Short Story: “The Cabuliwallah”

Author: Rabindranath Tagore

Background and Setting

 The Cabuliwallah is set in the streets of Calcutta, an overcrowded city in India, in the early
1900s.
 The people are mostly Bengalis with superstitious beliefs and they are suspicious of
foreigners.
 The narrator is a writer and a well- cultured person.
 Pedlars going from house to house selling their wares is a common in Indian cities. Some
even come from far away like the cabuliwallah and at the end of the year return to their
families after collecting their debts.
 Life for these pedlars is harsh as they have to struggle to earn their living.

Plot

 The narrator’s five- year old daughter, mini, befriends the cabuliwallah, Rahmun and they
share jokes and secrets.
 Mini’s mother is shocked by this relationship and is suspicious about the cabuliwallah
thinking that he can even harm Mini. But the narrator is educated and broad-minded. To
him, ‘it did not seem right to forbid the man to come to the house’.
 It is the end of the year and Rahmun goes around collecting his debts, has an argument with
a debtor and injures him with a knife. He is arrested and imprisoned for many years on a
charge of murderous assault.
 As years pass, Mini forgets her friend. Eight years later when the cabuliwallah is released
from prison he comes to meet Mini. It is Mini’s wedding day. The narrator does not allow
him to meet Mini.
 Rahmun shows the narrator a piece of soiled paper with the impression of a child’s hand on
it. This child is Rahmun’s daughter.
 The narrator is deeply moved and calls for mini. The Cabuliwallah is shocked to see Mini
and also realizes that his little daughter must have grown up during these long years and
like mini must have changed.
 The narrator gives money to the cabuliwallah and advises him to go back to his own
daughter. This, he hoped, would bring good fortune to his own child.

Characters
1) Rahmun, the Cabuliwallah
 Is a native of Afghanistan (capital is Kabul).
 He travels to Calcutta in India to make his living by selling almonds, raisins, clothing
and other goods because resources are scarce and life is hard in Afghanistan.
 He is describes as big, sturdy, great, tall, wearing loose and soiled clothing and a tall
turban.
 He is a hard, aggressive and determined man and this is revealed when a debtor tries to
renege on the payment.
 He cannot tolerate dishonest people. So when the debtor denies having bought the
shawl, Rahmun is driven into justifiable violence.
  His love for Mini stems from the longing he has for his own daughter thousands of miles
away.
 Rahmun’s refusal to accept the money, expressed in such manner, reveals that he is a
proud man who does not equate love with money..in the end he accepts the gift from
the narrator believing that it is given in good faith and with similar honesty.
2) Mini
 Is the narrator’s daughter, 5 years old. Is talkative and intelligent.
 Has a great friendship with the cabuliwallah.
 After rahmun’imprisonment, mini begins to change. Her childhood innocence is
replaced by maturity and she spends more time with girls.
 This change startles the pedlar when he meets her after his release from jail.
3) The narrator
 He is mini’s father and a writer by profession.
 Compassionate man-cannot see his daughter unhappy. Is very kind to the
cabuliwallah, permits the pedlar to be friend his daughter.
 He is a broad –minded person and a rich man used to a good lifestyle and to higher
class social association.
 When the cabuliwallah shows him the impression of his daughter’s hand, he realizes
that all humans feel the same emotions no matter what their social backgrounds are.
4) Mini’s mother
 Is a character who does not seem to change. She appears to be a typical mother who
gets upset by inquisitive children and who always fears something will go wrong.

