A Study of Indian English Novel and stories

🌻Name: Janveeba Sarvaiya 

🌻Sem: 6th

🌻Year: T. Y. B. A

🌻Main Subject: English 

🌻Class Assignment : characters of all story

🌻Home Assignment : explanation of the Night train at Deoli

🌻Essay : how I taught my grandmother to read

              🌸Characters of All story 🌸

          (Class Assignment)

☘️Characters of Toba tek singh :

 1.Bishen Singh (Toba Tek Singh): 

                                                   A Sikh inmate who has been in the mental asylum for 15 years.Everyone calls him Toba Tek Singh, the name of his hometown.Speaks in strange, meaningless words. Always stands; rarely sleeps.Very confused about whether his hometown is in India or Pakistan.Represents the pain and confusion of Partition.Dies in no-man’s-land, showing that he belongs to neither India nor Pakistan. 

         

 2. Fazal Din :

                                                   A Muslim friend of Bishen Singh from Toba Tek Singh.Visits him after 15 years.Brings news: Bishen Singh’s family is safe in India.Kind-hearted and caring.Adds to the confusion when he gives mixed answers about where Toba Tek Singh is.

       

  3. The ‘God’ Inmate:

                                                   A patient who claims he is God.Bishen Singh asks him whether Toba Tek Singh is in India or Pakistan.He answers jokingly, making Bishen Singh angry.Represents how even “God” cannot solve the confusion of Partition.

4. Muslim League Worker (the Jinnah-claiming patient) :

                                                          A Muslim patient from Chaniot.Used to be a strong supporter of the Muslim League.Bathes 15–16 times a day, then suddenly stops.Declares that he is Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.Shows how political events deeply affected even asylum inmates. 

5. Sikh Patient claiming to be Master Tara Singh :

                                                  A Sikh inmate who claims he is Master Tara Singh, a Sikh leader.Created as a mirror to the Muslim patient acting like Jinnah.Both are locked in different cells to prevent communal fights. 

6. The Hindu Lawyer :

                                              A young Hindu man who became insane after a failed love story.His beloved lives in Amritsar.Gets depressed when told Amritsar will be in India.When he learns he will be sent to India, he refuses, saying his law practice won’t succeed there.Shows how Partition separated lovers and destroyed lives. 

7. The Two Anglo-Indian Patients :

                                          Stay in the European ward.Shocked when told that the British have left India.Worry about what will happen to European food and European ward privileges.Represent the fear and uncertainty of minorities during Partition.

8. Newspaper-Reader Muslim Inmate:

                                                   Read the newspaper Zamindar When asked “What is Pakistan?” He gives a funny, confused answer:“A place in India where razors are made.”Shows how people did not understand the concept of a new country. 

 9. Bath-Time “Pakistan Zindabad” Patient:

                                                     A Muslim inmate who shouts Pakistan Zindabad loudly. Shouts so hard that he faints. Symbolizes extreme confusion and misplaced nationalism. 

 10. Roop Kaur : Bishen Singh’s daughter.

 11. Bhai Balbir Singh: Friend of Fazal Din, mentioned in his message.

 12. Bhai Vadhawa Singh : Another friend mentioned in Fazal Din’s message

13. Bahain Amrit Kaur : Woman mentioned by Fazal Din for greetings. 

☘️Character of Lihaaf:

1.Narrator (unnamed young girl) :

 The story is narrated by an unnamed young girl who remembers a strange experience from her childhood. When she sees her quilt forming the shape of an elephant on the wall, she recalls the days she spent at the house of her mother’s adopted sister, Begum Jaan. As a child, she slept in the same room as Begum Jaan and her masseuse, Rabbu. She often saw the quilt shaking and heard unusual sounds, but because she was too young to understand what sex was, she felt confused and frightened. When Rabbu went away one night, Begum Jaan behaved inappropriately with the narrator, which made the child feel a deep but indescribable fear.

2.Begum Jaan:  Begum Jaan, the narrator’s aunt, is shown as a beautiful but troubled woman. Although she is married to a nawab, her husband has no interest in her and spends most of his time behind closed doors with young men. Lonely and neglected, Begum Jaan finds emotional and physical comfort in Rabbu, her masseuse. Their relationship is hidden from the world. When Rabbu leaves to visit her son, Begum Jaan becomes desperate and turns towards the child narrator for the same attention, showing her as the main negative force in the story.

