Anarchy and Caste Aberrations in Rohinton Mistry’s Such a Long Journey and A Fine Balance

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Recommended: Reflection on indian literature

Rohinton Mistry with his novels like Such a Long Journey (1992) and A Fine Balance (1996) showed to the literary world that he is a novelist who believes in depicting life as it really is. Both the novels exhibit his excellent understanding of Indian social life. A veracious portrayal of the Indian middle class is the high point in Mistry’s narratives. His bitterness and disappointment with the government’s hostile attitude towards the poor is evident in his novels.
Such a Long Journey (1991) is a great work of art by Rohinton Mistry. The novel announces Mistry’s advent as a gifted Indian writer. The novel is set against the background of the Indo-Pak war of 1971. It delves into the human predicament meted of its central character, Gustad Nobel whose hopes are shattered by circumstances beyond his control. Mistry depicts Gustad Nobel as a classical tragic hero. Gustad appears to be completely serene and tranquil in his approach towards life. His sufferings and struggle with fortitude and humility in life reminds us of the classical tragic hero’s life and sufferings. The novel has an optimistic note with its hero making a journey which takes him from hopelessness to hope.
The novel derives its form from the classical literary tradition. Mistry’s narration reminds the readers of the great tradition where the novelist not only changes the possibilities of art for practitioners and readers but becomes significant in terms of that human awareness they promote -- the awareness of the possibilities of life. We find the elements of comedy, tragedy and satire in the novel. We also find Mistry sharing his thoughts on beliefs, superstitions, the super natural, rites, nationalistic ideas, humanism, discrimination, secular views and so on an...

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...ilures as stepping stones to success. You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair. He paused, considering what he had just said. ‘Yes’, he repeated, ‘In the end it’s all a question of balance’” (Mistry, 1996: 214)
The struggles of the characters to cling to life hold our attention all through the novel. Mistry, undoubtedly succeeds in depicting a moving tragedy with his strong impulse toward political and social commentary. The novel explores the resilience of human spirit and the searing heartbreak of futile imaginings.
His novels Such a Long Journey and A Fine Balance can be read for their treatment of the layers of socio-political irregularities and caste aberrations that generate a world of anarchy.

Works Cited

Mistry, Rohinton. Such a Long Journey, New York: Vintage Books, 1992
Mistry, Rohinton. A Fine Balance, New Delhi: Rupa and Co. 1996

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