Page 193 - DENG503_INDIAN_WRITINGS_IN_LITERATURE

Unit 22: Premchand: Godan—Plot Construction and Characterisation

Gobar Notes
Gobar is the only son of Dhania and Hori. Born into a poor family, he aspires for a life of comfort.
Though initially a simpleton like his father, he gets exposure in the city, lucknow, and learns to be
practical and worldly wise. He impregnates Jhunia, Bhola’s daughter, and lacking courage to face
the wrath of the villagers, runs away to the city, leaving Jhunia at his parents doorstep. His
insensible hasty behaviour creates trouble to Hori, who pays the penalty. Gobar works for Mirza
Kursheed, but gradually starts his own business. He also lends money to other people. When he
comes to the village dressed as a gentleman with pump shoes, on a short visit, he is unrecognized
with difficulty. He becomes the centre of attraction in the village, the other young men are tempted
to go to the city seeing him. He promises to get them jobs. When he comes to know that Datadin
is exploiting his father, he advices his father to come out of the shakles of traditional bindings. He
organises a function and with his friends enacts a skit to expose and satirize the mean mentality
of the village money lenders and the Brahmin priest. He threatens to drag the priest to court and
has a fight with his father on this issue. He realizes that Hori is too simple, god fearing and cannot
go against his dharma. Angrily, he leaves the village with his wife Jhunia and returns to the city.
His weakness for liquour and short tempered nature affects his relation with Jhunia. He realizes
his mistake only when his devoted wife nurses him during his illness. He works in the sugar
factory and later becomes the chowkidar at Malathi’s house.
Datadin

Datadin is the village Brahmin Priest and a greedy moneylender. It is ironic that this man with
low moral standards goes about the village policing the wrongs of the other villagers. He penalizes
Hori for accepting and sheltering a low caste girl, Jhunia, as their daughter-in-law. He is a hypocrite
and is blind to the fact that his own son Matadin is having an affair with Seliya, a cobbler’s
daughter. He invites pundits from Varanasi to perform the purifying rituals of his defiled son so
that he is brought into the main stream of Brahminism. He does not pity Hori’s poverty, rather
takes advantage of his goodness and exploits him.
Matadin
Matadin is the son of the brahmin priest Datadin. He is young and has an affair with Seliya, a low
caste woman who works on the farm for him. The villagers know about it. Seliya does not have
entrance to his house. Her parents and relatives hopefully wait for her to be accepted by him.
Finally, they decide to punish him and beat him and put a piece of bone into his mouth, a taboo,
for the brahmin. Seliya comes to his help and saves him. Matadin becomes an outcast in his own
house. His father performs purifying rituals to bring him back to the mainstream of brahminism.
He spends a lot of money on the rituals and pundits from Kashi are called in. Matadin’s malarial
fever which had taken him to death’s mouth has made him realize his mistake in exploiting Selia.
When Matadin comes to know that he has a son from Seliya, he longs to see the child and goes on
sly in her absence. He is repentant and sends her two rupees through Hori. He realises that he is
bound by duty to Seliya and his son. He removes his holy thread and thus liberates himself from
the shackles of Brahminism. Now, he is free to live courageously with Seliya as his wife.
Bhola
Bhola is a cowherd of the neighbouring village. He is a widower and has two married sons and a
young widowed daughter, Jhunia. Bhola agrees to give Hori a cow on loan and in turn Hori
promises to find a companion for him to remarry. Bhola is very upset when his daughter elopes
with Hori’s son Gobar. He comes to Hori’s house on vengenance and claims money for the dead
cow. Hori does not have Rs.80, the cost of the cow. Bhola threatens to take his oxen away, that
would reduce Hori to a labourer. When Hori pleads with him, Bhola suggests that they should
throw Jhunia, their daughter-in-law, and his own daughter out of the house as she had hurt his

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