3. Nawab Sahib: Nawab Sahib, Begum Jaan’s husband, is the head of the household and is respected publicly for his good character. However, the story hints that he secretly has sexual relationships with young male students who stay in his house. He completely ignores his wife and keeps her separated from others, which pushes her towards Rabbu. It is also suggested that Nawab Sahib behaved wrongly with Rabbu’s son, causing the boy to run away and never return. 

4.Rabbu: Rabbu, the masseuse, is a constant companion to Begum Jaan. She massages her, sleeps beside her, and shares an intimate relationship with her. Rabbu belongs to a lower class, shown through her dark complexion and marks of smallpox. When she leaves the house to meet her son, Begum Jaan becomes restless and irritable, showing how dependent she is on Rabbu. 

5.Amma:Amma, the narrator’s mother, sends her daughter to stay with Begum Jaan for a week because the girl often fights with her brothers. The narrator misses her mother deeply during this stay, especially when she feels unsafe around Begum Jaan. 

6.Rabbu’s son:Rabbu’s son is a young man who refuses to visit the Nawab's house after a mysterious incident involving Nawab Sahib. The story hints that he, too, was mistreated by the nawab. Even though the nawab tries to win him back with gifts, clothes, and even a shop, the boy never returns, showing the seriousness of what happened to him.

☘️Character of the Night of full moon:

1.Malan : Malan is Minnie’s mother. Even though she is middle-aged, she is still very beautiful and looks young, almost like Minnie’s sister. Her husband ignores her and stays busy with work, which makes her feel lonely and unhappy. For many years, a man has loved her silently and waited for her. On a full-moon night, Malan finally gives in to her hidden feelings and goes to meet him. This decision later causes a misunderstanding, and people wrongly blame her daughter Minnie for what happened. 

2. Minnie:Minnie is Malan’s daughter. She is young, beautiful, innocent, and shy. She is about to be married in a week and behaves like a well-mannered and respectful girl. She regularly prays at the temple and follows social rules. Sadly, she becomes a victim of false accusations when villagers think they saw her with a man at night. In reality, it was Malan wearing Minnie’s dupatta and bangles, but Minnie has to suffer because of this mistake.

 3. The Lover (Malan’s Secret Admirer):

 The lover is a man who has deeply loved Malan for more than twenty years. Every full-moon night, he comes quietly, hoping Malan will accept his love. For years, she refused him, but this time she opened the door. He meets Malan near the bo tree on the full-moon night. His meeting with Malan becomes the reason for the later misunderstanding in the village.

 4. Malan’s Husband :Malan’s husband is a strict and hardworking moneylender. He is always busy earning money and caring only about work. He does not show love, care, or emotional support to Malan. Because of his cold behavior, Malan feels neglected. On the important full-moon night, he is away from home, which indirectly allows the misunderstanding to take place. 

5. Lajo (Neighbour Woman) :

 Lajo is Malan’s neighbour. She is curious, judgmental, and enjoys gossiping about others. She claims that she saw Minnie with a strange man in the fields at night. Instead of checking the truth, she spreads her assumption. Her words play a big role in starting the false rumour and damaging Minnie’s reputation.

 6. Jumma (Village Watchman):Jumma is the village watchman. He also says that he saw “Minnie” with a man during the night. In truth, he saw Malan, but he could not recognize her because she was wearing Minnie’s dupatta. By repeating what he saw without understanding the truth, Jumma adds more strength to the false accusation and scandal. 

7. Ratna (Zamindar / Landlord): Ratna is the rich and powerful landlord of the village. He becomes angry when he finds a broken red bangle in his field. Since Minnie was seen wearing twelve bangles, he believes the broken one belongs to her. Without listening carefully or thinking deeply, he accuses Minnie in front of everyone. His strong words make the situation worse and increase the public humiliation of an innocent girl.

