Boss came to dinner

Q) Explain the relationship between the mother and the son as portrayed in story "Boss
Came to Dinner"

Shamnath and his mother are two very distinct people. Shamnath is seen as a man who is a
stickler for discipline and is a very exact man who likes to ensure that every little thing is
correct and in place. On the other hand, Shamnath’s mother is a very caring and loving person
and only wants the best for her child. They share a very complex relationship. Immediately
we can see the formalities that Shamnath has to go through with his mother, his arrogant
nature prevents him from thinking about his mother before making all the arrangements and
when he does think of her, he thinks of her as an object and not as a human being. His mother
is a keen listener and only stands her ground when she needs too. She said that she couldn’t
help the way she sleeps or snores and without any compassion he tells her to stay awake until
the guests leave. Another instance that shows their fractured relationship is when the mother
tells Shamnath about how she gave up her bangles in order for him to get an education and
with no remorse, he just asks her to stay quiet and stop repeating herself over and over again.

Q) Write a note describing the house and its furniture and fixtures in the story “the
Bose Came to Dinner”.

Mr. Shamnath has invited his boss to the dinner. He wants to present an aristocratic and

sophisticated appearance of his house. He and his wife are busy in arranging all things in

order. They arrange chairs, tables, side-tables, napkins, flowers on the verandah. A bar is

improvised in the drawing room. They turn their attention to other odd things of the house.

They decide to push them either behind the admiral or inside the bedstead.

Shamnath is a stickler. He sees all things to be properly arranged. For example, he sees the

pegs on the wall to be fixed at a proper place. But his mother is a problem for him. He treats

her as an odd thing. He does not want her to be seen by his boss. He directs her to put on

white kameez and salwar and sit on a chair on the verandah. He also directs her not to sleep

and snore. Thus, the furniture and fixtures of the house are arranged
Q) What was the differences between the two generations in the story “the boss Came to
Dinner”?

The story presents the attitudes of the two generations namely the mother and the Shamnaths.

The mother is full of love and sacrifice. She has come from a rural background of family-

centric values. She has no idea of aristocracy and sophistication. But she is tolerant,

accommodating and sacrificing. She has sold her jeweler for the education of her son.

She is willing to make a phulkari for the Sahib for her son’s promotion. Despite her son’s ill

treatment to her she prays God for his long life. On the other hand Mr. Shamnath and his wife

represent a value-system in which there is no place for love and sacrifice. They are full of

self-interest.

Shamnath invites his Boss to dinner because he wants to please the Sahib in order to get a

promotion. He had material interest. He treats his mother as an odd thing of the house. He

does not want her to be seen by his Boss. He and his wife try to present an aristocratic and

sophisticated scene to the Sahib. They develop artificiality in their attitude and behavior and

neglect human values

Shamnath ignores the sacrifice of her mother. He wants to develop his position even at the

cost of his mother’s labour and toil. There is a sharp contrast between the generation of the
mother and that Shamnath. The mother could win the heart of the guests by natural way. The

Boss deals with the mother in good humour and elevates her position in the story.
 Summary

 Mr. Shamnath was an employee in ail office. Once he invited his boss to dinner.

Therefore, on the day of dinner, he and his wife started arranging things

and decorating their house. When they were busy keeping things in order they thought

over their old mother.

 Shamnath considered his mother to be an odd thing. He did not want his mother to be

seen in the presence of the guests. His wife suggested sending their mother to the

neighborhood where she would pass the night. Shamnath said if the mother went to

the old woman in the neighborhood the woman would come frequently to their house.

 He did not like the wife’s proposal. He asked his mother to stay in the verandah when

he would receive the guests in the drawing room. He asked his mother, when the

guests would come to the drawing room she should, go to her own room through the

bathroom.

 However, he could not decide the place where the mother should stay. Finally, he

asked her to sit in the verandah on a chair. He asked her not to sleep and snore. The

mother put on white kameez and salwar on his orders and sat on the verandah.

 The boss arrived at Shamnath’s house along with his wife. They were accompanied

by some Indian colleagues of Shamnath and their wives. The dinner was very

successful.

 At first they took drinks and started gossiping. The Sahib was as joyful at Shamnath’s

home as he was strict in the office. He was an American. His wife was in a black

gown and a necklace of pearl. She was the chief attraction in the occasion. She was so

free with Mrs. Shamnath that it seemed as if they were old “friends.

 They came out of the drawing room. Shamnath was leading them. When they reached

verandah Shamnath saw his mother sleeping and swaying on the chair. She also

snored. She woke up and got confused seeing so many people around her.

 The boss was in a jovial mood and he said “namaste” to the mother of Shamnath. The

mother tried to greet the boss with folded hands. Since her right hand was inside the

dupatta holding beads she extended her left hand.

 The boss held her left hand. Shamnath told the boss that his mother was living in the

village. She was from a rural background. The officer said he liked rural folks. He

guessed Shamnath’s mother must know folk dances and folk-songs.

 Shamnath asked her mother to sing. The mother refused. She had no idea of singing.

Shamnath repeated her request to his. She rejected his request. Finally, he told her to

sing a couplet or two of the pomegranate song. There was bit harshness in the voice of

Shamnath. The mother sang an old wedding song. The verandah resounded with

applause. The Sahib also clapped. The mother introduced a new note in the party.

 . The subject of discussion changed to village industry products of Punjab. Shamnath

told the boss that he would present many products of village industry in the office.

Then he said that he would present the boss a phulkari. He explained that a phulkari is

an embroidered piece of cloth.

 The mother showed the Sahib an old phulkari. It was torn and threadbare. Shamnath

told the boss that he would ask her to knit a phulkari for him. The Sahib nodded and

proceeded towards the dining table with other guests.

 The mothers retire to her room. She sat against the wall and wept. There was a flood

of tears in her eyes. She tried to control herself.

 She folded her hands and prayed God for a long life of her son. All the guests
departed at midnight. Silence prevailed.

 Shamnath knocked the door of her mother and asked her to open it. The mother was

afraid with a thought that she had committed a mistake. She opened the door.

Shamnath embraced her praising that she had done wonders in the party.

 The old mother asked the son to leave her at Hardware. Shamnath got angry and

asked her if she wanted to discredit him by going to Hardware.

 The mother said that she should not be misunderstood. She wanted to pass the rest of

her life in meditation leaving the son and the daughter-in-law in peace.

 Shamnath asked her if she would not; make a phulkari for the boss that he had

promised in her presence. The mother refused telling that her eyes could not stand any

strain.
 He pleaded that if the officer was pleased with him he would be promoted to the next

higher post, and then the mother agreed to knit a phulkari for the boss. Then

Shamnath left her mother telling her to sleep.