A Devoted Son

“As for his mother, she gloated chiefly over the strange fact that he had not married in America, had not brought home a foreign wife as all her neighbors had warned her he would, for wasn’t that what all Indian boys went abroad for?”

This quote gives the reader some insight into Rakesh’s mother. While she doesn’t gloat quite as loudly or often as Varma, she holds it over others’ heads that her son is devoted and traditional. The idea of going abroad to find a “foreign wife” implies that the women available in India may not be as desirable. Looking for companionship elsewhere is seen as a sign of success and being able to break free of tradition and culture.

“Thereafter his fame seemed to grow just a little dimmer—or maybe it was only that everyone in town had grown accustomed to it at last—but it was also the beginning of his fortune for he now became known not only as the best but also the richest doctor in town.”

This quote occurs right after Rakesh opens his clinic, which is the pinnacle of his career. Not only has he achieved success and brought fame to his family, but he has also given back to his community. His fame isn’t as grand as it had because it’s now expected he’s will do great things (and he does). His actions become “normal” and unworthy of notice.

“At the time he set up his clinic his father had grown into an old man and retired from his post at the kerosene dealer’s depot at which he had worked for forty years, and his mother died soon after, giving up the ghost with a sigh that sounded positively happy, for it was her own son who ministered to her in her last illness and who sat pressing her feet at the last moment—such a son as few women had borne.”

Not only does this quote show the passage of time, but it also shows how content Mubarak is compared to the others in the story. Her son has accomplished great things, and he could have left at any point in time, but instead, he came back to take care of his family and treat them with dignity and respect. His mother dies knowing that she has something very few of her neighbors have.

“How one man—and a man born to illiterate parents, his father having worked for a kerosene dealer and his mother having spent her life in a kitchen—had achieved, combined and conducted such a medley of virtues, no one could fathom, but all acknowledged his talent and skill.”

Not only does this quote show how devoted Rakesh is, but it also illustrates the theme of tradition and modernity. The neighbors notice that despite the obstacles that Rakesh had to overcome, he was able to become successful and remain respectful, which isn’t something many others in this story seem to do.

“Having retired from work and having lost his wife, the old father very quickly went to pieces, as they say.”

This quote refers to how Varma reacted once his son was no longer admired by the neighbors or others in the community. On one hand, it shows that he is getting older and that age-related illness might be impacting him. On the other, it shows that without the admiration and praise that his son gets, Varma fades into obscurity and can’t function without the adoration and validation of others. After this, he finds ways to become the center of attention once again, but they don’t seem to have the same level of success.

“He opened his eyes—rather, they fell open with shock—and he stared at his son with disbelief that darkened quickly to reproach.”

Varma has an illness that leaves him weak, and Rakesh enters his room to let him know that he is no longer allowed to eat rich, fried foods. It seems like his advice is for the benefit of his patient. But Varma receives this news as a sign of disrespect and starts to view his son in a negative light.

“Halwa was only the first item to be crossed off the old man’s diet. One delicacy after the other went—everything fried to begin with, then everything sweet, and eventually everything, everything that the old man enjoyed.”

Food is an important part of the story and symbolizes Varma’s status. Being able to eat what he wants also shows him that he’s valued and honored by those around him. When these delicacies are taken away, Varma feels like he’s being picked on and bullied. He thinks that his family is trying to make him miserable. They feed him to keep him alive, but not being able to get the foods he wants makes him feel neglected and abandoned.

“The old man sighed and lay down in the corpse position. But that worried no one any longer.”

Varma undertakes this action after he has been caught bribing his grandson to buy him sweets from the market. Again, Varma is looking for a way to feel relevant in his old age, but Rakesh and Veena make it impossible for him to indulge. Varma has laid in this position before to elicit sympathy from those who find him. Lying like a corpse and pretending to be dead has earned him attention before, but he’s done it so many times that no one notices when he does it at this point.

“There was only one pleasure left in the old man now (his son’s early morning visits and readings from the newspaper could no longer be called that) and those were visits from elderly neighbors.”

After Rakesh has denied his father the things he enjoys (mainly sweet foods), Varma no longer wants to spend time with him. He would rather spend time with others who are as old as he is so that they can complain about the changing times. This plays into the theme of tradition and modernity and the refusal of certain generations to embrace change and recognize that with change comes some good things (including a longer life span).

“If Rakesh was at home he would help his father down the steps into the garden and arrange him on his night bed under the tree and leave the two old men to chew betel-leaves and discuss the ills of their individual bodies with combined passion.”

This quote can be found at the end of the paragraph after the one where Varma enjoyed talking to people of his generation. It shows that despite what his father believes, Rakesh wants Varma to be happy and thrive in any way he can. He’s more than likely aware that his father is speaking ill of him, but because of his devotion and respect, Rakesh makes sure his father can engage in things that make him happy.

“‘Never,’ murmured Bhatia in disbelief. ‘Is it possible, even in this evil age, for a son to refuse his father food?’”

The “evil age” that Bhatia refers to is one that is modern and has many conveniences, including indoor plumbing that he refuses to use. This quote shows that Bhatia’s opinion can’t be trusted—and neither can Varma’s. They aren’t being denied anything; they are choosing not to progress with the times and incorporate modern conveniences into their lives so that they can live longer.

“Outwardly all might be the same but the interpretation had altered: his masterly efficiency was nothing but cold heartlessness, his authority was only tyranny in disguise.”

This quote can be found at the end of the conversation between Varma and Bhatia, and it refers to how Rakesh is viewed by his father. He believes that even though nothing on the outside has changed, everything Rakesh is doing is because he wants power. Again, it’s possible to see that Varma’s perception of what’s happening may not reflect reality. He even admits that Rakesh has not changed, but Varma has, and his view of the world has become cynical and paranoid.

“There was cold comfort in complaining to neighbors and, on such a miserable diet, Varma found himself slipping, weakening and soon becoming a genuinely sick man.”

Varma continues to slip further and further away from the people who at the beginning of the story sustained him and gave him a reason to live. The more he’s “ignored” by those around him, the more he suffers. The implication is also that his ailments earlier in the story were faked so that he could get attention, but as time moves forward, the illnesses become real.