☘️Character of The Night Train at Deoli:

1.The Narrator (The Young Man):  An observant, sensitive college student traveling by train. Kind-hearted, curious, and prone to romanticizing brief encounters. He becomes captivated by the girl, representing universal feelings of longing and the melancholy of missed connections, as he never truly connects with her beyond a few words and a purchased basket.

2.The Girl at Deoll:A young, impoverished girl selling baskets at the Deoli station. Shy, hardworking, simple, with dark, expressive eyes that hold a hint of longing. She embodies fleeting beauty, poverty, and an unknown future, leaving a deep, lasting impression on the narrator despite their brief interaction.

3.Station Master:  A minor character who provides a brief, unhelpful detail about the girl's disappearance on the narrator's return journey, highlighting the indifference of the world to such transient figures.

☘️Character of How I Taught My Grandmother To Read:

  

1.The Granddaughter (Narrator):   Role: A young, patient, and affectionate teacher who guides her grandmother .Teaches the Kannada alphabet daily, showing empathy and respect for her grandmother's desire to learn.

 

2.The Grandmother (krishtakka): Deeply religious and emotional, she loves stories but regrets not learning to read; she feels ashamed of her dependence and wants to read her favorite novel, Kashi Yatre, herself. Traditional yet open-minded, determined, resilient, hardworking, respectful, and a quick learner.Moves from relying on her granddaughter to becoming an independent reader, achieving her goal with great effort and dedication by Dusshera.

☘️Character of Karma:

  1.Sir Mohan Lal:   Sir Mohan Lal is prejudiced and sees things in black-and-white: he cannot see the negative aspects of the English society and culture, or the good aspects of India and of his life there. The story suggests that being kicked out of the train brings Sir Mohan face to face with reality, and he learns a lesson because of his own arrogance.

 

2.Lachmi: Lachmi is depicted mostly as her husband’s opposite, which helps define each of the characters in the story. Lachmi is portrayed as an obedient Indian woman and is not a developing character, as she does not change by the end of the story.

    🌸 Explanation Of The Night Train At Deoli🌸

        ☘️  (Home assignment)☘️

☘️About the Author :

Ruskin Bond was born on 19 May 1934 

(age 91) Kasauli, Punjab States Agency, British India (now in Himachal Pradesh, India) and is Anglo- Indian. He is a famous Indian writer and poet. His first novel, The Room on the Roof, was published in 1956 and won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.

Ruskin Bond has written more than 500 short stories, essays, and novels. Out of these, 69 books are written for children. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for his book Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra.

 He was also honoured by the Indian government with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014 for his contribution to literature. 

🪄Summary:

Published:-1988

When the narrator was a college student,he was 18 years old and he used to spend his summer holidays at his grandmother’s house in Dehra. He travelled by night train and passed a small station called Deoli, about thirty miles before Dehra. Deoli was a quiet and lonely station surrounded by jungle. The train always stopped there for ten minutes, even though no one got on or off. There was only one platform, a small station office, a waiting room, a tea stall, a fruit seller, and a few dogs. The narrator felt sorry for the station because it seemed forgotten and unimportant, and he often wondered what life was like there. 

One early morning, when the train stopped at Deoli, the narrator noticed a young girl selling baskets on the platform. She was poorly dressed and barefoot, but she walked with grace and dignity. She wore a shawl because it was cold. When she came near his window, their eyes met, and there was a strong, silent connection between them. Without saying much, the narrator felt drawn to her. He got down from the train, went to the tea stall, and finally bought a basket from her, even though he did not really want one. Before they could speak properly, the train started moving, and the narrator had to rush back to his seat. As the train left, he saw the girl standing alone on the platform, smiling at him. He could not forget her face for the rest of the journey.

Two months later, on his return journey, the narrator remembered the girl and hoped to see her again. When the train stopped at Deoli, he felt excited to find her there. She recognized him too, and both were happy, like old friends meeting again. They did not talk much, but their feelings were clear. The narrator strongly wished he could take her away with him. He held her hand and told her he was going to Delhi. She quietly replied that she had nowhere to go. When the train started, he promised to return and asked if she would be there. She nodded, and once again he had to leave her behind as the train moved away. 

