Page 168 - DENG503_INDIAN_WRITINGS_IN_LITERATURE

Indian Writings in Literature

Notes is catering to the English readers, that he is dealing not with the curious or the exotic but
with matters of concern to those within the culture." To the translator of Godaan then,
thankfully, the distinct cultural specificity of the text is important. He does not give any
explanatory notes in the text, nor does he give any footnotes. He does all this consciously
and deliberately, so that he may not intrude or disturb. Exercising his choices as translator,
he works out his own strategies and does well in involving the reader in the reasons for the
choices he makes.
• Roadarmel has done some fiction editing in the process of translating the novel if only, as he
declares, to take care of the "chronological and other inconsistencies" in the novel. Since the
objective of the translation is to make the same joy available to the English reader as that of
the Hindi reader, generally Roadarmel has attempted to remain as close to orginal text as he
could. But he does point out the cause for deviations and the problems of idiom and style in
having to move from Hindi to English. Dalmia speaks of the languages of heteroglossia
intersecting each other in Godan which is what makes the novel difficult to translate. In fact
she gives examples of how Roadarmel could not escape some of the pitfalls created thus for
the translators, even though there is no denying the durability of his translation of the novel.
• The acid test for the success of a translated text is its readability which, I believe, depends on
how autonomous it is. It has to become another original without compromising the spirit.
The Gift of a Cow is not parasitic on Godan, nor is it merely its shadow; the spirit of Godan
vibrates in the form of The Gift of a Cow.
• Premchand's "Godan" produces the rustic, simplistic and heart-rending lives of the peasants.
Far, from exaggeration, "Godan" is "a novel of stark reality". It deals with the dreams, despairs
and day-to day events of Hori, the protagonist of the novel, and his family. Through the
peasants, Premchand has portrayed the pathetic life of the rural arena. Hori is an embodiment
of peasant-virtue, simplicity and truth. He leads an inconsistent life with his wife Dhania,
and his three children. Their unstable financial situation always tends to lend them frustration
and despair. A tension-free life is not theirs. If they spend a quarter of their lives in starvation,
they spend the rest paying unwarranted loans. The money-lenders take full advantage of
their poverty ad therefore take unreasonable interest from them. Premchand writes:" A loan
was an unwelcome guest, once in the house, dug himself into permanent fixture." The money-
lenders also exploit the ignorance and gullibility of the peasants. The village-folk in the
higher strata of society, who are financially sounder, take advantage of the village-peasants.
In the novel, we find, we find how Dulari mounts a small amount of money into a hundred
rupees within a small fraction of time.
• The zamindars are no exception in this regard. They make maximum use of the tenants and
extract manual labour from them. Hori, already old, and fatigued from poverty has to do
strenuous work in order to make both ends meet. The cow he eventually gets hold of is
mercilessly killed by his cruel brother Heera.
• Their ambitions and dreams are also made apparent by the novelist. While some of them
love their soil, the younger generation opts for city life. For them, material prospects hold
more water than sentimental values. Hori therefore does not approve with Gobar to shift to
the city. For Gobar, material prospects hold more water than sentimental values. Therefore
Hori does not embrace the idea of moving to the city. A typical peasant, his land is everything
to him.. He regards the cattle also as a member of the family. Isolated life does not appeal to
them and they long to thrive and integrate with the community. This becomes apparent
when Hori is willing to pay the fine imposed by the village for admitting Jhunia. Hori does
not want to be treated as an outcaste. He tells Dhania that he wants to live with society and
not outside society.

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