E212: British Literature since 1760

Anita Desai Study Questions

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Assigned: "Scholar and Gypsy" (2768ff).

1. On 2769-71, what specific things about India and Indians make the sociologist David's wife, Pat, uneasy? What does she think and say about this uneasiness?

2. On 2772-75, what is it about the trip to Manali in the Kulu Valley (where they go by bus to escape the dry heat of Delhi) that revives Pat's spirits? How does the narrator's description of the scenery in part convey the source of revival? Why doesn't David find the trip congenial?

3. On 2776-77, what is so appealing to Pat about the village of Manali proper? What is "authentic" about it in the sense that the villagers don't behave like big-city Indians?

4. On 2778-81, Pat and David come upon a Hindu temple, and argue. How does Pat's way of perceiving and understanding her travels in India differ from David's--what is the big contrast in their perspectives? David makes fun of her confusion over the distinction between Buddhism and Hinduism, but what doesn't he understand about her viewpoint?

5. On 2781-82, what is to be learned about David's interpretation of his wife's behavior and attitude since the beginning of their trip to Manali? For example, why does the sight of Indian tourists gawking at white folks listening to a guru unsettle him, and why is he upset about her striking up a friendship with some Californians?

6. On 2783-84, what does David's accident (he is burned by some radiator water while waiting for a bus) reveal about his true relation to those around him and, most specifically, about his deepest view of Anglo-American culture and Indian culture?

7. On 2784-85, why do you suppose Anita Desai has chosen to make the narrator recount much of the final argument and breakup between Pat and David, rather than offering us direct dialogue throughout? And what final explanation does Pat offer regarding what she believes she has found in Manali?

8. A general question: Why do you suppose a fair number of Westerners have felt an intense desire to abandon their ways in favor of Eastern religions, even to the point of leaving behind jobs, spouses, and friends? Based on what you know about Hinduism and/or the teachings of Buddha, would Krishna or Buddha say you have to leave everything behind and do something completely new?

Edition: Abrams, M.H. et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 2A. Seventh edition. New York: Norton, 2000.