Abstract
The present paper deals with Ved Mehta’s first novel – Deliquent Chacha. It is a short satirical novel set in London and Oxford. Ved Mehta has proved to be a shrewd and observant commentator on Indian society. He has brilliantly satirized Indians who insanely ape the foreign and are still unable to cast away the cloak of Britishers. The touch of satire is turned as much on British as on Indian – because human nature everywhere is same. No nation is unaffected by self-deception, vanity, priggishness, and folly.
Ved Mehta, who is well known for his writings on the ideas and personalities of contemporary philosophers, historians and theologial, has, in Deliquent Chacha given an enchanting introduction to the latest seeker of the Dream in the character of loquacious Indian, Deliquent Chacha. It is a story of a middle aged, copious, inventive, disastrously incompetent member of a distinguished Indian family. He is ultimately a …show more content…
As a result he gets into trouble for be fuddling his tailors which eventually leads to glorious orations in a courtroom where British law is put to the supreme test.The trial scene is hilarious. He defends himself with an eloquent mixture of Indian and British logic. He dismisses his lawyer and presents his own case. Although he has bought 578 pounds, three shillings and two pence worth of clothes which he can ill afford, he manages to get himself off scot free. Deliquent Chacha is a four-dimensional character who is not only himself, tragic and comic, poignant and farcical but is every one of us as others see us. He is a completely round character. He keeps surprising us at every step. The chacha can be considered in the league of great rare comic characters - Falstaff, Pick wick, Mr. Polly, etc. Like Falstaff Deliquent Chacha is not just a comic character. The reader not only laughs at him but also loves pities and admires
The present paper deals with Ved Mehta’s first novel – Deliquent Chacha. It is a short satirical novel set in London and Oxford. Ved Mehta has proved to be a shrewd and observant commentator on Indian society. He has brilliantly satirized Indians who insanely ape the foreign and are still unable to cast away the cloak of Britishers. The touch of satire is turned as much on British as on Indian – because human nature everywhere is same. No nation is unaffected by self-deception, vanity, priggishness, and folly.
Ved Mehta, who is well known for his writings on the ideas and personalities of contemporary philosophers, historians and theologial, has, in Deliquent Chacha given an enchanting introduction to the latest seeker of the Dream in the character of loquacious Indian, Deliquent Chacha. It is a story of a middle aged, copious, inventive, disastrously incompetent member of a distinguished Indian family. He is ultimately a …show more content…
As a result he gets into trouble for be fuddling his tailors which eventually leads to glorious orations in a courtroom where British law is put to the supreme test.The trial scene is hilarious. He defends himself with an eloquent mixture of Indian and British logic. He dismisses his lawyer and presents his own case. Although he has bought 578 pounds, three shillings and two pence worth of clothes which he can ill afford, he manages to get himself off scot free. Deliquent Chacha is a four-dimensional character who is not only himself, tragic and comic, poignant and farcical but is every one of us as others see us. He is a completely round character. He keeps surprising us at every step. The chacha can be considered in the league of great rare comic characters - Falstaff, Pick wick, Mr. Polly, etc. Like Falstaff Deliquent Chacha is not just a comic character. The reader not only laughs at him but also loves pities and admires