The Village by The Sea

written by Anita Desai. Literarture

1. Melissa Choong Siti Anati Wan Noor Amira Jazlie Jaffar

2. THEMES

3. Hardships in Life Lila struggles for the survival of their family in the absence of their drunken father and ill mother. As portrayed in the beginning of the novel, the opening scene is described to be an unstable environment. The mother, who has been chronically ill and is bed-ridden. Their father is an alcoholic, which forces Hari and Lila to manage the family. There is much stress on them due to the constant demand of meeting the need of money. Although their father was earning money, he used to spend it to buy alcoholic materials. He doesn’t work anymore after he sold his boat to pay debts.

4. Kindness Jagu takes pity on Hari and welcomes him to work in his restaurant (Sri Krishna Eating House) Mr Panwallah (owner of Ding-Dong watch shop, beside Jagu’s restaurant) instills confidence in  Hari and comforts him when he is terribly home sick  Mr. Panwallah gives Hari a vivid and inspiring future by teaching him on watch mending

5. R ich and Poor The rich, the city man and an educated stand in one category and the poor, a villager and an uneducated stand in an other category, the rich has a distinguished feature, a city man is supposed to be smart and an educated person intelligent, and the other category is just the opposite of them. Many a times the first category of the people fools and ridicules the second category of the people, which is unfair . Mr Pinto fooled the villagers Mr de Silva’s insulting words towards Hari’s father Dark man wearing blue shirt over white pyjamas conversation with Hari

6. Adaption to Changes Hari  went to Bombay all  alone and were able  to work  there without changing and forgetting his family and origin. He never spent anything there - not even go to cinema or  buy cigarette when he was in Bombay in order to save money. Thul’s people able to adapt to the new development occurs in their village and still maintaining the environment, e.g the hills, still topped by the small white cube of the temple .

7. Adaption to Changes . The villages and their lands, groves and deserts have been replaced by great companies. The natural environment does not exist anymore as it was earlier. These changes are profitable in the short-run but destructive in long-run. The villagers are opposing but who will listen to their yelling. The government is implementing its master plans with force and in result the small farm and land owners become the labors and workers of the various companies established in the area or start doing some thing else. Their calm, relaxed and joyful life turns to a hardworking and restless lobar life. 

8. Responsibility towards others Lila, as the eldest, took the responsibility of taking care of her family as both of her parents are incapable to do so. Hari went all the way to Bombay to find better job and earn money for his family

9. PLOT

10. Characters

11. CHARACTERS WHICH DEVELOP THE PLOT