a devoted son Flashcards
impression of rakesh (filial)
a filial / respectful son who shows great respect for his father’s feet
- touching feet of elders is important common gesture of respect.
-way of giving respect to elders and seeking their blessings
- rakesh displays great respect and filial piety for his father.
-even when he achieves success, the first thing he does is to seek his father’s blessing and show that he is thankful for the sacrifices that his father has made on his behalf
impression of rakesh (successful)
he was a successful and famous doctor
“ ‘At the top of the list, Papa’ “
“for now he became known not as the best but also the richest doctor in town”
- he was successful but also ambitious
- idea of success is repeated in the story
- remained filial and attributed his success and achievements to his family
- success was well-known to people in their town making him the pride and joy of his parents
impression of Rakesh (obedient son who fulfils wishes and cares for his parents)
a dutiful son who fulfils the wishes and cares for his parents
“instead he agreed, … to marry a girl she had picked out for him in her own village, the daughter of a childhood friend, a plump and uneducated girl”
-Rakesh readily accepts mother’s choice for his wife without objection.
-despite his education and further his studies in USA, he wholeheartedly accepts the woman his mother has chosen for him and the marriage is arranged for him and remains loyal to her
impression of Rakesh (insensitive)
insensitive to actual needs of the father
“ ‘Deprived of food,’ screamed the old man
-despite his care and devotion to look after his father, Rakesh is clueless about what his father desires — food to enjoy and death in his old age
-complicated for Rakesh to grasp as he is a medical doctor whose job is to address and ‘cure’ all illness.
-him providing medication prevents the type of food father craves.
-makes him insensitive to needs of his father despite doing his job as a devoted son and doctor
impression of Varma (father)
proud but helpless
“one delicacy after the other went”
-at first, he is proud of his son’s accomplishments
-as he ages, rakesh takes tighter control over his health.
-varma complains that rakesh never lets him eat or enjoy the things he wants
-varma feels helpless and controlled and holds a grudge with his son and sees him as his captor
what relationship does varma and rakesh share?
respectfully close relationship
“bowed down to touch his feet”
- when rakesh reads the result, he immediately goes to his father and bows down to touch his feet.
- Rakesh is respectful and indicates to his father that although his position in life is about to change through the news he is about to deliver, nothing has changed in their relationship.
- in fact, father takes pride in communicating this to his neighbours at the party
theme: gratitude
- rakesh is thankful for the sacrifices his father made and shows respect for him in a visible manner.
- When rakesh takes care of his father during his illness, rakesh expects his father to have a sense of gratitude for his ability to medically care for him.
- He instructs the servants in his father’s diet, position of rest, location, and quantity of food.
- However, his father does not show gratitude for his medical knowledge, instead he thinks he is “ ‘deprived of food,’ “ , growing increasingly angry about such treatment.
- rakesh perceives his father being treated with great care and his father owes him gratitude.
- However, his father sees it as deprivation and wants his son to leave him to enjoy his remaining days
theme: lack of freedom
- varma feels smothered.
- he feels powerless as he struggles against his son with all his will to be free to decide but Rakesh oppresses him.
- all Varma wants is his freedom from his son and wants to be able to make his own decisions on what to eat, drink, how much to eat, what medicines to eat, whether to die or not
- Varma wants to eat as much food as he wants, and does not want Rakesh to “weigh the food” for Varma.
- rakesh believes that he is making the right choice and that Varma does not realise it.
- However, Varma sees this as controlling and restricting him, making him feel like a prisoner in his own home, making him not want to live anymore.
what other stories is there lack of independence?
studies in the park
- suno’s uncle moves out so suno can use his room to study.
- expected to excel
- lacks independence to do what he wants initially, as he is pressured to study
pineapple cake
- victor lacks any freedom or independence from his mother who embarrasses him
- mother expects him to behave and be an obedient child at wedding even though she does not keep her promises
literary devices: third person pov
- story is told by a narrator who is not one of the characters in the story.
- the partially omniscient narrator is able to enter the minds of the characters to discover their thoughts and feelings.
-Hence, readers are aware of Varma’s pride and frustration. - he describes daughter-in-law as a “smiling, hypocritical pudding” , dehumanising his daughter-in-law
- he describes his son as a “tyranny in disguise” as he controls varma in various ways like what he is able to eat, drink, do in his daily life.
- we also can see Rakesh’s devotion towards his father but also can see through Rakesh laughing to someone at the door, “lying all day on his pillows, fed every few hours… — and he says he does not want to live like this,” his lack of understanding towards his father’s needs and wants, and even makes fun of his father.
literary device: symbolism
touching of feet:
- rakesh action of continuously “bow(ing) down to touch his (father’s) feet” is a symbol of respect and honour to his father
- great illustration of Rakesh’s devotion.
food and medicine
- used in the story as a symbol of power and weakness.
- The less food Rakesh allows his father to have, for example “no halwa” and “nothing fried” and “nothing rich” , the more control Rakesh has over his father, making Varma weak and powerless.
-when Varma smashes the medicine bottle, “brown syrup” “staining his white trousers” , he openly declared that he will no longer yield to his son’s wishes and takes back the power over his own life.
literary device: irony
- shift in power results in major conflict.
- Rakesh did everything he could to keep Varma alive, by controlling his lifestyle, feeding him “powders and pills and mixtures” and giving him “nothing fried, no butter.. no oil”.
- ironically results in his father feeling angry and helpless
- initially, his son was respectful and “bowed to his feet” but he no longer feels that his son respects him because he will not allow him to enjoy the rest of his life.
- no longer want the respect he was proud of
- ironically created excellent doctor but cruel son
