Sharmaji

Significance of Title
‘Sharmaji’ - a ‘common/generic surname’ used to represent a larger society
of millions of working middle class Indians and it creates anticipation and
expectation among readers.
Themes
Social Attitude towards women. (Sexism/Orthodox)

Theme of conflict, tradition, modernity, disillusion, sexism and escape.

Theme of Tradition vs Modernity (Miss das is a direct example)

Narrative Viewpoint
The short story Sharmaji is in a third person point of view, giving the reader an
outside view into the life of Sharmaji. Further, it is a Linear Narrative story.
Plot
The story “Sharmaji” is about a clerk named Sharma, who seemed to be a
typical middle class worker in India, with a very old-fashioned mindset.
Sharmaji always showed up late to his office, and one day faced disciplinary
action after being caught sitting in the canteen having tea and a smoke.
Appalled by this system, he appeals to the workers union for help, following
which he has an interesting discussion with the head of the personnel
department (Human Resources), where he reflects upon how socializing has
helped his former colleagues shoot up the corporate ladder.
Setting
The story takes place in Middle Class India, in 1991. This is during a time
where India’s GDP was very low, and the average salary for a middle class
worker was quite low. This was also a time when
women were mistreated a lot, and everyone
wanted to have a child who was a boy. This story
takes place in an office where Sharmaji has been
working as a clerk for 25 years. It takes place in the
canteen in the office, where Sharmaji and his friend
(and colleague) Gupta are drinking “chai” (tea) and
smoking a cigarette.
India GDP in 1991 was
abysmal
Literary Devices (Language)
Hinglish language is used. It is used to make the story realistic and relatable,
authentic to the readers and indian natives as this is the language used in
casual indian conversation.

Ex- Arre , Bas , Haye Ram! , Mela, Kaamchor, Chai, ‘I am telling you naa’, ‘like
this only’ etc.

There is North-Indian context.

There is a lot of irony used. The story shows the orthodox, conservative,
old-fashioned and sexist ideas of men towards women, though the author of
the story is a women herself.
Literary Devices (Language)
Story full of male characters and office of male characters but only 1 female
characters. Men are shown as bad characters and female has been shown in a
professional and compassionate manner.
Contrast is used to further show the position or character of women in the society.

Funny elements - Sharmaji’s procrastination , laziness and excuses

In Medias Res
A story that begins in the middle of an action.
Shows the central character of the story.
Keeps the reader hooked and it leaves them wanting to know more. (Acts as an
immediate hook).
Used to show that the story is in a daily routine.
As it is a short story, it cuts to the chase. Makes the story dialogue heavy and
direct(straight to the point).
Reasons used - The story wants us to judge the character ourselves rather than
what the writer wants us to believe.
Sharmaji (Character Sketch)
A skiver and chancer, Sharmaji, the protagonist of the story is biased towards the male gender, following
the mindset of the larger Indian society. He is a conservative, orthodox and an old-fashioned man, indulging
in office gossips (and in the name of gossip starts meddling in people’s life) and fights. We can see this when
Sharmaji gives unnecessary advice to Ms. Das regarding her husband. He is hypocritical as he doesn’t work
himself and says other that they are not working. He smokes himself but starts gossiping about Ms. Das
when she smoked. This also highlights that Sharmaji is a sexist person. He lives in his past and always
repeats what he did in past. He always mentions that he won the best employee award 20 years ago
whenever someone questions him about his work. He is reminiscing his love by humming old love songs.
He was very romantic before and he loved a girl madly and crazily, so much so that that he would have died
for her, but regretted that he couldn’t tell the girl that he loved her. He was very shy. He is not just a lazy
office clerk, but also a former romantic. He is also a skiver and chancer and somebody who will not toe the
line. He tries to socialize to get a promotion. He is discontented, disappointed and bitter about the fact that
he has had to work in the same position for 25 years. He feels lighter after talking to Ms. Das and asks her if
she wants lipsticks or cosmetics which is rather odd thing to ask from your boss. This shows that he is a
chancer. Overall he has lots of stereotypical views coming from the society. He feels that he is unnoticed
which demotivates him. His human character is shown when Ms. Das talks to him kindly and shows a
degree of understanding which leads him to open up and feel nostalgic. This shows another layer to
sharmaji, a human side to him. Symbolises how someone is ruined by the system.
Miss Das (Character Sketch)
She is a very modern woman. She doesn’t believe in traditions that are supposed to be followed
after marriage like wearing a mangalsutra, putting sindoor, and taking the name of the family.

Represents the new, modern-Indian women breaking all the stereotypes. He works in the personnel
department on the admin level. She is financially independent, not the typical sit at home woman
which was the set conservative mindset at that time. She breaks away from the typical indian
mindset as she world, she doesn’t take her husband's name and is financially independent.
Some References
‘Indira Ji’ - Indira Gandhi
Bibliography
Source 1- http://sittingbee.com/sharmaji-anjana-appachana/