You are on page 1of 2

c 

Y  
  is set in a small village called Thul, which is near Alibagh . Lila, the
eldest child among the four siblings, is 14 years old. Her 12 year old brother Hari is the only
person with whom she can share her troubles. Their mother is very sick and needs treatment but
no one knows her problems . she is very sick due to lack of nourishment and is growing weaker
and weaker by the day. Their father who has been drunk at all times and stays at the toddy shop
all day,he yells at his family about everything when he is not in a good mood.

With two younger sisters to take care of themselves, life for Lila and Hari is too easy. Their
father is not very helpful as he is too drunk to work. There is a constant need for entertainment as
the family is almost always in trouble. Hari decides that he has had just about enough and leaves
for Bombay

Lila is left alone to take care of her family, and struggles to do so. Help comes from an
unexpected source, the rich De Silva's.

Meanwhile, Hari is new in the great city of Bombay, and all alone. A kind watchman at a
apartment where the De Silvas live, Y   , brings him to a restaurant owned by Jagu, who
gives Hari a job there. There, Hari builds a strong friendship with Mr. Panwallah, the lovable
watchmaker. Through his experience with Mr. Panwallah and Jagu and the chain of events that
take place in Bombay, Hari realises that he could actually make money.

Meanwhile, Lila, Bela and Kamal are forced to admit their sick mother in town hospital through
the help of the De Silvas. Their father turns over a new leaf, and accompanies their mother
throughout her 7 month treatment without drinking and not having any debts. While Hari returns,
he returns as a child who is adapted to the changing environment like the birds that are
symbolized.

Anita Desai has explicitly described in her very own style of writing, how Hari in the dilapidated
conditions of the Sri Krishna Eating House finds warmth and affection through Mr Panwallah-
owner and watch mender of the Ding-Dong watch shop. Mr Panwallah instils confidence in Hari
and comforts him when he is terribly home sick. He even gives Hari a vivid and inspiring future
and teaches him watch mending .This shows that even in one of the busiest, rickety and
ramshackled cities such as Bombay there is still hope, love and affection.

u   
The themes in 'The Village by the Sea' are:

÷ Harsh living conditions in India


÷ Adaptations to changing environments
÷ Poverty, hardships and sadness of rural Indians
÷ Hari as a central character of this and teaches how to fight hardships as there are good
times and bad times in a person's life
÷ The building up of factories in the village Thul and how it has an impact on the
villagers(Effects of "Urbanization")

You might also like