2. The next scene takes place in South Africa approximately 55 years earlier. What happens on the train?

Gandhi is thrown off a South African train by British officers, because he travels first class and this is not considered to be accurate for an Indian (or “a coloured person” as they call him). After this happening Gandhi realizes the unfairness and discrimination of British laws.

7. Life in the ashram is a new experience for its members. What do we find out about the relationship between Gandhi and his wife?

The ashram is a community of the whole world. There is neither surpression nor inequality. Gandhi’s wife is a good example for an independent wife, because she doesn’t let herself force to do things she does not want to do. Eeven if she truly loves him and wants to support him, she still has her own mind and does not let herself surpress by her husband or anyone else. I believe that this is why she is so important to Gandhi.

8. Contrast the second meeting that gandhi has about the pass law. Pay special attention to his speech techniques as well as the crowd’s reaction. He also gives his pilosophy of passive resitance. What is it?

Gandhi tries to incorporate his audience and encourages them to support him. His philosophy of passive resistance is about struggling for India’s rights without any sort of violence. Gandhi also outlines the importance of keeping up self-respect and not showing obedience to the British.

20. The end of Part one focuses on one of Gandhi’s fasts. What is the purpose of the fast? What components of spirituality are incorporated into fasting?

All over the country tensions between Hindus and Muslims arised after India’s Independence. Gandhi starts to fast to stop the nation-wide violence.

The spiritual purpose of fasting is the dedication to god. One makes a sacrifice to show one’s spirituality and that one is able to dispense.

Key Scenes:

1. Assassination scene : Gandhy is shot by a fanatic Hindu, afterwards a massive funeral takes place

2. Train Scene : Gandhi gets thrown out of an South African train, because he travelled first class –> British lasw are against Indians

3. Non violent-protest scene: Gandhi protests for the rights of all Indians in South Africa

4. Ashram scene : Gandhi shows a reporter the ashram community, which is build up by people from different nations. (the ashram cummunity shows what Gandhi wants to achieve: Equality of all people and peaceful co-existence of all different religions)

5. Back in India: Gandhi is welcomed by a mass of Indians and and considered as a national saviour. He agrees to campaign for India’s Independence. He travels through India by train.

6. Gandhi visiting a farmer: Gandhi visits a poor and starving farmer, he is curious about getting to know India and its people better.

7. Prison scene: Charlie Andrews, Gandhi’s friend from South Africa, visits him.

8. Massacre scene: British army attacks Indians –> 160 000 casualties.

9. The fast scene: Gandhi fasts to stop the fights between the British and Indians.

10. Salt march scene: The Indians demonstrate at the salt works, it is a non-violent civil resistance

11. Gandhi in England: India’s independence is announced

12. Hindus and Muslims violences: the trouble in India is not over – nation-wide violence because of tensions between Hindus and Muslims

13. Assassination scene: the assassination of Gandhi mirros the opening and shows the viewer once again how tragic Gandhi’s death was and how the Indian people coped with it. The numerous participants at his funeral are a proof of the importance of Gandhi and his struggle for independence and freedom. 

A new culture, a new beginning

Different people, awkward feelings

Adaption or exclusion?

Is this the right place for me?

I am not sure

But what is there that makes me feel like it could be?

Is it only the amity to a certain person?

No, it is not

It is much more than that

A strong affection

Love

On these two pages the narrator has a conversation with Dr. Gopal, an Indian doctor who looks after Chid when he’s at hospital.

Dr. Gopal says Chid’s bad state is due to wrong food and living and explains further on that the climate is not suited to Europeans. With saying “not only Westernerns but even most Indians suffer from amoebic dysentery” (p.146, ll.9/10) the doctor admits that also Indians can be affected by diseases. After a discussion with the narrator, who is not his opinion in some aspects, the doctor seems to even feel superior to the narrator, because he starts laughing while talking to her and ends the discussion up with saying that only Indians are fit to live in a place like India and none of the Europeans. (p.146, ll.20-23). His words “For Indians only! Keep out” (l.25) climax everything the doctor has said before.

Even if the doctor might be right with saying that our European bodies are not made for such a hot country I think that people can adapt to a certain climate after a while. Best examples therefore are the Europeans the narrator mentions on page 147. There are the Englishmen who continued living in India after the Mutiny and also the woman missionary as well as Olivia.

And what about other hot places like Australia, which was also an English colony and full of Europeans nowadays? The people there could adapt to the weather as well so why should it not be possible in India?

To me it seems like the doctor, especially at the end of the discussion does not really talk about the Europeans bodies who suffer from infections, but wants to point at the Europeans, particularly the English, who came to India and took over the Indians’ land. This was not right in his opinion and that is why he becomes so emotionally during the discussion. In my opinion his words “You know in the bad old days you had your Clubs and they were reserved for the British only? Well now it is like this that we have our germs and we have reserved these for ourselves only”.” (p.146, ll. 24/25) show his feelings of injustice the best.