THEMES
1) Separation
 The cabuliwallah is separated from his family while he is in Calcutta selling his
goods. Also, he is separated from mini for 8 years while he is in prison. This
separation is painful and becomes more painful when he returns and finds mini is
no longer his friend.
 The narrator regards Mini’s withdrawal from him and her desire to mix with girls
as a form of separation and this saddens him.
 Mini is separated from her family and friends as she gets married and this pain is
felt by her family as well as Mini.
2) Sadness
 All human beings experience sadness and this is something that no amount of
wealth can overcome.
 The narrator is sad that Mini forgets her old friend, Rahmun so quickly. He also
regrets losing the company of his talkative Mini. He is also saddened by the
thought that that Mini is going to leave him for good. He is also sad for Rahmun,
who has not been able to share his love with his daughter (Parbati) for 8 years.
 The cabuliwallah is sad when he discovers he has lost Mini’s friendship. He is
also sad when he thinks of his own daughter.
 3) Loneliness
 All people experience loneliness.
 Mini is lonely because she does not have any bothers or sisters of her own age.
 The cabuliwallah is lonely because his family is far away.
 The narrator is lonely when his daughter leaves his company in favour of people
of her own age.
4) Friendship
 Out of loneliness, great friendship arise.
 The cabuliwallah develops friendship with mini and the friendship is genuine
because he even does not forget her in 8 years.
5) Survival
 This story teaches us about survival.
 People sometimes have to make great sacrifices for their families like the
cabuliwallah.
6) Compassion
 Compassion comes when you identify yourself with another person’s suffering.
 The narrator experiences compassion when he recognizes that the Cabuliwallah
too is a pedlar.

STYLE

1) Traditional story
 The cabuliwallah is a well- made story with clear beginning, middle, a number of
complications and crisis leading to a climax and a clear ending.

2) Characters
 The story has 3 major characters: the narrator, his daughter, and Rahmun and all having
different socio-economic backgrounds, education, sex, age, attitude to life and making the
reading an enriching experience.

3) Method of Narration

 First person narration whereby Mini’s father relates the story of mini and Rahmun, making
his observations and assessment from time to time.
 There are also elements of eye- of- god narration in few places, where the narrator seems
to know the thoughts/ emotions of other characters.

4) Description

 Vivid descriptions help create the sentimental tone- mini’s moments with Rahmun, the
arrest of the pedlar, the impression of Parbati’s hand.
5) Tone
 The tone was positive.
 It had a murder and a possible kidnapping yet it was all very light and positive.
 It has a semi sad ending when he sees her again and she can't remember who he is, but
then it keeps it positive by him going to visit his own daughter.
Title : Preliminary Inspection
By : Raymond Pillai

Plot
Introduction
Savitri invites Gopal to come to her house for Diwali.
Gopal accepts the offer reluctantly.
Development
Gopal greets Savitri, praising her beauty upon arrival.
Savitri introduces Gopal to her father.
Her father and Gopal talk and in the process Savitri’s father passes some unkind
remarks to Gopal.
Gopal is relieved when Savitri arrives with her mother.
After having tea Gopal goes out to light the Diyas with Savitri as suggested by
Savitri’s mother.
Gopal had dinner with the family.
Conclusion
Gopal goes to pick Savitri.
He tells her that he was very nervous.
Savitri reveals that her parents knew about their relationship.

Setting
Physical setting
The story is set in Labasa.
Most part of it is set at Savitri’s house which was in the Lajonia Road.
Social setting
It was set at a time when some people were very serious about their culture and
language. This is portrayed by the words of Savitri’s father.
It is set in a society where people were very conservative. This is shown by the way
Gopal sits at Savitri’s place.

Time
The story is set during Diwal

Characters
Gopal
A teenager, who worked at social welfare.
He was from Viti Levu.
He loved Savitri and wanted to marry her.
Is an opportunist. (Grabs Savitri in his hands as she trips over the log.)
 He is jovial. (He told Savitri that he could not make out which was more beautiful – the
night or Savitri.)
Tries to impress the family members of Savitri.
Humble and polite. (Did not argue with Savitri’s father who spoke to him bluntly.)
Wants to do things professionally in a planned manner.
He told Savitri that he had planned how he would tell her parents and how he would
comfort them if they disagreed.

Savitri
A teenager.
She was a school teacher.
She came from a strict family. She warned Gopal to control his comments as the
younger brothers were listening to them.
She did not hide anything from her family; she had told them about Gopal.

