Page 198 - DENG503_INDIAN_WRITINGS_IN_LITERATURE

Indian Writings in Literature

Notes Godan starts with Hori procuring a cow from Bhola. Already under a debt of 200 rupees, Hori
takes a loan of 80 rupees to buy this cow. Possessing a cow is a symbol of prestige in rural India.
Additionally, it allows him to sell the milk for a few annas a day. The cow is poisoned by Hori’s
jealous brother and the cow dies. And hence dies his source of milk for his family. Yet, Hori does
not want his brother to get arrested. For this, he has to bribe the police inspector. Hori takes a loan
of 50 rupees for this.
Hori’s son Gobar flirts with a girl from another village. The girl gets pregnant and Gobar runs
away. Hori’s wife Dhania gives shelter to the pregnant girl (since her parents disown her). This is
considered a blotch on Hori’s village by the Panchayat. Out comes another 300 rupees (loaned) to
uphold the honour of the village. He also loses his only pair of bullocks as a punishment.
No bullocks means no ploughing hence no crop and no food to eat. Having two daughters to look
after, Hori suffers under the rising debt and diminishing stocks of grain.
One by one, everyone fleeces Hori. His only son, on whom all his hopes rested, refuses to help him
out. The son settles down with the girl in the city and refuses to even look at his mother before
leaving. The novel brings out the havoc that the political and administration system of the villages
wreaks on the poor.
Hori represents that section of rural India which is trampled every day. That section which is
made to pay for every sin and desire of the babus. Interspersed within the story is a beautiful love-
hate relationship between Mr. Mehta, a philosopher, and Miss Malti, a doctor. Miss Malti is of the
modern school of thought. A Feminist. Believes in equal opportunity for men and women. Believes
that women should not be housewives.
Mr. Mehta belongs to the traditional school of thought. The debates between these two make for
an interesting read. Mr. Mehta says that women are far more superior than men. By asking for
equal rights, they were infact asking for lowering their position in society. He also says that
qualities like love, sacrifice etc are qualities that come naturally to women and hence they should
be in positions where they can give out such attributes to others.
Walking into the war-zone, along with men, lowers the status of women and goes against nature
since nature has made women for higher things in life. Coming back to Hori, his entire life is a
struggle. Struggle to make ends meet. Struggle to keep up his prestige. Struggle to provide for his
children.
The strong relationship between Hori and his wife keeps him going till the end. Till the end, when
Dhania pleadingly asks Datadin, a money lender, to take 3 rupees from her and help save Hori
from dying. That one scene has left a scar in my mind.
That one scene brought out tears. That one scene made me reach out to Hori and pay off his debt.
A classic of peasant India, the book is much more than what I have written over here. Hope,
Struggle and Optimism – You see all this in starved, half-naked souls waiting for their much
coveted God to help them out. A heart-wrenching masterpiece is what this book is. And I am in
love with it.
My meek attempt at a review of this book is akin to holding a candle to the sun and expecting to
shed some light on the sun. Godan, which means “the gift of a cow”, is a novel that takes you
through the lives of Hori and his wife Dhania. A peasant by profession, Hori pays for carrying a
noble and pure heart inside him.

23.2 Themes

The novel has several themes:
1. Problems due to caste segregation: People of different vocation and their respective castes
represent the village. Datadin, the Brahmin priest represents the uppermost caste; he exploits

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