BOSOM FRIEND

PART A

How does the poet describe the open-minded friend?

The poet describes the open-minded friend as “bosom friend”. Her mind is as large as the sky and she
came to the poet’s house, forgetting her caste.

What is the chasm that divided the two friends?

The chasm that divided the two friends is caste. The friends belong to different castes.

What does the image of the sky suggest in the poem?

The image of the sky suggests the broad-mindedness of the bosom friend. The friend came to the poet’s
house, forgetting her caste.

Who finds it difficult to forget the “tradition of inequality”?

Women find it difficult to forget the “tradition of inequality”. The poet considers women to be more
caste-conscious than men.

PART B

How does the poet describe her childhood?

The poet remembers her grim childhood. Her family didn’t have milk for tea, much less yoghurt or
buttermilk. Her mother cooked on sawdust, wiping away the smoke from her tears. They used to eat
bread crumbled in water. The poet had never tasted delicacies in her childhood such as shrikhand or
halva.

Comment on the use of ‘you folk’ by the guest to address her friend.

The use of ‘you folk’ by the guest indicates her caste consciousness. The friend refers to the lower
castes. She singles out the poet and her people by calling them ‘you folk’. All of a sudden, she degrades
the poet’s community. This shows her haughtiness and insensitivity.

PART C

How far is the friend able to bridge the chasm that divided her and the poet?

The friend is not able to bridge the chasm that divided her and the poet in the true sense. When she first
offered to come over for dinner at the port’s house, the poet was very happy. She thought that the
friend was broad-minded and good-hearted. She assumed that the friend had “ripped out all those caste
things”. The poet observes that women usually don’t forget caste restrictions. All these suggested a
positive change. But the moment food was served, the friend started finding fault. She disapproved of
the way chutney koshimbir was served. She even insults the poet by remarking that “you folk will never
improve”.

Describe the happiness and shock portrayed in the opening lines of the poem.
The opening lines of the poem blends the happiness and shock experienced by the poet. The poet was
glad and excited, when her ‘bosom friend’ accepted her invitation to dinner. She says that her hands
touched the sky in joy. She was happy that the friend was bridging the chasm of caste that divided them.
But the moment food was served, the friend started finding fault. She disapproved of the way the food
was being served. She even insults the poet by remarking that “you folk will never improve”. Her
rudeness shocks the poet who becomes really ashamed. Her hand that had touched the sky was cruelly
knocked down and she became silent.

PART D

Comment on the conflict between expectation and reality in the poem “Bosom Friend”.

Describe the different dimensions of the chasm depicted in the poem “Bosom Friend”.

Hira Bansode is one of the celebrated Marathi Dalit poets. Bansode expresses her agony and resistance
to caste divisions through her poetry. Her works reveal the collective consciousness of the Dalit
community.

The poem ‘Bosom Friend’ is taken from Bansode’s anthology ‘Phiyad’. It is a criticism of the hypocritical
caste-ridden Indian society. It depicts an upper-caste ‘bosom friend’ who accepts the poet’s invitation to
dinner. The poet is thrilled and feels that “her hands touched the sky” in joy. She expects her friend to
have shed away caste prejudices. She thinks that her mind is “as large as the sky”. The poet assumes
that her friend has forgotten the tradition of inequality. She imagines her friend to have “ripped out all
those caste things”. She feels that her friend was bridging the chasm of caste that divided them. All
these expectations of the poet are soon belied.

The poet’s expectations are shattered the moment she offers food to her friend. The friend finds fault
with the way chutney koshimbir is served and generalizes that the lower castes don’t know how to serve
food. With a smirk and air of superiority, she says that they will never improve. The friend complains
that there is no buttermilk or yoghurt with the last course of rice. The poet’s courage fell away like a
falling star. She was in utter despair and then fell into numbness. A host of memories rushed to her
mind. Those memories were of a depraved childhood.

The poet realizes that her friend has not discarded the baggage of tradition. Its roots go deep in her
mind and that is the stark reality. It is a grim and sad reality for the poet. The poet is a representative of
the unfortunate masses suffering under the yoke of casteism. It’s not just caste that segregates people.
Economic and psychological chasms too accompany caste issues.

The title ‘Bosom friend’ is truly ironic. The poem is a sharp critique of the pain and anguish of the Dalit
experience.