An Analysis Of Indira Ganesan's The Journey

Her American photographer father whose existence she feels more in stories than in reality and with whom she met in the later phase of life only after coming to America. His father might be a protective shield like a “hat” for her future life. But her grandmother is her “heart” performs the major and the most crucial role in her life. Without her unconditional love and affection she could not able to bear the burden of her inheritance. To Sonil, her grandmother whether she is alive or dead is her forever companion from cradle to grave. Indira Ganesan’s The Journey, again depict the Grandfather Das’s relationship with his granddaughter Renu’s. Grandfather Das is suffering from long ailment since Renu was ten. His eagerness to see his granddaughter …show more content…
During this period of her long departure, both of them almost appear stranger to one another. Yet, his illness and age does not change his pessimism on western culture. Manx when lost her watch, her grandfather says, “What do you need a watch for anyway?”…I [Manx] like to know the time.”…You Americans want to know everything… (Journey, 35) His conversation with Manx reveals his orthodox nature. In his youth, he did not allow his daughter Chitra to move out of the house and for which she has to sacrifice her prospective musical career; yet his conservative nature failed to restrain his other children’s’ whereabouts. Renu’s mother herself immigrated to New York with her husband to accomplish themselves as scientists. Even after her husband’s death, she continues living there alone with her two …show more content…
In the very onset of The Journey, the author presents the grandfather figure as fragile, vulnerable burdened with age and wished to spend his last days on the holy land of Benares. He is the representative of the first category, a conservative old man who is not tolerant towards changes. It is this very nature which keeps him alienated in mixing with her younger granddaughter Manx who is very American in her upbringing. He is not only grown old in ages, but his heart has also grown old. However, in her second novel Inheritance, Kamala, the grandmother of Sonil is not portrayed as a weak old lady, instead she is a bold authoritative figure, capable of skillfully managing the entire household full of females and the only male member is Sonil’s Great uncle Raj whose role is almost invisible in taking any family responsibilities. She runs the household from cooking to giving lessons of drawing to her granddaughter. Her farsightedness hints from her banking transactions. She has also learnt some Cantonese words during her three years of emigrated life in Malaysia. She used to tell Sonil the stories of her days in Malaysia, about the culture and heritage of the place. Her grandmother’s stories fascinates her so much that she often imagine herself to visit those places and travel through her grandmother’s eyes. It is from her grandmother that Sonil