Page 188 - DENG503_INDIAN_WRITINGS_IN_LITERATURE

Indian Writings in Literature

Notes 21.8 Summary

• 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.
• The lack of education of the peasants can be considered a major factor in their backwardness.
Superstitions are prevalent. We have a humorous account of how news spreads in the village
of Dhania's over-powering the inspector. After the incident, people flock around Hori's hut
to have a Darshan of Dhania. They undergo all the rites , to protect the newly arrived cow
from the evil eye. They cannot fling away their false pride even in the face of dire poverty.
Eventhough, Sona's bridegroom does not demand any dowry, they pay it as it a matter of
prestige in society. Again, the caste-system very much exists . We find Heera admonishing
Punia for quarrelling with a low caste man.
• Women are not portrayed as equal to men. We find Damri exclaiming to Hori how his son
ran away leaving his wife with another woman. Subsequently, his wife gets married to
another man. Damri gets revolted only with the infidelity of women and not men thereby
practicing double standards. The husbands ill treat their wives after drinking. Dhania talks
of Hori's ill-treatment and quips how it would have been if it were the other way around.
Heera also abuses his wife. Though Gobar is affectionate towards his wife in the beginning,
gradually their relationship deteriorates. "Early married life throbs with love and desire; like
the dawn the span of life is suffused with a roseate glow. The afternoon of life dissolves
illusion into its stinging rays, but brings face to face with reality."
• Some of the scenes will always be memorable. Like, for instance, when Rupa sucks on a raw
mango in starvation. The handing over of the child-like Rupa to the elderly man in marriage.

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