Balance Of Fragile Things By Olivia Chadha

2211 Words5 Pages

In the novel “Balance of Fragile Things” by Olivia Chadha, the author portrays the growth and transformation in different directions of a couple of characters within a family, in order to illustrate how adversity can either separate or bond a family into a more cohesive household. In the beginning of the novel, the characters go through harsh moments, which allow the characters’ traits to evolve, making the individuals stronger. As the novel progresses, due to the harsh moments, the family relationships also become more close-knit and connected. Chadha makes it easy to distinguish the Singh family’s growth and transformation as well as their rebuilt relationships. In addition, Chadha illustrates the different directions the characters take …show more content…

All his life, Papaji blamed Paul for Kamal’s death, however as Paul recovers from the coma, Papaji realizes the importance of recovering his relationship with his son and releases the grudge he has carried for so long. Papaji states, “I failed everyone, but you especially. My fear paralyzed me, and Kamal’s death was my fault. I should have worked the fields. You were too young… Paul, you are my son…you are my son” (285). Papaji transformed in a positive direction; he accepted and left the past behind in order to build a strong foundation for a future with his son. Papaji’s growth broke down the barrier between father and son, and allowed them to fully connect. Papaji reached a balance with his inner self and therefore stabilized his relationship with Paul. Furthermore, as Vic, Paul, and Papaji transformed and reached a balance, so did their relationships; a stable and strong-bonded family emerged. Since the characters transformed, reaching a balance, the relationships within the Singh family also reached a balance and strengthened; a more cohesive family emerged. At first, Vic and Paul’s relationship was distant, unconnected. However, after Paul’s attack, Paul becomes warmer towards Vic and trades Vic’s previous knife for an even more significant

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