Karma by Khuswant Singh - D.A.Q. (5 Marks)
Q. Justify the title of the Story Karma.
Answer: Title in literature has always been of immense importance as it creates the first impression in the reader’s mind.
Karma by Khuswant Singh is a story of Sir Mohan Lal and his wife Lachmi and as they are treated by their fate. In this story Sir Mohan is a blind admirer of British culture and manners. He is even ashamed of his Indian wife who can neither speak English nor can follow British manners. At the end of the story Sir Mohan is found to be pathetically humiliated by two British soldiers with whom he was optimistic of having an impressive conversation. His pride is trod on badly when he is thrown out of the train while his wife Lachmi enjoys her journey in her inter-class Zenana Compartment contentedly without any hindrance.
In the story Lal’s sin of pride is punished when the two English soldiers call him a ‘nigger’ and throws him out of the first class compartment. His wife’s Karma, on the other hand prizes her with a comfortable journey. Thus, the title sings in perfect tune, the spirit of the story.
Q. Who is Sir Mohan Lal? Describe the character of him.
Answer: In the story karma by Khuswant Singh sir Mohan Lal is an upper class Indian who dislikes his native countrymen because of his knowledge of English language and their culture.
Sir Mohan is introduced before us when he is in the first class waiting room of the station in his flawless western outfit. He is very cautious of his appearance and he diligently maintains his suit from Savile row with a carnation in the buttonhole, scented with eau-de-cologne, talcum powder etc. He scorns at every Indian product, He scorns at his native relatives, even at his wife Lachmi. He loves to sip. Scotch, whiskey and ruminate over his glorious life of five years in England. He had adopted the qualities of the upper class like their sang-froid, manners, and attitude. He likes to show off his love for the British and loves to chat with them. He wants to demand his position by his appearance and Oxford English. At the end of the story, he is rightly treated by the two English soldiers giving him a good lesson to learn.
Q. Describe the Character of Lady Lal.
Answer: Lady Lal, Lachmi, the wife of Sir Mohan Lal in the story “Karma” by Khuswant Singh, is quite a contrast to her husband. She is typical Indian house wife, a village woman, who finds discomfort in the company of the British and Anglicized Indians. She appears before us in a dirty white saree with a red border. She also has a few gold bangles on her wrist and a diamond nose ring on her nose. She is found munching betel leaves and a gossiping with the bearer of the coolie.
Quite unlike her husband she is not proud of her class. She prefers to travel in Zenana-interclass compartment with others. In spite of being the wife of such a distinguished, Anglicized person like Sri Lal, she does not hesitate to have her meal consisting of crammed chapattis and mango pickle sitting on the railway platform. She is gossip loving and she can call a coolie as ‘brother easily’.
Her relationship with her husband is that of master and servant, devoid of any emotional bond. Her demand is less and her simplicity prizes her at the end when we find her enjoying an uninterrupted journey leaving her humiliated husband standing on the platform.
Q. Comment on the relationship between sir Mohan Lal and his wife.
Answer: In the story “Karma” by Khuswant Singh, Sir Mohan Lal is an Anglicized Indian who is very fond of British in his attitude. On the other hand his wife Lachmi is a typical Indian village woman, a housewife.
They live in the same house but Sir Mohan in the ground floor and lady Lal in the first floor. They travel in the same train but in different compartment. Sir Mohan has no time to spare for his wife. She is alone. Sir Mohan does not even like her to spend time with her native relatives and they do not visit their house.
Lachmi cannot speak English and she has no knowledge about the English manners. She does not feel comfortable in their company. Consequently Sir Mohan dislikes her. He comes to her once in blue moon. He orders her to do as he likes. She passively follows him, almost unwillingly or without any mental attachment. Obviously, the husband wife relationship is anything but normal.
Q. Compare and contrast the character of Sir Mohan Lal and Lady Lal.
Answer: In the story “Karma”, Sir Mohan Lal appears before us as a dignified gentleman who appears to be very English in his attitude. He dislikes everything Indian, including his wife Lachmi. He prefers to spend time rather alone ruminating about his five years spent in London. He is very reluctant to spend a word more than necessary to his fellow native people although he is very eager to have an impressive conversation with an Englishman.
Lady lal, Lachmi, is on the other hand a complete contrast to her husband. She prefers to stay with the common people and to have a little gossip with them. She does not hesitate to eat chapattis and mango pickle sitting on a railway platform. When her husband is dressed is costly attire and fragrance, she wears a dirty white saree with red border and a few ornaments like a typical Indian house wife. She calls the bearers or the coolie as ‘brother’ when such people get nothing more than a sneering look from her husband. When Sir Mohan Lal represents the Anglicized class who blindly admires and imitates the British culture, his wife stands for an Ordinary Indian woman, faithful to her culture.
Q. Write a short Character Sketch of Sir Mohan Lal from his conversation with himself in front of the mirror.
Answer: Mr. Mohan Lal looked himself in the mirror of a first class waiting room at the railway station and talked to him. The soliloquy revealed his character. He smiled at the mirror with an air of pity and patronage. This is the observation about the Indian things and the Indian. The mirror lost its smoothness and visibility here and there. The Oxford educated highbrow Mohan thinks that in India everything is like that old dirty mirror.
Then Mr. Mohan lal looked at his self-image reflected on the mirror. He liked it with its neatly trimmed moustache, smart, and expensive dress and scent of costly perfume and talcum powder.
Actually Mr Mohan Lal, a pro English arrogant aristocrat who prides himself on his own Anglicized manner, education and affectation. On the other hand he is cynical about his native country en, culture, heritage and lifestyle.
Q. How did Sir Mohan Lal feel when he saw two Englishmen coming up to the coupe? Why was he half smiling and half protesting?
Answer: - Sir Mohan Lal felt comfortable when he saw the approaching British soldiers and his heart warmed up at the prospect of a good conversation with them. He thought of welcoming them by talking to the guard though they were entitled to travel only second class. He felt assured that his journey would not be a boring thing after all.
Sir Mohan was half smiling because he wanted to welcome the British soldiers in the coupe and play the gracious host. He wanted to show them his generosity and wanted them to be thankful. He was half protesting because the soldiers did not care for taking his permission and barged inside the first class compartment and spoke ill of Sir Mohan and wanted him out of the train.
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Also Read:
* Alias Jimmy Valentine – S.A.Q
* Alias Jimmy Valentine – D.A.Q
* The Place of Art in Education – M.C.Q
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