A House for Mr Biswas

by

V. S. Naipaul

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Samuel Smiles Term Analysis

A Scottish writer, journalist, and reformer famous for his tales of people finding success through hard work, defense of free-market capitalism, and belief that poverty was the result of irresponsibility. Mr Biswas reads his work extensively, initially believing his journalism to be fiction, and later mimics him when he is assigned to write the “Deserving Destitutes” column for the Sentinel.

Samuel Smiles Quotes in A House for Mr Biswas

The A House for Mr Biswas quotes below are all either spoken by Samuel Smiles or refer to Samuel Smiles. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Independence vs. Belonging Theme Icon
).
Part 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

“This education is a helluva thing,” Ramchand said. “Any little child could pick up. And yet the blasted thing does turn out to be so damn important later on.”

Related Characters: Mr Biswas, Dehuti
Page Number: 298
Explanation and Analysis:
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Samuel Smiles Term Timeline in A House for Mr Biswas

The timeline below shows where the term Samuel Smiles appears in A House for Mr Biswas. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1, Chapter 2: Before the Tulsis
Education, Work, and Language Theme Icon
Gender and Family Theme Icon
Colonialism, Oppression, and Escape Theme Icon
...already married, but Mr Biswas preferred to read, soon finding himself “addicted” to books by Samuel Smiles and then elementary science manuals. Still, he occasionally mustered a belief in romance, like when... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 1: “Amazing Scenes”
Independence vs. Belonging Theme Icon
Social Status and Hierarchy Theme Icon
Education, Work, and Language Theme Icon
...twice,” before listing some of the authors he read. The editor smiled when he mentioned Samuel Smiles , Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus, asking if he read them for pleasure, and Mr Biswas... (full context)