Before reading Answer the following questions. Witt you beseady to sacrifice your eater, status, and economic opportu for Ihe go0d of Your parents? Wh or why not? In your view, what ae the qualities ofa devoted son/daughter? Anica Deszi, original name Anita Mazumdar, (b 1037.) isan Indian novelist, shoe story weer and the waster of children’s books. Asa biracial chald ‘orn to a Geemnan mother and Indian father, Desai was exposed to German, Hindi and English language from her childhood. After completing her B. a. from University of Delhi, Desss began to publish her stories and nbvele Her novels Cr, The Peacock (1963) Where Shall We Go his Summer (1973), Fire on the Mownsain (1977), Clear Light ofthe Day (1980), In Custody (1984) Baumgartner’: Bombay (1988), Journey fo Thaca (1995), Feasting, Feasting (1999) and Zizsae Way (3004) received mined responce from the eaders. She seceived Shahitya Academy Award for her novel Fire om the Mowtamn Her novel In Custody was adapted into a fim n 1003. She published several volumes fof shor stories including Games at Twillght and Other Sioris (3978). Diamond Dust ‘and Orhar Stories (2000) Two of het Childsen's Books The Village and the Sea (1982) lad The Artist of Disappearance (2011) became popular among indian cukires. “Tha Devoted Soa” is extacted fom her collection of stores, Is Complete Short Storie. ‘A Devoted Son’ is a realistic story set in a middle-class Indian family in an Indian sullage. The story show's how parents cherish their ambition towards thei chuldren and how a som should full is duty towards the pareatsCharacters 1.Rakesh Varma 2.Mr. and Mrs. Varma- Rakesh’s father and mother 3. Veena. Rakesh’s wife 4.Old Bhatia - Mr. Varma’s friendSummary “A Devoted Son” written by popular Indian writer Anita Desai is a realistic story. The story has been set in a middle-class poor Indian village and family. The story revolves around protagonist Rakesh Varma, who proves to be a devoted son towards his parents. The story began when Rakesh was watching his result in the morning newspaper and soon stepped on the verandah to touch his father’s feet to receive blessing. He told his father that he had topped all in the country. To their joy, Varma family threw themselves in dance and merry before poor, yellowish old house. The garden filled with people congratulating Rakesh and giving gifts like fountain pens, watches and clothes. The garden was full of colour, sound and crowds. Old Varma had thrown halwa party.In fact, old Varma’s father was a vegetable vendor and Varma himself had never stepped into school. Working in a kerosene dealer’s depot old Varma had sacrificed life for his son’s education. Rakesh wrote a thesis in MD and received a scholarship to study in the USA. Funnily, old Varma told all to say ‘USA’ not America because he believed America was said by only ignorant neighbours. Rakesh went to the USA, studied hard and became the doctor. He got back and married with the woman, for whom his mother had promised with her childhood friend. He worked in a city hospital and soon was promoted to the director.Rakesh decided to open his own clinic and did so by bringing his parents in an Ambassador car to inaugurate it. He soon became the richest and topmost doctor in the town. Unfortunately, his father got retired from his post after 40 years and mother happily passed away to see progress in her son’s life. Rakesh shifted his family in a new house in the town. Old Varma threw himself in isolation and depression due to his wife’s death. He frequently fell in and spat the gob of betel and made family get scared by his corpse body in a string bed. On the birthday of Rakesh’s youngest son, old Varma did same and spat in Veena’s sari.Once old Varma wanted to have soojie halwa but Rakesh disallowed it. Rakesh ordered his wife to grant his father only light foods like kheer, rice and milk. Once old Varma bribed his grandchildren to get him some jalebis but was caught and scolded. Rakesh used to bring tea in brass tumbler, old Varma’s favourite pot, read newspapers for him and take him down in the garden, or verandah. Medicines after medicines were added and he had to take them. He got tired of them. Fried, oily, spicy, and sweets were deleted from his diet and only boiled ones were given. One day his next to door friend old Bhatia talked with him but he complained with Bhatia that his own son and daughter-in-law didn’t provide him enough food but Bhatia couldn’t believe to his ears. Old Varma had gradually been weakening in his health for denying boring diets and dose of meds.One evening he was taken down in the verandah, where Veena eased him by placing a pillow at his back. That evening Rakesh appeared in his car and escorted into house, grandsons took his bag to house but Rakesh came to his father and asked him to take another medicine in a bottle. Old Varma was very raged and broke medicine and it splashed on Rakesh’s white trousers. Veena screamed and all gathered to see what happened. Old Varma threw himself on the pillow turning upward his body, closed his eyes and put his chip up and said God had come to take him and he was dying. Thus story ends here.Understanding the text Answer the following questions. pe mo BOs 8 How did the morning papers bring ambiance of celebration in the Varma family? How did the community celebrate Rakesh’s success? Why was Rakesh’s success a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood? How does the author make fun with the words ‘America’ and ‘the USA’? How does the author characterize Rakesh’s wife? Describe how Rakesh rises in his career. How does the author describe Rakesh’s family background? What is the impact of Rakesh’s