Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Absurdity and Chaos
Nature vs. Modernity
Traditions, Customs, and Expectations
Exploitation of Spirituality
Summary
Analysis
A month later, Mr. Chawla has added all sorts of convenient amenities to the family’s life in the shed in the orchard. They now have their own private electrical lines and water pipes, and Mr. Chawla continues to further his plans to make a fortune off of Sampath. He collects fees from bus drivers delivering the orchard’s visitors, and he contacts banks and business owners to inquire about advertising in the orchard, where their businesses would be granted an air of holiness by their mere association with Sampath. He also sets up a stall where devotees can purchase offerings to leave for Sampath, only for the family to collect these offerings and sell them again the next day. All the while, Mr. Chawla is careful not to make his growing wealth too noticeable. The orchard must maintain an appearance of spiritual humility, no matter its profits.
Through his new schemes and advancements, Mr. Chawla continues to exploit the spiritual beliefs of the visitors to Sampath’s tree. Day by day, Mr. Chawla brings more elements of modernity to the otherwise natural orchard, implying that more modern developments may be yet to come. His commitment to keeping his wealth hidden highlights how deceptive and exploitative his operation has become. Mr. Chawla aims to achieve all the benefits of having a holy man in a tree, but without any of the drawbacks. Though Mr. Chawla’s exploitation is still subtle and unobtrusive, it’s a worrying sign that Sampath might not have really escaped modernity after all.
Themes
One of Sampath’s most regular visitors is secretly a spy from the Atheist Society and a fervent member of the Branch to Uncover Fraudulent Holy Men. Wishing to expose Sampath as a fraud, this spy asks a barrage of questions, all of which are met with the usual vague bits of wisdom from Sampath. As the spy carefully writes these sayings down in his notebook, he reflects bitterly on his lonely life in Shahkot and the troubled poverty of his youth. He’s determined to expose Sampath so that he (the spy) might rise from his difficult circumstances and become a well-respected intellectual. His relentless series of questions continues as Sampath becomes dizzy, wondering why this man is being such a nuisance.
The atheist spy is an almost antagonistic presence in Sampath’s new life, aiming to expose him and undermine the holy man narrative. Ironically, the spy correctly senses that the situation is exploitative, but he focuses all of his attention in the wrong place. He assumes that Sampath must be the mastermind of the fraudulent operation, rather than Mr. Chawla, who’s actually pulling the strings. He’s right about the exploitation of spirituality happening in the orchard, but he doesn’t realize that he’s tricking himself as well.
Themes
Sampath grows quiet at the spy’s questioning, and the spy happily takes more notes behind a tree, muttering to himself that Sampath is avoiding questions by “pretending otherworldliness.” Meanwhile, the devotees discuss how Sampath’s mind lapsed into a higher state, and how this explains his sudden quietness. Ammaji, still proud of her grandson, eagerly explains how Sampath has always been “spiritual,” as his behavior was odd from an early age. Surely he was never able to focus on the mundane things of the world such as his schooling because his mind was drawn instead to the infinite mysteries of life.
Ammaji continues to help exploit the visitors to the orchard, even as she only wishes to express her pride about Sampath. It’s possible that she believes he’s really a holy man herself. In any case, his newfound success in the orchard seems to confirm her earlier belief that Sampath would find an unconventional road to happiness. He might not have met the traditional standards for a “proper” life, but he seems to perfectly meet people’s expectations for how a holy man should behave.
Themes
The conversation about Sampath’s apparent holiness continues, as Miss Jyotsna (now a regular visitor to the orchard) chimes in. She mentions how unfocused Sampath always was back at the post office, often unable to carry out even the simplest tasks on his own. Ammaji explains how they had once found a beautiful girl for him to marry, but he had showed no interest, once again proving his otherworldliness. The devotees nod in agreement, considering how inappropriate marriage would be for such a holy man. All of them appreciate the natural beauty of the orchard as they talk in this way, and Miss Jyotsna begins to sing. Sampath watches and admires her as the spy wonders to himself how Sampath could have fooled everyone so completely. Remembering strange smells from Kulfi’s cooking pot, the spy wonders if perhaps Sampath’s food could be drugged.
This brief, peaceful moment in the orchard highlights many of the novel’s themes at once. In some ways, Sampath has successfully escaped from modernity into a carefree life in nature. To him, it seems as though chaos and fun have won the day, as he’s successfully played a joke on the visitors to the orchard and he isn’t expected to ever come down from his beloved tree. But at the same time, a few worrying details subtly undermine the seeming paradise of the orchard. The spirituality of people like Miss Jyotsna is being exploited, and in some ways, Sampath has merely switched from one set of expectations to another. The spy represents another undercurrent of modernity, creeping its way into Sampath’s simple existence. All the while, the countless misunderstandings and half-truths in this moment add more layers of absurdity and tension to the situation.
Themes
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