Chapter: 4

Thematic pattern and Adolescence of Ruskin Bond's Works

Let me test, let me try, let me rea~h,

Let me fly!

Push Me out of the nest (but not too fast).

There is much I don't know.

There are things that I want - don't

Hide me from the sight of the world.

Give me room, give me time. There

Are things I'm not frightened

To try.

Let me tumble and spring, let me go,

Let me be. Wait and see-

I am growing, world.

Water me with the wisdom of

Your tears. (David 260)

The aspirations and confusions of adolescents are wonderfully

brought out in the poem quoted above. Puberty can be an exciting time

for young people, but one that generally includes a few disturbing

moments for everyone involved. Adolescents are normally occupied with

their changing body, but their anxieties and concerns often remain

unstated, these tribulations and the psyche of adolescents, therefore

remain difficult for others to understand. From the novels, short stories

and his own memoir of Ruskin Bond discussed in earlier chapters, we

know now that Bond has portrayed adolescents in all colours.

Looking at the works of Bond, we find that following issues

pertaining to adolescence are treated by Bond:

• Physical changes and awareness of adolescents to it.

• Parent - child· conflict

• Sexuality of teenagers

• Disturbing effects of broken families

• Alienation experienced by adolescents

• Volatile nature of adolescents

• Importance of friends and groups

• Career anxiety

• Depression and frustration

• Habit of day - dreaming and introspection

• Adult world as viewed by adolescents.

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The general impression of adolescent world among the adult people

is that years covering adolescence are the 'best years oflife'. The reason

to have such an idea of the adolescence is because teenagers are

physically strong and enthusiastic. They have that 'never say die' spirit.

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However, this optimistic picture is only part of the reality. Life for many

adolescents is a excruciating tug of war filled with mixed messages and

conflicting demands from the society. 'Growing up' is to manage a path

between independence and dependence on others. Adolescence is not all

about physical changes, but physical changes, indeed, proclaim the onset

of puberty.

In Ruskin's works, we find that adolescents are conscious about

their body changes. In The Room on the Roof Rusty becomes conscious

about these changes when he attacks his guardian Mr. Harrison. New

found physical powers make him realize that he is no longer a child.

Body changes bring a positive effect on Rusty. Even psychologists agree

that when adolescents are described as 'Gender stereotypes', for a boy -

physical changes are symbolized by greater strength, manly voice,

building of muscles and increase in height. Favourable body changes

make the adolescent confident about his image. When Rusty fights with

his guardian and hits him over and over, he is relishing this new found

confidence which has to sustain him in a world of problems and

confusion. This inter effect of physical maturity and psychological

confidence is wonderfully brought out by Bond. New gained physical

power is also important for a male child because it determines the

acceptance among peers. Adolescence is a time when young adults begin

to separate from their parents and develop their own identity. Acceptance

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by peers at this time is of utmost importance. The other teenagers in the

group also have their ideas of acceptability borrowed from the culture and

media. A boy who is very emotional and sensitive and cries over trifles

will not be looked upon favourably. Adolescents who boast about their

physical strength and powers have a borrowed idea that a male is

supposed to be rough and tough. 'Crying' is a feminine characteristic.

We find that Rusty before his encounter with Mr. Harrison

remained shy and lost. Even when opportunities came for friendship, he

refrained, but once he becomes aware that he is a child no more, gains in

confidence and becomes more social. He forms friendship with sturdy

boys like Ranbir and Somi and becomes more extrovert. Thus, Bond has

wonderfully shown that favourable body changes at the start of

adolescence not only help in building a confidence level psychologically,

but also makes an adolescent socially more acceptable both in his own

sex and the opposite. Rusty's physical assault at the time ofHoli festival

can also be treated as a test of his stamina and temperament. When Rusty

was invited to play holi, he hesitated at first because of the fear of his

guardian, but Somi and others started to make fun of him by calling him a

snob. Somi teased him that (unlike man) Rusty is afraid of spoiling his

clothes and appearance. When Rust agrees to play holi, he is given heart

approval from his friends. On the other hand, we find that Suri in the

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same novel remains the butt of ridicule because he has girlish appearance

and habits.

Physical changes come as a surprise even for the adolescents

themselves. Once being aware of it, they start spending a lot of time in

front of mirror, exploring their body. Rusty, when he settles in Mr.

Kapoor's house, stands in front of the mirror and admiringly looks at his

oiled body. The reason for loving the physical changes now, is not

acceptability in.one's own sex-group. He wants himself to look more

handsome because he wants to attract Meena Kapoor - his new found

love. He now attributes the physical changes and growth to his falling in

love:

When Rusty rubbed the oil on his limbs, he noticed the

change in his physique. He had lost his puppy fat, and there

was more muscle to his body; his complexion was a

healthier colour, and his pimples had almost disappeared.