Savitri’s Father
He was a grumpy old man.
He was rude and critical.
He told Gopal that it was wrong for him to deal with matrimonial cases as he was
unmarried.
He also told Gopal that they learnt their language by writing in sand because they were
proud of their culture.
He lacked manners. (He spit through the window)

Savitri’s Mother
Was very hospitable and understanding.
She told Savitri to take Gopal around to show the garden

Style of Writing
Method of Narration
FIRST PERSON NARRATION – this is a slice of life narrated by Raymond Pillai.
Title
The heading “Preliminary Inspection” means the first stage or round of checking.
The title suits the story as the main character is judged by the in-laws for the first time.
Figures of Speech
SIMILE – “How could a vulgar slob like him produce a delicate bloom like Savitri?”
METAPHOR – “I sank into a bliss silence” – showing that he was so happy and
confused that he had lost words.
Language
The language used is simple and easy to understand.
Some foreign words such as ‘tamil’ had been used to show the social setting.
Words such as ‘matrimonial’ chosen from a special register (legal) to show the kind of
work that was done by Raymond Pillai.
Style of Writing
Method of Narration
FIRST PERSON NARRATION – this is a slice of life narrated by Raymond Pillai.
Title
The heading “Preliminary Inspection” means the first stage or round of checking.
The title suits the story as the main character is judged by the in-laws for the first
time.
Figures of Speech
SIMILE – “How could a vulgar slob like him produce a delicate bloom like Savitri?”
METAPHOR – “I sank into a bliss silence” – showing that he was so happy and
confused that he had lost words.
Language
The language used is simple and easy to understand.
Some foreign words such as ‘tamil’ had been used to show the social setting.
Words such as ‘matrimonial’ chosen from a special register (legal) to show the kind of
work that was done by Raymond Pillai.

Themes/Issues
Relationship
That people treasure their relations. In this story, Gopal was very cautious about
what he said and did because he wanted to please and convince Savitri’s parents that
he was the perfect choice for their daughter. He even went to the extent of listening
to the cruel words of Savitri’s father.

That people are very inquisitive about people with whom they try to form a
relationship. Savitri’s fsther asked Gopal about his culture and language.

Culture
That the elders of the society are getting restless and frustrated because the youths are
losing the grip of their culture. In this story, Savitri’s father was upset with Gopal
when he found out that Gopal knew little Malayalam. He said “Yes, it is the same
story everywhere”. “You educated young people do not even know your own mother-
tongue”. This also shows that the educated society are not as good as the elders in
terms of their culture and language.
That if you lose your language and culture, you lose your name.

Relevance

This story carries the sentiments of our society in the following ways:

1. Children like Gopal are not well versed with their culture and mother-tongue.

2. That parents like Savitri’s father are very inquisitive about the person who is going to
marry his/her child.
 A DAY IN THE COUNTRY
By: Dan Jacobson
-Dan Jacobson conveys a real situation that is present in South Africa- racial discrimination
-the story revolves around three groups of people- the Jews, the native Africans and the Afrikaners
(Dutch)
-it is about racial prejudice and stereotypes which is common in South Africa
-the Jewish family is returning from the country side on a Sunday after visiting their farm
-on their way, they come across a group of people on road side
-the family assumed there has been an accident but upon closer inspection, they are disgusted to
see that this group of Afrikaners are just having fun (bullying) at the expense of the natives
-this follows a ‘blame game’ and ‘finger pointing’ between the Jewish family and Afrikaners
-each group reiterating that they had not done anything wrong and at the same time each keeping
in their mind about their reputation and avoiding racial slur (insult)
-However, in the end, there was no reconciliation

Background and Setting

-the story is set in Africa amid the backdrop of apartheid
-the Afrikaners are descendants from European explorers who started to settle in South Africa
during seventeenth century
-they speak their own language, Afrikaans, which is derived from Dutch
-the Jews began settling in South Africa in the 19th century and are a minority group with majority
speaking English
-the South Africans (the black majority) were mostly discriminated against by the dominant white
minority until the 1990’s when major political changes were made that gave equal rights to the
black community.
-However, the memories of racial segregation continues to this day, thus there is still suspicion
between the racial groups
Characters
1. The Narrator (son) and his family (father, mother, sister and brother)
-they are Jews who own a farm on the country side which they usually visit every Sunday
-they feel guilty not to have intervened to save a fellow human being from humiliation- but
were used to such scenes and that sort of guilt
-the family gets involved in a conflict with the Afrikaner family and is adamant they had
done nothing wrong (the fact is, the narrator did say “dirty swine” as they were driving off)
- they avoided any racial slur, knowing that could lead to a fight

