Village By The Sea

Recently, i read a novel entitled"Village By The Sea" by Anita Desai. I learnt some themes while i was reading this very interesting novel. Here are some themes in the novel:

Benefactors
Change and Adaptation
Rural and Urban India
Poverty and Wealth
Family

Basically, this novel is about the times when people were very poor and had to find ways of supporting themselves and family. This people stay in a rural part of India, a small fishing village named Thul. One of the characters, Hari, faces a poverty situation as his father is always drunk and Hari has to work to support his family. He had to give up schooling and work as he is the only son in the family and his mother was also sick and could not help out. Hari's sister, Lila, has to take care of their youngest siblings, Bela and Kamal. Hari's father is the sole breadwinner of the family and was once a fisherman but he grew addicted to toddy and had to sell his fishing boat to pay his debts. Hari's father was permanently drunk and Hari's mother had been sick for a very long time therefore Hari had to bear the heavy responsibility for his father. He had to resort to his only last hope, going to Bombay. He went to Bombay in search of a job in order to earn money and was separated from his family members. This shows their poverty and their desperation for money.


This novel has taught me many important values and let me have a glimpse of what Rural India is like and the determination of many who are willing to work their heart out just to support their family. This novel is worth reading and teaches you many life values so just try it out and you will never regret!!