South Asian Literature – Spring 2020

Quiz 4

Student Name: Ahsan Ali

Student ID: F2017119063
Section: A2
Question 1:
The most complex of all relationships in this novel in my opinion is that of Mrs. Rupa Mehra and
her father, Dr. Krishan Chand Seth. We know that from the start her father never approved of her
ways regarding religion or any other matter for the fact. He was not a loving, caring father but
the archetypal image of the strict, distant and terrifying fathers that we come across many times
in our south-Asian society. He accuses his own daughter of flirting with his colleagues and then
they have that big typical family fight. Dr. Krishan Chand comes barging in Mrs. Rupa’s home
and yells at her servant, we see a kind of power dynamic that is almost typical to every
household. She most probably is very annoyed by her father but not to such an extent because
she’s gotten used to it. She has to respect her step mother out of respect for her father. The basis
of this father daughter relationship is the fact that Dr. Krishen Chand feels as if he’s the Supreme
Being in the house even though his daughter doesn’t even live with him, he feels he has the right
to excise his superiority on everyone because he has money, he’s an important man and he isn’t
answerable to anyone. (215)

Question 2:
Vikram Seth’s portrayal of women in the novel is quite typical; he shows us many facets of
women that existed in the post-colonial era. There's the feminist and independent woman in the
form of Malati, she’s the type of women who grew up without men around her and she’s okay
with this, with no male authoritative figure directing her every move, she’s the icon of modern
Indian women. Then there’s Mrs. Rupa Mehra who’s a blend of the modern and educated
woman and a traditional and helpless widow who needs a male dominating figure in every life
decision, she first turns to her dad, then Arun and then finally Pran. She wants her children to get
married even if they don’t want to, to the right person with the right background and caste. But
on the other hand, she will not hear rubbish from Lata against arranged marriage, confusing.
Then there’s Saeeda Bai who is that typical courtesan we see in the form of Umrao Jan and
others who’s not like the normal degraded prostitute but she’s a well-respected and educated
being of the society and she will not step back from her rules, she prays, she covers her head
with her dupatta and then she doesn’t get frank with everyone. (211)