mother’s death on his father? What did Rakesh do to make his father’s old age more comfortable? Why did the old man try to bribe his grandchildren? Are Mr. Varma’s complaints about his diets reasonable? How?Answer the following questions. a How did the morning papers bring ambiance of celebration in the Varma family? The morning papers brought ambiance of celebration in the Varma family by the topmost marks Rakesh had secured. In fact, Rakesh had taken medical exam, in which he had not only stood first but also topped all in the country. How did the community celebrate Rakesh’s success? The community celebrated Rakesh’s success by visiting that poor yellow house with joy, colour| sound and dance. The garden filled with the crowds, colour and garlands. They congratulated Rakesh and old Varma. They gave Rakesh the gifts like fountain pens, watches, and clothes. They enjoyed halwa party that poor old Varma had thrown. There were merry, joy as well as nerves in them.Why was Rakesh’s success a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood? Rakesh’s success was a special matter of discussion in the neighbourhood because Rakesh was not only the son who went to school and got education from that poor family and community but also topped in Medical exam all in the country. That was ‘a matter of great pride to the family and whole community. So his success became a matter of discussion. How does the author make fun with the words ‘America’ and ‘the USA’? The author makes fun with the words ‘America’ and ‘the USA’ through Rakesh’s father, old Varma, who believes it is the USA the people should call it as a country but not America because the term ‘America’ is taken by the ignorant neighbours. So old Varma funnily warms other members to call ‘the USA’ not ‘America’.How does the author characterize Rakesh’s wife? The author characterizes Rakesh’s wife as an uneducated, seemingly lazy, chubby woman. Her name is Veena, daughter of Rakesh’s mother’s childhood friend, Even though Veena looks like a plum, she is a real beauty in her fat physicality. More importantly, she is practical and makes Rakesh’s marital life perfectly settled. Describe how Rakesh rises in his career. Rakesh Varma, born in a poor family and community, makes all proud by topping all in the country in the medical college and exam. He works hard and writes a thesis for MD. He grabs a wonderful chance of going to America, the USA in old Varma’s preference in scholarship. He gets back his home country. He works in city hospital and gets soon promoted as a director. He finally decides to start his own clinic and so does by establishing as the richest and topmost doctor in the town. Thus, he rises in his career.How does the author describe Rakesh’s family background? As the author describes Rakesh’s family comes from a typical middle-class poor Indian family. Rakesh’s grandfather was a street vegetable vendor long ago. His father, old Varma works for 40 years as a staff of kerosene depot dealer. He sacrifices his life for his son’s education. They have a yellow old house at the end of the country road. These all prove, Rakesh’s family belongs to a working class middle-class poor Indian Family. What is the impact of Rakesh’s mother’s death on his father? The impact of Rakesh’s mother’s death on his father is heart-rendering because as Rakesh’s father gets retired from kerosene depot dealer, he feels physically weak and as his wife dies he breaks inside of himself physically and mentally. He throws himself in isolation in the room for many days and frequently falls ill and shows weird behaviours.What did Rakesh do to make his father’s old age more comfortable? Rakesh did his better than the best endeavours to his father’s old age more comfortable. He used to serve tea in his father’s favourite tea poti.e. brass tumbler. In evening, he used to walk his father down the stairs and steps in verandah carrying his father’s arms around his neck. He used to read newspapers for him. The servants were asked to take his father’s string bed in the garden for his father and gave medicines for his betterment. Why did the old man try to bribe his grandchildren? The old man tried to bribe his grandchildren because he wanted to fulfill desire of eating soojiehalwa, which was disallowed by his own son some days before and he was fed up with light and tasteless kheer, rice and milk. He was upset by boiled rice, chicken and fish. His desire forced him to break this boring diet mission made by his son. So he had to bribe his grandchildren. Are Mr. Varma’s complaints about his diets reasonable? How? From Rakesh’s perspective old Varma’s complaints about his diets are absolutely unreasonable because some oily, spicy foods were not favout| in his health in his old age. This is the age of taking foods with great care because this age is more vulnerable to many diseases. Rakesh was just trying to save his life and he didn’t want to lose his father. So those complaints about diets are not reasonable at all.Reference to the context a. How did Varma couple make sacrifices for their son’s higher education? b. Mr. Varma suffers from diseases one after another after his wife’s death. Would he have enjoyed better health if she had not died before him? Give reasons. c. Dr. Rakesh is divided between a doctor and a son. As a son, he loves his father land worries about his weakening health but as a doctor he is strict on his father’s diet and medicine. In your view, what else could Rakesh have done to make his father’s final years more comfortable? d. What does the story say about the relationship between grandfather and grand children? e. Do you call Rakesh a devoted son? Give reasons.