Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
The plot
The events of the story take place in India, during the periods of the British Raj in the 1920s and the present day of the novel (the 1970s). A young English woman, searches for the truth about Olivia (1920s), the first wife of her grandfather.
The narrator discovers that Olivia was a woman smothered by the social restrictions placed upon her by British society. She falls in love with a Nawab and becomes pregnant with his child. Her decision to abort the baby results in a scandal. In discovering the truth about these events, the narrator also comes to fall in love with an Indian man, understand herself better and develops an interest in India.
The characters
The narrator:
Comes to India in the 1970s to reconstruct her step-grandmother's life in Satipur
has no difficulties in adapting to Indian culture
modest, tolerant, open-minded
gains an insight into Hindu life through Inder Lal's family
not oblivious to the cruelty,......
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Approximate Word Count: 1568
Approximate Pages: 7 (260 words per double-spaced page) |