“Being in favour of a barbaric ritual like the suttee reveals Olivia to be unreasonable, naive and disloyal. Her infatuation with the Indian culture makes her ignore that oppression, barbarism and cruelty are rife in this country.”

In my opinion Olivia doesn’t have an infatuation with the Indian culture. The reason why she speaks positively about the suttee is that she wants to contrast with the other Britsh.

“She had no desire to recommend widow-burning but it was everyone else being so sure – tolerant and smiling but sure – that made her want to take another stand.”

To her it’s not the cruelty she likes about the suttees, it’s moreover showing how much she loves Douglas and not wanting to live without him.

1923: Olivia’s story

 

pp.56-61

 

-Compare Beth Crawford’s and Olivia’s reactions to the suttee. Whose attitude do you find most appealing, and why?

 

The reactions of both women are quite different. Whereas Olivia has the opinion that the English shouldn’t interfere the Indians in their affairs and is even able to understand the wives who want to die after their men’s death, Beth wouldn’t want to be burned with her husband.

 

After Major Minnies told the story of the voluntary suttee Beth answers: “Too noble for me. Fond as I am of you dear man, I don’t think I could”. Olivia on the other hand says “I just wouldn’t want to go on living.” what shows that she truly loves Douglas and wouldn’t want to live without him. Beth could imagine a life without her husband, what indicates that she is more independent than Olivia and maybe doesn’t set her heart on her husband as much as Olivia does.

 

I can understand Olivia’s attitude towards the suttee, because living without someone one truly loves is not easy and maybe one sometimes thinks it would have been better to die with him, but on the other hand one can also have quality time after the husband’s death and life still goes on. So all in all I find Beth’s attitude most appealing, because she wants to continue living and shows some kind of power the way she doesn’t want to give up life.

 

 1970s: The Narrator’s Story

 

- Write a description of Inder Lal’s wife.

 

Inder Lal describes his wife Ritu as an unintelligent person, because his mother didn’t want him to marry a very educated woman. Uneducated women don’t make as much trouble as educated ones she says. The narrator thinks that she looks very young, but is so thin and worn with an anxious face. In the beginning of the marriage Ritu was very homesick and her health has been very week since then. She is also a very shy and mentally weak person, because she tries to hide from other persons and has nightmares in the night.

- Hippies were influenced by the philosophy of Buddha and Gandhi

- biggest challenge for the Hippies was the confrontation with India because of the diversity of religions, culture, languages and nature

-  great hippie travel experience, undertaken by hundreds of thousands in the period 1969-1971, was the “overland route to India”

- several young backpackers travelled the long way by land from Europe to Kathmandu through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to Nepal.

- the majority spent a few months or half a year out there, and a few of them settled in Nepal or India for years, living on a low budget with hash and other drugs.

 

Reasons for the trip :

- the romance of the road, the attraction of drugs, the need of breaking the daily, monotonous way of living, the search for direct experience, the desire to explore what’s on the other side of the desert or the mountains, the curiosity to foreign, exotic cultures. And to quite a few, a search for their own identity.

- In the sixties and early seventies, individual travels to The Middle East and The Far East was an exotic experience, which had the capability to change you forever. Backpackers from the sixties and seventies didn’t have today’s security at all. E-mail, credit cards and mobile phones didn’t exist, and a phone call to your home country was a rare emergency action. On the other hand, travellers still had the feeling of being true pioneers and explorers.

 

The Characters:

1970s:

Narrator:

- English background, but her grandparents Douglas and Tessie have lived in India (p.7)

- comes to India to find out about her family’s past (especially Olivia) + self-discovery + getting to know India and its culture

- read Olivia’s letters (p.8 )

- tries to adapt to India as much as she can (wears Indian clothes)

- doesn’t need furniture in her room à modest person (she says she doesn’t want to be distracted from the scene – wants to concentrate on India and finding out her family’s past) (p.6 )

- doesn’t complain about Indian culture à open-minded, tolerant and able to understand the Indians (pp. 7-8 )

- has conversations with other Europeans – she is interested in their experiences – maybe wants to learn from them

Inder Lal:

- landlord of the narrator’s apartment, government officer (p.11)

- lives with his wife, mother and 3 children in some poky rooms

- lots of jealousy and intrigue against him àpeople want to pull him down (p.17)

- very polite, afraid to embarrass people

Chid:

- also English background (p.25)

- came to India to find spiritual enrichment (p.27)

- he has lived like a pilgrim for months

- has a shaved head, leaving only a Hindu tuft on top

- isn’t bothered by negative sides of India (dysentery, robbery,…) – possession and clothes aren’t important to him – only the spiritual purpose counts

- was given the Indian name Chidananda (Chid)

1920’s:

Olivia:

- Olivia went from England to India after she got married with Douglas

- in the beginning she doesn’t like it there, doesn’t feel comfortable, because everything is new to her

- spends the days mostly on her own, because Douglas is at work

- the first time, she feels happy in India is at the Nawab’s dinner party (p.19)

- she is somehow attracted to the Nawab, wants to see him again (p.22)

- can’t speak any other language than English, what makes it hard for her to have a conversation with Indian people like the Begum à she feels left out

- is scared of having a baby in India after finding out about the Saunders’ baby’s death

- has always been affected by graveyards, is touched by seeing the baby’s grave (P.29)

- admires Douglas (p.20)

Douglas:

- is extremely busy with his work in the district (p.19)

- leaves the house early in the morning and comes back home late in the evening, then he still has to do some work

- has grown up in India, is used to the country and culture

- understands Olivia’s problems, tries to soothe her and make her feel better

- seems to really love Olivia (p.31)

- doesn’t seem to like the Nawab, doesn’t accept his invitation (p.24)

- constantly dealing with Indians – doesn’t like the rich men: “they were all fat, and wore spotless loose white muslin clothes, and shone with oil and jewellery.” “They think they’re frightfully cunning but they’re really like children.”

The Nawab:

- governor in India

- lives in a huge palace in Khatm

- is married to Sandy, but doesn’t live with à she is mentally ill (pp.35,36)

- is fond of entertaining Europeans (p.19)

- always comes with a whole party (P.22)

- very self-confident, feels like a really important person (p.22,23)

- interested in Olivia, makes her compliments – “I feel I can tell you anything, anything at all, and you will understand” “You are much more the same type like myself…”

- very dominant, commanding person, but can also be really charming to Olivia

The Begum:

- Nawab’s mother

- in her fifties, handsome

- relaxed manner