Summary: 10 April

In the diary entry from 10th April the narrator narrates about living together with the sadhu Chid. Firstly she talks about Chid`s behaviour towards herself and her belongings. Then she describes the situation between the people, living in the town, and Chid. After that the relationship between Inder Lal and Chid is described. In the end the narrator again talks about her relationship between Chid. She has a strong feeling of being used.

Chid`s state

Describe the state in which Chid is.

Chid is in a rather bad order. After leaving the traveller`s rest house, he started continuing his pilgrimage, but had to break that up, because he was feeling very ill (p.62, l.8). Thus he trudged himself back to Satipur (p.62, ll.8,9), where he got to this tomb.

When the narrator and Inder Lal find Chid, he´s still very ill (p.62, l.9). His forehead is hot and thus the narrator gathers from that, that Chid is having fever (p.62, l.14,15). He is huddled in one corner and lays propped against a latticed arch (p.62, l.3), with all his possessions with him (a bundle, an umbrella, prayer-beads, and a bagging bowl) (p.62, ll.1,2). Chid is thirsty and hungry (p.62, l.16). He doesn´t hear the question Inder Lal is asking him, but only looking at the narrator with fevered eyes (p.63, ll.1,2), what shows that his sense of apperception is already affected and that the stay in the tomb and his illness have already left behind some aftereffects.

Summary: 30 March

In the diary entry of 30th March is the finding of Chid described. Inder Lal and the narrator go home together when hearing a sound out of the royal tombs near Maji´s hut. Looking what that sound comes from, the narrator finds the sadhu Chid. On his pilgrimage he got ill and wasn´t able to continue. He´s in a miserable condition and the narrator and Inder Lal take him with them, to the narrators apartment.

Reactions to suttee

Compare Beth Crawford´s and Oliva´s reactions to suttee. Whose attitude do you find most appealing, and why?

Beth Crawford can´t imagine, that widows can burn themselves voluntary (p.59, l.1). Just the other way round Olivia is thinking.

She´s thinking that suttee is a part of the Hindu religion and thus it´s just a normal thing, that things like that happen (p.59, ll.8,9). Besides it is not only a part from their religion, but also a part from their culture. In Olivia´s opinion, them, the English colonists, aren´t really allowed to interfere with such an topic (p.59,ll.11-13).
It´s important that she isn´t misunderstood, she really doesn´t want to recommend the suttee (p.59,ll.24,25), she just understands the women and can think herself in their position (p.60,ll.1,2 + p.61,ll.3,4). In Olivia´s opinion it´s a noble idea to die and go together with the person you love most in the world (p.59,ll.26,27 + p.60,ll.1,2).

By contrast Mrs. Crawford says that she wouldn´t be able to do something like that also if she loves her husband very very much (p.60, ll.29,30). Olivia, on the other hand, says very clearly that she would be able to die with Douglas (p.61, l.1).

I can put myself in the position of the widows. At the first time after the death of their husband, it´s just a normal thing that you thing life insn´t worth living anymore. In such situations all people don´t really know how life shall go an. But I think after some time, they won´t get over the death, but resign oneself to it and to the whole situation. Then they again start doing things they like and have perhaps actually a little bit fun. They start enjoying life again and then they also think that it´s good, that they haven´t gone with their husbands. Thus I think every woman should have someone who cares about them after the death of their husband and talks them out of the idea of burning themselves with their husbands.

Summary: Olivia´s story p.56-61

In the section of Olivias story on pages 56 to 61 firstly is told from a suttee that happened not long ago. Douglas wants to save the woman, but comes to late and can only arrest the instigators. After that a meeting between Douglas and the Nawab is narrated. The last, but biggest, part of this section describes a dinner party where Olivia and Douglas, Mr. and Mrs. Crowford, the Minnies and Dr. Saunders, take part in. The main topic they´re discussing about that night is the suttee and the different people say what they think about widow burning.

Various woman mentioned in the text (20 March)

narrator:

• becomes good friend with Inder Lalá mother
• English woman
• is learning Hindi (understands things better now, but her own still  makes Inder Lal´s mother laugh)
• is introduced to some jaunts of Inder Lal´s mother and her friends
• feels and is a part of the widows
• though she doesn´t understand everything, she doesn´t fell excluded
• tries to join them singing hymns
• crude figures give narrator an eerie feeling
• is interested in rituals (e.g. suttee) and overwhelmed

Inder Lal´s mother:

• becomes a good friend with the narrator
• about 501 years old, strong, healthy, full of feminine vigour
• looks out that everything is like it should be (e.g. bazaar – best vegetables and good prices)
• is a widow
• likes to talk
• very good relationship to her son, does everything for him
• proud of her son
• self-confident
• walks around town with friend freely an doesn´t care at all if her sari slips down from her heads or even her breasts
• behaves together with her friends like schoolgirl
• has, together with other widows, the narrator welcomed in their middle
• often does jaunts
• gives the narrator an understanding of the religion and culture
• respectful, has greatest reverence for that ancient custom (the suttee) (regretful)

Mija:

• friend of Inder Lal´s mother
• widow
• seems to be positively bursting with certain powers
• lives in a little hut under a tree
• sort of leader
• leads the singing of the hymns –> leading character

other widows:

• have outings together — they roam around town quite freely and don´t care if their saris slip down from their heads or even breasts, behave like schoolgirls

daughters-in-law:

• at outings: -sometimes shuffle behind the widows (their mothers-in-law)

-are heavily veiled and silent and with the downcast eyes of prisoners under guard

• are domineered by mothers-in-law (they are subjected to the mothers-in-law)