A Devoted Son

Varma is a dynamic, round character who changes from the beginning of the story to the end. He’s the protagonist in that every action in the story impacts him in some way. In the beginning, he is proud of his son and wants everyone to know how devoted his child is because it makes him the center of attention and brings him glory.

By the end, Varma does not view his son in the same light. One of his final acts is to pull his feet away when Rakesh attempts to touch them, showing that he no longer values or wants the respect and devotion of his son. Rakesh has not become any less successful, but his accomplishments are no longer recognized by others. Once this occurs, Varma shrinks away from view, literally and figuratively. Not only has he become an old man who suffers from health issues, but he also stays inside his room where others can’t see him.

Varma can’t thrive without the recognition and acceptance of others, but the only reason he was the center of attention was that his son was successful. Once those acts weren’t as dazzling anymore, Varma received no glory. He resents that fact and blames it on his son, which is apparent in the conversation he has with Old Bhatia. He proclaims that, without him, Rakesh would have never become successful, but his son repays his kindness by taking away his favorite foods.

This is Rakesh’s mother, and she is a flat, static character. She doesn’t play much of a role in the story, only appearing near the beginning at the party to celebrate Rakesh’s accomplishments, later when she arranges Rakesh’s marriage, and then after she dies when Varma says he misses her and her cooking.

She worked in the home and did what she could to make sure Varma had the food necessary to keep him happy. She also could gloat to the neighbors that Rakesh allowed her to arrange a marriage for him and that he did not get married to a “foreign girl” when he went to America. She embodies the traditions of the culture and is soft-spoken and knows her place.

Veena is Rakesh’s wife, and on the surface, she seems to be a typical Indian woman. According to the description given by the neighbors, “she was pretty—really pretty, in a plump, pudding way that only gave way to fat—soft, spreading fat, like warm wax” (Paragraph 7). She is also described as being uneducated and

so old-fashioned, so placid, so complaisant that she slipped into the household and settled in like a charm, seemingly too lazy and too good-natured to even try and make Rakesh leave home and set up independently, as any other girl might have done (Paragraph 7).

Like Mubarak, Veena is a devoted mother and takes on the expected duties of the household, including cooking. However, in contrast to Mubarak, Veena does not go out of her way to provide Varma with the foods that make him happy. She defers to Rakesh’s wishes and only feeds Varma the foods that will keep him alive.

Varma doesn’t like his daughter-in-law and often describes her as smirking and being disrespectful. To him, Veena is the opposite of Mubarak, but those differences only apply to how the women interact with him. Like Mubarak, Veena is quite traditional and knows her place in society. She caters to their husband’s whims and does what she can to keep the family happy and content.

She may not like Varma, and there may be times when she relishes not catering to his needs. They have a strained relationship that began when he started faking his death and trying to become the center of attention when he didn’t deserve it. Veena may not go out of her way to take care of Varma, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t dedicated to those to whom she needs to be loyal.

Old Bhatia is the neighbor that Varma confides in when he believes his son is treating him poorly. He is a flat, static character who refuses to change with the times, even going so far as to refuse the use of indoor plumbing and bathing in the yard with a hose.

Bhatia embodies tradition, and his inability to move forward makes it so that no one wants to interact with him. He’s tolerated, but he no longer has any family that is willing to engage with him, as can be seen when he comments to Varma, “At least you have a doctor in the house to look after you” (Paragraph 19). Like Varma, Bhatia is being left behind because he refuses to embrace modernity. Unlike Varma, Bhatia experiences some sadness and loss with this decision. At the same time, there are moments when his age makes it appear that he doesn’t know what’s going on.