![]() The title of the book refers to the Zoroastrian tradition that is followed by the Parsee's where the dead are not buried but are rather placed on elevated platforms to be picked clean by vultures. It is an apt title that foreshadows the end of an era and the impending end of the British Raj. From the stone that is thrown at Teddie Bingham's car on the day of the wedding, it foeshadows the fates of the characters which coincides with the decline of the Raj which culminates with the death of Teddie Bingham in the defense of an ideal, the empty chair left by Mabel Layton at the reception. The novel also raises the point as to whether in the whole business of empire, whether there were any values to start with. Quote "There went the Raj, supported by unassailable criteria of necessity, devoutness, even of self-sacrifice... but what was being perpetrated was an act of callousness: the sin of collectively not caring a damn about a desire or an expectation or the fulfillment of a promise so long as personal dignity was preserved and at a cost that could be borne without too great an effort.. and so it will be in regard to our experience here. And when we are gone let them colour the sky as they will. We shall not care. It has never truly been our desire or intention to colour it permanently but only to make it as cloudless for ourselves as we can." - Barbie reflecting on Mabel's funeral In the novel we are also introduced to the character of the missionary school teacher Barbie Bachelor which adds a new dimension to the story of Pankot which has mostly been told from the perspective of the varied members of the Layton family. Her connection to Edwina Crane also neatly connects the events in Mayapore with the developments in Pankot. A key technique that is used in the novel is to juxtapose the developments in Pankot with the incidents in Mayapore. For instance, the month that Susan and Teddie's engagement is announced in the papers is also the month that the death of Daphne Manners is announced in the papers. Further the arrival of Merrick on the scene further compounds the sense of impending doom. This is underscored by the fact that after his wedding when Teddie is transferred to Mirat he is billeted with Merrick who for various circumstances he is unable to meet for days on end. It is almost as if Teddie had so many opportunities to avoid the encounter but once it is done, his fate would seal his fate. Despite this it is also interesting that the painting of the Jewel in the Crown which Barbie inherits from Edwina Crane is presented to Merrick. Probably because she understands the fact that Merrick sees the true face of what the business of empire entails and is not blinded by all the pomp and circumstance that is used to cover up their own inadequacies and fears Quote "That represents one of the unfulfilled ones. Oh, not the gold and scarlet unifroms, not the pomp, not the Obeisance. We've had all of that and plenty. We've had everything in the picture except what got left out. .. I'll call it the Unknown Indian". - Barbie Bachelor on whats missing from the painting While the novel is a bit short on historical details such as the Indian National Army, Subhas Chandra Bose, The Japanese attempted invasion at Imphal which the novel is interwined with, it is overall a beautiful written book about the human condition and all its flaws. The aftermath of the end of the era which is marked by this novel reaches fruition in the final novel of the Raj Quartet; The Division of the spoils Favourite Quotes "The reality of this shabbiness, this evidence of Detritus behind the screens of Imperial power and magnificence. The feeling she was not of glory departing or departed but of its original and continuing irrelevance to the business of being in India" - Barbie in Mr. Maybricks house "What Teddie tried to do was worth the whole bloody war put together... she had gone straight to the heart of the matter, cutting through such irrelevancies as divisional annoyance, the cost of a jeep, the loss of a prisoner and Merricks arm, leaving one with Teddies blameless death, his praiseworthy sacrifice for a principle the world no longer had time or inclination to uphold. - Mildred on teddie's death "You are now native roses,.. The garden is a native garden. We are only visitors. That has been our mistake. That is why God has not followed us here. - Mabel Layton "there is no God. Even on the road from Dibrapur" - Merrick reporting to Barbie on what was in Edwina Crane's suicide note Book details - Goodreads
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December 2023
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