A Devoted Son
-Anita Desai
Anita Desai, original name Anita Mazumdar, (b.1937-) is an Indian
novelist, short story writer and the writer of children’s books. As a biracial child
born to a German mother and Indian father, Desai has been exposed to German,
Hindi and English languages from her childhood. After completing her B. A. from the
University of Delhi, Desai began to publish her stories and novels. Her novels
Cry, The Peacock (1963) Where Shall We Go This Summer (1975), Fire on the
Mountain (1977), Clear Light of the Day (1980), In Custody (1984) Baumgartner’s
Bombay (1988), Journey to Ithaca (1995), Feasting, Feasting (1999) and Zigzag Way
(2004) received a mixed response from the readers. She received the Sahitya
Academy Award for her novel Fire on the Mountain. Her novel In Custody was
adapted into a film in 1993. She published several volumes of short stories
including Games at Twilight and Other Stories (1978), Diamond Dust and Other
Stories (2000). Two of her Children’s Books the Village and the Sea (1982) and
The Artist of Disappearance (2011) became popular among Indian children. ‘The Devoted
Son’ is extracted from her collection of stories, The Complete Short Stories. ‘A
Devoted Son’ is a realistic story set in a middle-class Indian family in an
Indian village. The story shows how parents cherish their ambition toward their
children and how a son should fulfil his duty towards his parents.
• Characters:
1. Rakesh: He is the son of Varma who is a well
behaved and duteous son. He is a brilliant student who becomes a doctor and has
an opportunity to continue his practice and education in the USA. He is the son
of a kerosene vendor Varma. In his father’s old age, he supervises every bit of
food his father eats and medicates him for every little complaint.
2. Veena: She is a simple and fat Indian girl
married to Rakesh by the wish of his mother who is very loyal and dutiful by
nature. She follows Rakesh’s orders regarding his father’s diet.
3. Varma: He works as an oil seller and he
is the father of Rakesh who hardly educates his son and has pride over his
son’s achievement. But later he finds his son as a tyrant as he cuts his
foodstuffs.
4. Bhatia: He is an old neighbour of Rakesh and a
friend of Varma who participates in Rakesh’s family conversations and
activities. He lives next door and often joins Varma to sit outside and
complain about the hardships that the two of them are facing.
5. Varma’s wife: She is an unnamed lady who dies
later, which leads to his unhappiness, and made him sick.
6. Rakesh’s children: They are unnamed children who
pass time and play with grandfather as well. Varma is briefly able to convince
one of them to sneak him extra food.
•Short Summary:
Anita Desai is a well-known Indian
author. She has written several English-language novels. Almost every story she
writes is about everyday Indian life and individuals. A Devoted Son is a short
story about a father and son’s bond.
The story revolves around Dr. Rakesh. He’s from a poor Indian village. Varma, his father, was a vegetable
vendor. His father wished for a well-educated son. Rakesh is the first member
of his family to attend college. Rakesh completed his medical exams with the
highest marks in the country, which is a cause for celebration. Varma informs
everyone who would listen about Rakesh’s grades and how he can now go
to medical school in America.
Some people are frightened that Rakesh would forget his roots. Varma is
unconcerned about this and is pleased that everyone knows his son’s name.
Rakesh spends a significant
amount of time in America to complete his degree; he successfully completes the
degree and has job offers from major US hospitals. The awards he receives are
returned to his family for them to admire and preserve. This allows him to stay
in touch with his family. He adores America, but he adores his family more, and
he has always intended to come home. He’ll return as soon as he’s gained enough
experience and money. He intended to work in his hometown. His parents disagree
with some of his life choices, such as why he wants to return home and why he
marries a local girl with little schooling. Varma believes he should have
higher ambitions.
Later, he begins working in a
city hospital, which differs from the American hospitals he had previously
worked in. He wants to work there because he wants to make a difference in his
community. He rises quickly through the ranks and eventually becomes director.
When his mother dies, his father, Varma, is heartbroken. Rakesh no longer has
as much time to devote to Varma now that he has his own family. He does not
want to lose his father any time soon, so he applies his medical expertise.
He forbids Varma from eating sweets
to help him with his stomach. Varma tries to get sweets from his grandson,
which frustrates Rakesh. Rakesh wants his son to have a positive relationship
with Varma, just like Rakesh does. Varma
tells Rakesh and his wife that he dislikes them, but he still keeps an eye out
for Varma. Rakesh finally lets Varma leave, knowing that he has done everything
he can for Varma.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. How did the morning papers bring an ambience of celebration to the Varma family?
Answer: The morning papers displayed the result of
Varma’s son, Rakesh who scored the highest rank in the country for his Medical
Examination and brought an ambience of celebration to the Varma family as it
was a matter of pride for the family.
b. How did the community celebrate Rakesh’s success?
Answer: The community people celebrated Rakesh’s
success by visiting his small yellow house, congratulating the parents, filling
his house and garden with the sound and colour festivals and offering gifts
like fountain pens and watches.
c. Why was Rakesh’s success a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood?