After this meeting, the girl stayed in the narrator’s thoughts for a long time. When his college term ended, he travelled to Dehra earlier than usual, eager to see her again. But when the train reached Deoli, she was not there. He searched the platform and asked the station-master about her, but the man knew nothing. The narrator felt disappointed and uneasy. He returned to his grandmother’s house but could not stay long because he felt restless. He decided to go back and ask more questions at Deoli.

On his next visit, the station-master had changed, and the new one also knew nothing about the girl. The tea stall owner remembered her but said she had stopped coming and did not know why. Once again, the narrator had to leave without any answers. Still, he comforted himself by thinking that one day he would stop at Deoli, search the town, and find the girl. 

Years passed, and the narrator travelled through Deoli many times. Each time, he looked out of the train window, hoping to see the girl again, even though he knew she would probably not be there. He never gathered the courage to get down at Deoli because he was afraid of discovering the truth—that she might be married, sick, or gone forever. He preferred to keep the memory and hope alive. For him, Deoli remained a place of dreams, longing, and unfinished love. He continues to pass through the station, always waiting and wondering, but never stopping.

🌸How I Taught My Grandmother To Read🌸

(Eassy)

How I Taught My Grandmother to Read is a short story written by the famous Indian author Sudha Murty. It was first published in 2004 in the book How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and Other Stories by Penguin Books, India.The story is included in the Class 9 English Communicative CBSE syllabus. 

The story How I Taught My Grandmother to Read is a touching real-life account of the author’s childhood and her special relationship with her grandmother. When the author was about twelve years old, she lived in a village in north Karnataka with her grandparents. Life in the village was simple, and transport facilities were poor. Newspapers arrived only in the afternoon and weekly magazines came a day late. Everyone in the household waited eagerly for the bus that brought letters, newspapers, and magazines.

 At that time, Triveni was a very famous writer in the Kannada language. One of her novels, Kashi Yatre, was being published as a serial in the weekly magazine Karmaveera. The novel was about an old woman who strongly wished to go to Kashi (Varanasi), which is believed to be the holiest place for Hindus. However, in the end, the old woman gives all her savings to help a poor orphan girl’s marriage, believing that helping someone is more important than a religious pilgrimage. 

The author’s grandmother was named Krishtakka, and the author affectionately called her “Avva,” meaning mother in the local Kannada dialect. Avva was sixty-two years old and had never been to school, so she was illiterate. Even though she could not read, she had a sharp memory and a deep interest in stories. Every Wednesday, when the magazine arrived, the author would read the new episode aloud to Avva. Avva listened with full concentration, forgetting all her household work, and later could repeat the story word for word. She identified strongly with the old woman in Kashi Yatre because she herself had never gone to Kashi. 

Once, the author went to a neighbouring village for a wedding and stayed away for about a week. During that time, the magazine arrived, but Avva could not read it. This made her feel helpless, dependent, and embarrassed. Although she was financially well-off, she realized that money without education cannot give independence. She waited eagerly for her granddaughter to return and felt deeply hurt by her inability to read.

One night, under the full moon, Avva shared her life story with her granddaughter. She spoke about losing her mother early, never getting an education, marrying young, and spending her life caring for her family. She explained that she always ensured her children and grandchildren were educated, even though she herself remained illiterate. That night, she firmly decided to learn the Kannada alphabet, despite being sixty-two years old. She set a goal to read a novel independently by Saraswati Pooja during the Dassara festival. 

Though the granddaughter laughed at her age at first, Avva remained determined. From the next day, the granddaughter began teaching her. Avva proved to be a disciplined and hardworking student, practising reading, writing, and reciting daily. The granddaughter became her first teacher, and Avva became her first student. 

On Dassara day, Avva performed the pooja and then surprised her granddaughter. She gifted her a frock material and then touched her feet as a mark of respect. This was unusual because elders do not touch the feet of youngsters. Avva explained that she was touching the feet of a teacher, not her granddaughter, because a teacher deserves respect regardless of age or gender. 

In return, the granddaughter gifted Avva a copy of Kashi Yatre in book form. Avva immediately read the title, author’s name, and publisher on her own, proving that she had successfully learned to read. 

The story beautifully conveys that education brings independence, learning has no age limit, and teachers deserve the highest respect. It also highlights the strong emotional bond between a grandmother and her granddaughter.