Clear Light of Day
Encyclopedia
Clear Light of Day is a novel published in 1980 by Indian Novelist
and three time Booker Prize finalist, Anita Desai
. Set in Old Delhi
, this book describes the tensions in a post-partition India
n family during and after childhood, starting with the characters as adults and moving back into their lives through the course of the book. While the primary theme is the importance of family, other predominant themes include the importance of forgiveness, the power of childhood, and forgiving those you are close to.
The book centers on the Das family, who have grown apart with adulthood. It starts with Tara, the wife of Bakul, India’s ambassador to America, greeting her sister Bimla (Bim), who is a history teacher living in Old Delhi as well as their autistic brother Baba’s caretaker. Their conversation eventually comes to Raja, their brother who lives in Hyderabad. Bim doesn’t want to go to the wedding of Raja’s daughter, showing Tara an old letter from when Raja became her landlord, unintentionally insulting her after the death of his father in law.
In part two the setting switches to partition era India, when the characters are adolescents in what is now Bim’s house. Raja is severely ill with tuberculosis
and is left to Bim’s ministrations. Aunt Mira (Mira masi), their supposed caretaker after the death of the children’s often absent parents, becomes alcoholic and dies of alcoholism. Earlier Raja’s fascination with Urdu
attracts the attention of the family’s Muslim
landlord, Hyder Ali, whom Raja Idolizes. When he heals, Raja follows Hyder Ali to Hyderabad. Tara escapes from the situation through marriage to Bakul. Bim is then left to provide for Baba alone, in the midst of the partition and the death of Gandhi.
In part three Bim, Raja and Tara are depicted in pre-partition India awaiting the birth of their brother Baba. Aunt Mira, widowed by her husband and mistreated by her in-laws, is brought in to help with Baba, who is autistic
, and to raise the children.
Raja is fascinated with poetry. He shares a close bond with Bim, the head girl at school, although they often exclude Tara. Tara wants to be a mother although this fact brings ridicule from Raja and Bim, who want to be a hero and a heroine, respectively.
The final section returns to modern India and showcases Tara confronting Bim over the Raja’s daughter’s wedding and Bim’s broken relationship with Raja. This climaxes when Bim explodes at Baba. After her anger fades she comes to the conclusion that the love of family is irreplaceable and can cover all wrongs. After Tara leaves she decides to go to her neighbors the Misras for a concert and she then decides that she will go to the wedding.
These tensions often escalated into riots, but not in Old Delhi. The Hindu’s claim to India led to the neglect, abuse and often violence towards Muslims in India or Hindus in Pakistan. The nation of India was torn apart in a violent manner, leaving refugees on both side of the border and mutual anger and hostility. The suspicious nature of the partition is also evidenced in the plainclothes police who felt Raja could be a Pakistani spy.
is frequently referred to as old, stagnate or decaying. Old Delhi is overcrowded and generally overlooked in favor of New Delhi
. New Delhi is considered vibrant, modern and alive. In the book New Delhi is where the characters, specifically Bakul, go to avoid the soporific effects of Old Delhi or even to be connected with the outside world. Bim is in New Delhi when she hears of Gandhi death, and Raja finds diversion and entertainment as a teenager in New Delhi.
This is confirmed by Mulk complaining about his sisters sending away his musicians, like the partition of India. But the musicians return at the end of the book to accompany Mulk at the end of the book.
Tara also mentions her daughters' music but says it develops with their
growth.
Of particular Interest is what music Desai has Baba play; all the records are from the same time period and he never gets any new ones. But the most potent of these songs seems
to be "Don't Fence Me In
", performed by Bing Crosby
. Every primary character in the book with the exception of Bim finds some way to escape. A song about being free, however, is what angers the one character who, on the surface, had no desire to do so.
as a part of a song at the end of the book. Poets quoted include T.S. Elliot (The Waste Land, and Burnt Norton), Alfred Lord Tennyson (Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal, Now the White),. Lord Byron (Isles of Greece) Sir Muhammad Iqbal ("Thou didst create…into an antidote", and "Your world is the world…over my world you have dominion"). Algernon Charles Swinburne
(The Garden of Proserpine) and D.H. Lawrence (Ship of Death). The poetry each serves to convey not only a particular aspect involved in the poem, but also the importance of education.