2. The Afrikaner family

-they were bullying an African child in the middle of a road thinking that they were
teaching the child a lesson
-they got in a confrontation with the Jew family and argued they had done nothing wrong
-feared that their reputation was one of “brutality, uncouthness and oppression,’’ therefore,
avoided any physical confrontation.
Themes/Messages
1. Racial Stereotypes/Racial Prejudice
-a racial barrier is formed when a stranger, dominant group controls the minority group-
this action leads to racial prejudice and racial stereotypes.
-it must be remembered that the whole group may not be bad at all, but actions of a few
within that group many a time labels the whole group in a negative light
-as such, those being oppressed are bound to have ill feelings towards that dominant group
and deep wedges are created.
-as human beings, one should remember not to judge individuals by race, creed or colour.
-its everyone’s responsibility to respect the fellow human beings and change past
perceptions
-a country will not prosper unless people share a common bond and respect one another
irrespective of their race, creed, colour and age
2. Tolerance
-there are just too many wars and conflicts around mostly due to racial prejudice
-people should realize the fact that the world is a huge global village and what happens in one part
does affect the other
-history reveals that wars only bring about destruction and misery
-being tolerant would mean promoting peace and where there is peace, there’s progress
Respect and understanding
-respect and understanding is vital ingredient to promote peace and progress in any nation
-this story reveals how dominant group lacks respect for the black community which leads to racial
intolerance

Styles
1. Type of story
-this story is a traditional story (“well made”) story with a clear beginning, middle and end
-the characters are made explicit as they are described in detail which adds to the readers’
interests and excitement

2. Method of narration
-first person narration is used
-it gives an account of the events that happened in the past
-the narrator is directly involved and witnesses the events in the story

3. Descriptive style
-the environment, location, characters and events are clearly described which adds to the
reality of the situation

4. Tone
-the tone of the story is menacing, hostile and aggressive which depicts tension in day to
day life in the South African community.
Phrases like: “ how dare you shout at me like that”
“what sort of a person are you”
“ I’ll teach you manners before I’m….”
-the above phrases set a tensed atmosphere

5. Dialogue
-it is realistic and creates a tensed atmosphere
-assists the readers to better understand what he is trying to reveal
 THE GIFT OF THE MAGI ANALYSIS

Literary Devices
Narrator Point of View
 The story seems to be third person limited omniscient. It's told in the third-person, and
only follows Della. We don't see what Jim is doing during the story, and once he does
show up.
Tone

 The narrator of "Gift of the Magi" is not a character, but he's certainly not a neutral
observer either. Rather, he comes across distinctively as a person, and one who's telling
you a story, maybe...
Title

 "The Gift of the Magi" is about a young couple who sacrifice everything they have of
value to give each other the best Christmas present. And who invented the practice of
giving Christmas presents...
Themes

Love
Gift of the Magi" is the story of a poor, young couple whose love for each other is the most important thing
in their lives. Such is their love that they're led to sacrifice their most valuable possessions to find Christmas
gifts for each other. The warm home they make together contrasts with the drabness of their poverty and
the dreary world outside. Their love seems to know no bounds, though Della (the wife) worries about how
her sacrifice will affect her husband because of how it affects her looks. If ever there were a story with the
message that all you need to be happy is love, this is it.

Sacrifice
The two main characters in "Gift of the Magi" are a husband and wife who give up their most
precious possessions to be able to afford gifts for each other on Christmas Eve. The story seems
to be all about sacrifice. We watch Della go through the process of deciding to make the sacrifice
and going through with it, only to discover that her husband has made the same sacrifice. The
story's narrator assures us that in their willingness to give up all they have, they have proven
themselves the wisest of all gift-givers. It might remain unclear, though, exactly what their
sacrifice has accomplished, or how it has affected them.

