Mahesh by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay S.A.Q. (5 Marks)

Mahesh by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

Short Explanation (5 Marks)

1. Was Gafur a cruel old man?

- List the circumstances that led the bull to kill Mahesh.

Answer: Draught is the main theme in most of the stories of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Mahesh is the story of poor weavers in the village of Kashipur. His daughter Amina also lives with him. He was accustomed to land for the landlord. It didn't rain all year. The fields and ponds have dried up. Gafur was in debt. He had no rice and no hay to feed his bull-Mahesh.

There are many situations that lead to the killing of bull-Mahesh. There was no grass in the field for the animals because there was no rain. Gafur had nothing to give to the bull. There is no drinking water for men and animals.

One day the hungry and thirsty bull entered Manik Ghosh's garden. He sent it to the police pen. Gafur had to sell his brass plate to get the bull out of the police pen. The next day the bull entered the Lord's field and ate the flowers. He disturbed the corn and injured the landowner's daughter. Gafur got angry and beat him. Gafoor was ill and weakened by a fever. He was very hungry and thirsty. So he asked Amina for some food and water. There was nothing in the house. So he was able to fetch some water from the dry season. When he entered his backyard, he screamed loudly. Gafur came out and saw him lying on the ground. The water was flowing and the bull was sucking.

Gafur thought the bull had injured Amina for water. He became very angry and lost his self-control. Then he hit the bull on the head with the tip of the plow. Soon the bull died. But Gafur was not a cruel man. He was a kind man. He was a master and a good father. He liked the bull just like his son. He did not sell to butchers. He fed it with old straw and rice water. He could not bear to see the tears in his eyes. He seems cruel because of the debt of poverty and the drought.

2. Write a sketch of Gafur's character?

Mahesh is one the notable short stories of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The main character of this story is Gafur. He is a poor weaver. He lives in Kashipur village with his daughter Amina. He suffers badly from the landlord; he has no food to eat and no straw to feed his bull-Mahesh.

The main qualities of Gafur are given below:

(i) A kind man - Gafur lives in a small village and lives a very simple life. Being poor he can satisfy his bull and Amina's hunger. But he is not a cruel man. He works from morning to evening. But he is always in debt. Drought has badly affected his life. The landlord does not give him any straw. So he has nothing to feed Mahesh. His heart is kind to the bull. So he does not sell it to anyone.

(ii) His loving nature- Gafur loves Amina very much. His mother was not there but his father is taking care of him. He loves the bull just like a boy. He begs for rice water from the neighbors. He fed it with old straw. He folded his brass plate to get the animal back from the police pen. He does the chars without selling it. He slapped Amina in anger but soon he will regret it. He proves himself to be a loving father and a good ruler.

(iii) An emotional person- Sometimes Gafur loses self-control and gets very angry. It looks like a sack that encloses with a drawstring. This is the weakness of his life. He slapped Amina without blaming her. He then killed the bull in anger but it was not his real nature. His problems caused him to become a bad man because of the drought. It is said, "The hungry man is an angry man." It shows the nature of his anger.

(iv) An honest man- Gafur is a hardworking man. Drought has ruined his life. He never thought of stealing rice or hay from anywhere. Every time he seeks help from his neighbors and the landowner. He lived a strict but honest life in the village.

In short, Gafur is a poor, honest, loving and hardworking person. He suffers a lot because of the drought.

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