Indian literature
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognized languages....
and three time Booker Prize finalist, Anita Desai
Anita Desai
Anita Mazumdar Desai is an Indian novelist and Emeritus John E. Burchard Professor of Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
. Set in Old Delhi
Old Delhi
Old Delhi , walled city of Delhi, India, was founded as Shahjahanabad by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1639. It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty....
, this book describes the tensions in a post-partition India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n family during and after childhood, starting with the characters as adults and moving back into their lives through the course of the book. While the primary theme is the importance of family, other predominant themes include the importance of forgiveness, the power of childhood, and forgiving those you are close to.
Plot summary
The book is split into four sections covering the Das family from the children’s perspective in this order: adulthood, adolescence, childhood, and the time perspective returns to adulthood.The book centers on the Das family, who have grown apart with adulthood. It starts with Tara, the wife of Bakul, India’s ambassador to America, greeting her sister Bimla (Bim), who is a history teacher living in Old Delhi as well as their autistic brother Baba’s caretaker. Their conversation eventually comes to Raja, their brother who lives in Hyderabad. Bim doesn’t want to go to the wedding of Raja’s daughter, showing Tara an old letter from when Raja became her landlord, unintentionally insulting her after the death of his father in law.
In part two the setting switches to partition era India, when the characters are adolescents in what is now Bim’s house. Raja is severely ill with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and is left to Bim’s ministrations. Aunt Mira (Mira masi), their supposed caretaker after the death of the children’s often absent parents, becomes alcoholic and dies of alcoholism. Earlier Raja’s fascination with Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
attracts the attention of the family’s Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
landlord, Hyder Ali, whom Raja Idolizes. When he heals, Raja follows Hyder Ali to Hyderabad. Tara escapes from the situation through marriage to Bakul. Bim is then left to provide for Baba alone, in the midst of the partition and the death of Gandhi.
In part three Bim, Raja and Tara are depicted in pre-partition India awaiting the birth of their brother Baba. Aunt Mira, widowed by her husband and mistreated by her in-laws, is brought in to help with Baba, who is autistic
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, and to raise the children.
Raja is fascinated with poetry. He shares a close bond with Bim, the head girl at school, although they often exclude Tara. Tara wants to be a mother although this fact brings ridicule from Raja and Bim, who want to be a hero and a heroine, respectively.
The final section returns to modern India and showcases Tara confronting Bim over the Raja’s daughter’s wedding and Bim’s broken relationship with Raja. This climaxes when Bim explodes at Baba. After her anger fades she comes to the conclusion that the love of family is irreplaceable and can cover all wrongs. After Tara leaves she decides to go to her neighbors the Misras for a concert and she then decides that she will go to the wedding.
Background
Desai considers Clear Light of Day her most autobiographical work. She also, unlike many Indian writers, places a premium on setting.Partition
The book is set at various times around the partition in Old Delhi. The tension between Muslims and Hindus are clearly shown by the father’s refusal to allow Raja to go to a Muslim University and study Urdu literature because he has cause to fear for his safety. The book also mentions the partition riots as well as the refugee camps. It also depicts the flight of the Alis, the Das’s Muslim landlords and neighbors.These tensions often escalated into riots, but not in Old Delhi. The Hindu’s claim to India led to the neglect, abuse and often violence towards Muslims in India or Hindus in Pakistan. The nation of India was torn apart in a violent manner, leaving refugees on both side of the border and mutual anger and hostility. The suspicious nature of the partition is also evidenced in the plainclothes police who felt Raja could be a Pakistani spy.
Delhi
In the book, Old DelhiOld Delhi
Old Delhi , walled city of Delhi, India, was founded as Shahjahanabad by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1639. It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty....
is frequently referred to as old, stagnate or decaying. Old Delhi is overcrowded and generally overlooked in favor of New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. New Delhi is considered vibrant, modern and alive. In the book New Delhi is where the characters, specifically Bakul, go to avoid the soporific effects of Old Delhi or even to be connected with the outside world. Bim is in New Delhi when she hears of Gandhi death, and Raja finds diversion and entertainment as a teenager in New Delhi.