Wealth
In many ways, "Gift of the Magi" is a story about what it means for something to be valuable.
Does something's value lie in how much money it is worth? Or are other things more valuable than
money? The main characters are very poor – this is repeatedly emphasized – and yet the story
suggests that their love for each other makes them very rich. It is that love, which motivates them
to give up the only things of monetary (or personal) value they have to buy presents for each other.
Perhaps their poverty is what enables them to appreciate what really matters.

Women and Femininity

The main character of "Gift of the Magi" is a woman named Della. Loveable as she is, at times,
Della is hysterical, often overreacting, a characteristic that the narrator identifies as "feminine."
Della's complete and single-minded devotion to her husband could raise the question of whether
the love in their relationship is between equals or based on a difference in power between the two.

Love Quotes
But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was
called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to
you as Della. Which is all...

Sacrifice Quotes
Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and
the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such
close dealing implied....

Wealth Quotes
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies.
Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and
the butcher until one's...

Sacrifice
Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the
butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing
implied. (1)

To get money for Jim's present, Della has already had to make sacrifices: she's had to embarrass
herself in front of various people by being a penny-pincher. All to get a measly $1.87.
Wealth

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies
saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until
one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. (1)

The very first line of the story emphasizes just how poor Jim and Della are. It's agonizingly difficult
to even save up such a small sum of money. Della's poverty also means she has to humiliate herself
in front of others by being a penny pincher.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Della: One Devoted Woman

Della is the loving, warm, selfless, and occasionally hysterical heroine of the story. Della's
financially poor. She spends all of her days in a cramped flat, as "mistress of the home" (3). In
other words, she's a homemaker. Della basically lives for one thing (or rather, person): Jim, her
husband. She's spent a lot of the time leading up to Christmas just thinking of what to get him:

She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week
doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87
to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice
for him. (5)

Della is willing to go to any length to achieve this goal, and ends up selling her one prized
possession – her hair – to do it. Although she sheds a tear or two over the hair, really it doesn't
seem to affect her that much. She doesn't even think it's much of a choice. She has to get Jim a
present: "I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without
giving you a present. It'll grow out again – you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it" (28).

In fact, the thing that seems to bother Della most about losing her hair is that Jim likes it so
much. She's worried he won't find her pretty anymore (though she doesn't really have anything to
worry about). She barely seems to think of herself at all. That's devotion.

JIM

Jim's job is not so great. He's the only breadwinner for the Dillingham Young family (that is, him
and Della), and it seems he works long hours, but his salary is low. And it recently went from
bad to worse: whereas he used to make $30 a week he's now down to just $20.
He and Della are struggling just to pay the expenses of their small flat. So if Jim happens to seem
a little tired, serious, overworked, and perhaps a tad underweight, there's a good reason for it.

He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a
family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves. (The one thing that keeps Jim
going is his love for Della. She's his Della (33).We don't get half as much exposure to his
feelings as we do for Della's, but all evidence points to him being just as devoted to her as she is
to him. Just like Della, Jim gives up his most precious possession to find a perfect gift for the
person he loves. And it's not just because of her looks, even though she worries about them.

MADAME SOFRONIE

Character Analysis

Madame Sofronie is the owner of a hair shop, which, we are told, sells "hair goods of all kinds"
(12). She is "large," "white," and "chilly" (12). Her manner is direct and to-the-point: she doesn't
give off any signs of being impressed by Della's gorgeous hair, and casually offers to buy it for
$20.

Madame Sofronie's attitude creates a sharp contrast to that of Della and Jim. For both of them,
Della's hair is a prized possession – her only prized possession – and Della's sale of it amounts to
an enormous sacrifice. None of this matters to Madame Sofronie, for whom it's just another
business transaction, which will perhaps fetch a bit more profit. You could say she represents "the
cold, uncaring world" which exists outside the haven of love Della and Jim have built for
themselves. She also represents a very different way of valuing things – purely for the money they
fetch.