrain of the Himalayas often visited by tourists from different parts of the world. It is a small village lacking modern facilities. The biggest shop in the village is a small shop owned by Ram Bharosa who also runs a tea stall along with his shop. Binya is a carefree girl who likes being on her own. She belonged to the mountains and thus dark forests and lonely hilltops held no terrors for her. The nearest town to her village is five miles away and that town is a popular tourist destination. Binya’s family owns two cows whom Binya lovingly calls Neelu and Gauri. While Binya’s mother has offered the responsibility of tending the cows to Binya, she often lets them graze on their own and searches for them in the evening if they don’t come back.

One evening, when Binya was searching for her cows, she noticed a group of foreigners who visited the area for a picnic. She was enamored by these strange-looking people. Most of them were Japanese tourists and an English woman too accompanied them. Binya got interested in the English lady who held a beautiful blue umbrella in her hand to avoid the occasional drizzling that was so common during that part of the year. Binya was enchanted by that blue umbrella. The umbrella was like a flower. The English woman observed the little girl gazing at her umbrella and understood that the little girl is in love with her umbrella. She noticed that Binya is wearing a strange-looking necklace with an intricate pendant on her neck. The English woman called Binya near her and asked her about the pendant in her necklace and Binya answered that it was a leopard-claw pendant which is assumed to carry positive energy and good fortune for the bearer.

The English woman liked that pendant and wished to have it. She asked if Binya is willing to sell it and offered her a good amount of money in return. Binya was not willing to sell the pendant and she had no interest in money. The English woman asked what she wanted and Binya pointed towards the Blue Umbrella. The English woman was not interested in giving up her beautiful umbrella and insisted that Binya should sell her leopard-claw pendant for money. But Binya continued to refuse the deal. At last, the English woman agreed and decided to trade the pendant for the expensive, beautiful umbrella.

Binya was too happy after acquiring the beautiful blue umbrella. When she reached home, her mother asked where did she get the umbrella and Binya told her all about the deal with the English lady. Binya was absolutely in love with the blue umbrella, so much so, that she never closed the umbrella and always carried it with her wherever she would go. Binya’s elder brother Bijju once asked Biya why she does not close the umbrella and keep it away? Binya answered that the umbrella is no more beautiful when it is closed.

Binya would keep the umbrella with her always. The people of the village were envious of Binya while they loved the umbrella. They would often wonder how this poor little girl got such an expensive umbrella. Binya was a kind girl who would hold the umbrella for everyone who would ask her to. Meanwhile, Ram Bharosa noticed that the customers of his shop too are very much interested in the blue umbrella. Ram Bharosa too was enchanted by that beautiful umbrella and wished to own it for himself. He thought that if he gets the umbrella and keeps it at his tea stall, it will help him in improving his business. He decided to lure Binya into selling the umbrella to him in exchange for some free toffees and cookies from his shop. Binya, however, was so devoted to her umbrella that she resisted eating the toffees. Ram Bharosa decided to lure Bijju, her elder brother. He offered chocolates for Bijju on credit and promised to offer many such chocolates for free if Bijju succeeds in bringing the umbrella for him. However, Bijju plainly said that Binya loves the umbrella too much and always carries it with her.

Ram Bharosa knew that Bijju’s family is poor so he decided to lure Bijju again during his holidays. Ram Bharosa offered Bijju to work in his shop and hoped that in return, Bijju will help in acquiring the blue umbrella. However, Bijju declined the job because he was required to help his mother in the fields. This angered Ram Bharosa. Anyhow, he appointed a teen boy from a nearby village to work on his shop. His new servant’s name was Rajaram. Rajaram was a very hardworking boy and he was too loyal to Ram Bharosa. The boy noticed that Ram Bharosa always used to remain frustrated about the blue umbrella. He realized how much Ram Bharosa wants to have that umbrella. When Rajaram asked about it, Ram Bharosa told him that Binya will never sell that umbrella to him. He asked Rajaram to steal the umbrella from Binya and bring it to him. Rajaram agreed and decided to snatch the umbrella from Binya as she never left the umbrella unattended. Rajaram failed to snatch the umbrella rather, he was caught by Bijju while trying to steal it. When Bijju asked him why he is stealing the umbrella from his sister, Rajaram answered that Ram Bharosa told him to do so.

Everyone in the village came to know about the cunningness of Ram Bharosa. They decided to punish him by ostracizing him and stopped going to his shop. With time, the umbrella lost its shine. Binya’s blue umbrella faded and the signs of stitches began appearing on the umbrella. Still, it was the most beautiful umbrella in the village. Binya noticed that Ram Bharosa is very sad nowadays because nobody visits his shop. She felt bad about it. One day, she decided to visit Ram Bharosa’s shop to buy candy. Ram Bharosa was shocked at seeing her. She was the first customer to visit his shop in the last two weeks. Binya asked for candy and offered a coin on the counter. Ram Bharosa thought that Binya came to mock him. He checked if the coin was real and then he gave the candy to Binya. Binya took the candy and left the shop and she left the blue umbrella in the shop too. Ram Bharosa noticed the umbrella. He picked it up and ran outside the shop to return it to Binya. Binya told him to keep that umbrella, saying, “An umbrella is not everything.” Ram Bharosa was happy at Binya’s gesture and praised her compassion. Binya encouraged other villagers to forgive Ram Bharosa and soon people started visiting his shop again. Everything returned to normalcy but the people found that Ram Bharosa has been changed. He is much cheerful, compassionate, and selfless.

One day, Ram Bharosa found a bear’s claw near his shop. He took it to the blacksmith and told him to carve the bear’s claw in a beautiful pendant. He gave Binya the pendant saying it is luckier than a leopard claw.

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!