Religious
The religious undercurrents in the book manifest themselves in two ways: the partition (see above), and Raja’s relationship with the Ali’s. As a young adult he found acceptance (albeit not inclusion) in Hyder Ali’s nightly gatherings. His fascination with the Muslim culture, however, first manifests itself when he takes Urdu instead of Hindi, a language he considers banal, at school. Eventually he integrates himself into the Muslim culture and marries Hyder Ali’s daughter, Benazir. However this relationship is strained during the partition and the Ali’s subsequent flight to Hyderabad.Education
During the book education is mentioned a lot. Not just school, but also in the nightly gatherings at the Ali’s. Raja and Bim both go to college, although Raja’s education is much more prominent. Even Hyderabad, where he went following the Ali’s, is a considered a place of learning in India; it is the home of universities such as Osmania University, one of the oldest in India. Raja symbolizes culture refinement and knowledge, as does poetry.Music
The primary manifestations of music in the book are Baba’s gramophone, Dr. Biswas’s musical inclinations, and Mulk’s singing at the end of the book. The idea of music relating to life experiences is present. Baba constantly playing his gramophone at the same volume with the same records shows the stagnation of his development. Dr. Biswas refinement in musical taste shows the personal refinement he learned in Europe. Mulk and the Guru show that while life alters our experiences, we are still the same people; as they used the same style but with different experiences shaping their performance.This is confirmed by Mulk complaining about his sisters sending away his musicians, like the partition of India. But the musicians return at the end of the book to accompany Mulk at the end of the book.
Tara also mentions her daughters' music but says it develops with their
growth.
Of particular Interest is what music Desai has Baba play; all the records are from the same time period and he never gets any new ones. But the most potent of these songs seems
to be "Don't Fence Me In
Don't Fence Me In (song)
Don't Fence Me In is a popular American song with music by Cole Porter and lyrics by Robert Fletcher and Cole Porter.-Origins:Originally written in 1934 for Adios, Argentina, an unproduced 20th Century Fox film musical, "Don't Fence Me In" was based on text by a poet and engineer with the...
", performed by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
. Every primary character in the book with the exception of Bim finds some way to escape. A song about being free, however, is what angers the one character who, on the surface, had no desire to do so.
Separation
The novel tells not just the story of the separation of a family, but also of a nation. The partition of India is a tangible reality that is concurrent to Raja leaving, Tara marrying and the separation of the family. These separations are parallel. The summer of 1947 is described as tumultuous; it is the summer when Raja leaves for Hyderabad and Tara marries Bakul and they leave for Ceylon (Sri Lanka). It is also the summer when Aunt Mira dies thus isolating Bim. In addition each of the three people who escaped (Tara, Raja and Aunt Mira) used a way of escape common in the partition; Tara fled the country for somewhere else, Raja fled to a Muslim center, and aunt Mira left the earth entirely.Language
Each of the languages in Clear Light of Day represents different things. Urdu is the language of culture, refinement, and knowledge. Hindi is considered every day, mundane and banal. Additionally the repeated examples of poetry emphasize the beauty of the one language compared to the other as more often than not they are in Urdu. Raja expounds how an Urdu poet could do that in a single couplet. Urdu symbolizes Raja and the Ali’s culture and sophistication.Other Motifs and Symbolism
- Birds
- Flowers (Roses)
- Duality (Light and Dark)
- Stagnation
- Women in India
- The passage of Time
Family
Bim’s breakdown at the end of the book results in remarkable clarity of thought. In this insight, she concludes that the bond of family is greater than any other, that she felt their pains, and that she couldn’t live without them.Forgiveness
Bim’s inability to forgive Raja demonstrates that the deepest hurts come from the closest bonds. However she does find it in herself at the end of the book to forgive Raja for the insult and realize the importance of family.Poetry in Clear Light of Day
In this book, Desai quotes Poems 12 different times, in addition to using a line by IqbalMuhammad Iqbal
Sir Muhammad Iqbal , commonly referred to as Allama Iqbal , was a poet and philosopher born in Sialkot, then in the Punjab Province of British India, now in Pakistan...
as a part of a song at the end of the book. Poets quoted include T.S. Elliot (The Waste Land, and Burnt Norton), Alfred Lord Tennyson (Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal, Now the White),. Lord Byron (Isles of Greece) Sir Muhammad Iqbal ("Thou didst create…into an antidote", and "Your world is the world…over my world you have dominion"). Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He invented the roundel form, wrote several novels, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica...
(The Garden of Proserpine) and D.H. Lawrence (Ship of Death). The poetry each serves to convey not only a particular aspect involved in the poem, but also the importance of education.
Awards and Reception
In 1980 Clear Light of Day was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, although it did not win.See also
- Anita DesaiAnita DesaiAnita Mazumdar Desai is an Indian novelist and Emeritus John E. Burchard Professor of Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
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- In Custody
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