Manu Character Analysis in In Custody

Manu is Deven and Sarla’s young son, who is in primary school during the events of the novel. In Chapter Four, after returning from Delhi—and seeing how Nur treats his own son—Deven decides to spend some quality time with Manu. They go through Manu’s schoolwork (which is concerningly messy), read a book of fables about animals (likely the Panchatantra), and then go on a walk through their neighborhood and down to a nearby canal, where they see a flock of parrots. Despite his constant disagreements with Sarla, Deven deeply loves Manu and wants to provide a better future for him. He frequently compares his relationship with Manu with his short-lived relationship with his own father (who died when he was a child). While he hopes that he can model strength and integrity for Manu, he generally considers himself to have failed as a parent—particularly at the end of the novel, when he admits that he is probably going to lose his job.

Manu Quotes in In Custody

The In Custody quotes below are all either spoken by Manu or refer to Manu . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Memory and the Passage of Time Theme Icon

).

The flock of parrots wheeled around, perhaps on finding the fields bare of grain, and returned to the tree above their heads, screaming and quarrelling as they settled amongst the thorns. One brilliant feather of spring green fluttered down through the air and fell at their feet in the grey clay. Deven bent to pick it up and presented it to his son who stuck it behind his ear in imitation of his schoolteacher with the pencil. “Look, now I’m masterji,” he screamed excitedly.

Yes, that was the climax of that brief halcyon passage. It was as if the evening star shone through at that moment, casting a small pale illumination upon Deven’s flattened grey world.

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker), ,

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 74

Explanation and Analysis:

Peering through a crack in the kitchen door, Sarla watched, thinking: is he dead? is he alive? without concern, only with irritation. It was only men who could play at being dead while still alive; such idleness was luxury in her opinion. Now if she were to start playing such tricks, where would they all be? Who would take Manu to school and cook lunch for them?

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

Page Number and Citation: 138-139

Explanation and Analysis:

Manu Character Timeline in In Custody

The timeline below shows where the character Manu appears in In Custody. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Deven sits on the veranda and calls for his son, Manu, to come over with his schoolbooks. Surprisingly, Sarla repeats this request to Manu, which suggests... (full context)

Startled, Deven takes Manu out for a walk. They head down the road, past the neighbors’ similarly shabby houses,... (full context)

Manu is enjoying his walk with Deven, too. He is talking about his schoolmaster, who has... (full context)

Deven and Manu walk past the end of the road, down the clay path towards the agricultural college’s... (full context)

...it was just work, she goes to the kitchen and yells out the window at Manu or the neighbor, since she can’t yell at him. He realizes he should have pretended... (full context)

...out the trash, which is rotting. Struggling to contain his rage, Deven points Pintu to Manu’s bed, then he goes and takes a bath. The following day, Deven receives a letter... (full context)

...he will lose his power in the marriage if he shows vulnerability. She explains that Manu is showing the neighbors the new clothes that her parents bought him, and Deven realizes... (full context)

...worries that he will have to sell Sarla’s jewelry to pay the bills, and that Manu will grow up thinking of him as a failure. As he fantasizes about his student... (full context)

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Manu Character Analysis

Manu Quotes in In Custody

Manu Character Timeline in In Custody

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