Answer: Rakesh’s success was a special matter of
discussion in the neighbourhood because he was the first son in the family to
receive an education, and he further topped the Medical examination as well.
d. How does the author make fun with the words ‘America’ and ‘the USA’?
Answer: The author makes fun with the words “America”
and “The USA” by associating them with Verma’s nature of dealing with the words
as he considered “the USA” as more prestigious than “America”. He said that
America is the term to be called by his ignorant neighbours.
e. How does the author characterize Rakesh’s wife?
Answer: The author characterizes Rakesh’s wife as an
old fashioned, plump and uneducated girl. She was so placid, complaisant and
lazy but too good-natured and pretty fat.
f. Describe how Rakesh rises in his career.
Answer: Rakesh started his career as a doctor in the
city hospital and quickly reached the top of the administrative: organization
and was made a director. Then, he opened his own private clinic, bought a car
and became known not only as of the best but also the richest doctor in town.
g. How does the author describe Rakesh’s family background?
Answer: The author describes Rakesh’s family
background as a man born to illiterate as well as very poor parents. His father
worked for a kerosene vendor and his mother spent her life in a kitchen and his
grandparents worked as vegetable sellers.
h. What is the impact of Rakesh’s mother’s death on his father?
Answer: Rakesh’s father was stricken with grief by the
death of his wife as well as his retirement. The old father very quickly went
to pieces and fell ill so frequently with such a mysterious disease named a
peevish whim (sudden irritation in mind) that even his son could no longer make
it out.
i. What did Rakesh do to make his father’s old age more comfortable?
Answer: Rakesh brought his father his morning tea in
the old man’s favourite brass tumbler, and sat at the edge of his bed,
comfortable and relaxed his father’s night-shirt, and read out the morning news
to him to make him even more comfortable in his old age.
j. Why did the old man try to bribe his grandchildren?
Answer: The old man tried to bribe his grandchildren with
the trick so that he could get a chance to eat Jalebis because his oy fried
food and sweets were prohibited by his son.
k. Are Mr Varma’s complaints about his diet reasonable? How?
Answer: From the point of view of an old father, Mr
Verma’s complaints about his diet may be reasonable to some extent but in fact,
Rakesh as a devoted and obedient son and by profession, a doctor is right in
his performance and activities because he conducts such activities for the
healthy and better life of his sick father.
Reference to the Context
a. How did the Varma couple make sacrifices for their son’s higher education?
Answer: Verma couple was from a poor background and
they were illiterate as well. His father worked for a kerosene dealer and his
mother in the kitchen. Even his grandparents worked as vegetable vendors. His
parents worked hard and sacrificed their life, time, money and everything they
have for the higher education and medical college of his child, Rakesh.
b. Mr. Varma suffers from diseases one after another after his wife’s death. Would he have enjoyed better health if she had not died before him? Give reasons.
Answer: Mr. Varma suffered from diseases one after
another his wife’s death. I think all this happens to him due to his wife’s
death as it makes him alone and scattered. He thinks most of the time about his
life partner which leads him stricken with grief. The old father very quickly
went to pieces and fell ill. Thus, if she had not died before him, he would
have enjoyed better health for a few more days.
c. Dr Rakesh is divided between a doctor and a son. As a son, he loves his father and worries about his weakening health but as a doctor, he is strict about his father’s diet and medicine. In your view, what else could Rakesh have done to make his father’s final years more comfortable?
Answer: Dr Rakesh is divided between a doctor and a
son. As a son, he loves his father and worries about his weakening health but
as a doctor, he is strict about his father’s diet and medicine. In my view,
Rakesh could have done the following things to make his father’s final years
more comfortable:
® Rakesh would have been more polite and respectful in his behaviour with his father in the final years.
® He wouldn’t have been so strict and miserable while regulating his father’s diet and food.
® His loud-speaking towards his father- “No butter?”, “No oil’, “No more bread?” makes the old man very troublesome and miserable.
d. What does the story say about the relationship between grandfather and grandchildren?
Answer: Desai’s story “A Devoted Son” shows loving
companionship between grandfather and grandchildren. They have good bonding.
But in the story, the grandfather is attracted to his grandchildren to get some
sweets like ‘Jalebis’ from them by using the trick as his oily fried food, and
sweets were prohibited by his son, Rakesh. Anyway, we find innocent, tricky,
trusty and bonding relationships between grandfather and his grandchildren in
the story.
e. Do you call Rakesh a devoted son? Give reasons.
Answer: Yes, I call Rakesh a devoted son because of
the following reasons:
® He shows a great degree of tender regard for his mother.
® He touches his father’s on every good occasion.
® Even though he studies in America, Rakesh does not bring back a foreign bride to his parents’ home.
® He marries an uneducated, old-fashioned village girl of his mother’s choosing.
® Though he treats his father as a medical professional, he does this for the better health and life of his father.
Thus, he is a perfect son, a
loving father and husband, and a good physician.
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