Nearly everyone had advised him about pimples: drink dahi,

said Somi's mother, don't eat fat, eat carrots, said Somi,

plenty offruit: mangoes! Said Kishen; not at all, Oranges;

see a doctor, said Meena; have a whisky, said Kapoor; but

the pimples disappeared without any of these remedies, and

Rusty put it down to his falling in 10ve.(Bond, ROR 620 )

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Here, we find that physical changes are associated with emotions

and feelings also. In Delhi is not Far, we find the narrator lying naked on

the floor and gaining awareness of his body through cool sensation of the

touch with floor. He observes his navel, the hairs on his belly and feels

the languid aspects of his genitals.

In The Sensualist - much criticized work of Ruskin on account of

the overdose of overt sexual descriptions; we find that the narrator is

taught about body changes, even before his adolescence by Mulia - the

servant woman. From early adolescence, he is given number of herbs by

Mulia to make him grow physically and expert in sexual adventures. Here

we find that the narrator becomes aware of physical changes through the

behaviour ofMulia and gains in confidence about his virility.

In 'Love is a Sad Song', Sushila - an adolescent becomes aware of

the changes in her body when the paternal feelings of the narrator

transforms in to sexual advances. A girl who used to run naked in rain

without any inhibitions in the presence of the narrator starts behaving like

a mature woman.

Thus, we find that in Bond, the physical changes bring different

effects on different sexes. Bond himself writes in Delhi is not Far:

"".this is the most fascinating age when a boy becomes a

man - it is interesting both physically and mentally. The

growth of the boy's hair, the toning of the muscles, the

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consciousness of growing and changing and maturing -

never again will there be so much change and development

in so short a period of time. The body exudes virility in full

of currents and counter currents.

For a girl- puberty is a frightening age when alarming

things begin to happen in her body. For a boy - it is an age

of self assertion, of growing confidence in himself and in his

attitude to the world. His physical changes are a source of

happiness and pride." (Bond, DNF 779)

Another issue explored by Bond in his novels and short stories is

parent - child conflict or generation gap. Psychologists, sociologists and

men ofletters - all have tried to explore this problem which is faced by

adolescents. The reason why parent - child conflict reaches a culminating

point during adolescence is the new found ability of a teenager to think

independently. As young children, all of us have little understanding of

anything we can not see, hear, taste or touch. Further, children view

people as being rather constant. By the time of adolescence, however, we

are capable of more complex operations. This period is characterized by

the ability to think abstractly, propose theoretical situations, reason

logically, and look at issues from another's point of view. These new

abilities allow adolescents to question the inconsistencies they find in the

world. It becomes vitally important for a parent at this time to be

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supportive. When Ruskin himself grew as an adolescent, he used to ask

number of questions to his father. It must have been very difficult for his

father to bring up a self willed and introvert boy like Ruskin, but he did

his best. He spent lot of time with Ruskin and gave him that all important

companionship. Ruskin has also shown in his works how lack of support

on the part of parent can create havoc in the life of an adolescent. This is

exemplified by Rusty and Kishen in The Room on the Roof and Vagrants

in the Valley. Rusty questions the values of Mr. Harrison when Mr.

Harrison tells him that it is unhealthy to venture into the prohibited Indian

bazaar. Rusty argues back that although he did go to the bazaar and

played with Indian boys - nothing has happened to him. Rusty can also

not understand why sweeper boy is considered as an untouchable.

This questioning the established values may be termed as

'generation gap' but it has its refreshing impact on the society. It is

always better to form one's own ideas of the world rather than accepting

the biased and prejudiced opinions of the adults. Psychologists believe

that this conflict sometimes arises because the adolescent realizes that the

opinions and value systems of the adults are not always genuine.

Adolescents are better occupied with this new found intellectual capacity,

but they may not always use them. An example ofthis could be seen in a

conversation with a parent, where an adolescent has the ability to see the

parent's view point, but obstinately resists. This opposition is often the

result of the child's detection that their parents' opinions are not

necessarily the final rule.

We also find that Kishen in The Room on the Roof is rebellious.

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When Meena asks him not to eat the bazaar food, he argues back. Here,

Kishen does not believe his mother to be wrong. He also knows that

eating the bazaar food is not good for health, but he wants to maintain

that his own view, his own likes are equally acceptable and valid.

Psychologist Smetana writes:

Social reasoning is related to increased conflict. This is

because adolescents are more likely to feel that many issues

should be a matter of personal choice instead of parent's

opinion which is a social convention. For example, a parent

may say, "in my house, your room will be clean" but the

teen thinks, "this is my room, so I don't have to keep it

clean." Arguments commonly arise over issues similar to

this one. < http://www.oberlin.edu>

When Rusty is appointed as a tutor of English for Kishen, Meena Kapoor

assigns him a detailed Programme of how he should teach and improve

Kishen: "You can give Kishen his lessons in the morning until twelve

o'clock ... then you can have your food ... " (Bond, ROR 593)

Here, we find that Kishen becomes restless because, on one hand

his father Mr.Kapoor is careless about his brought up and teaches him

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nothing but virtues of chewing gum, his mother who is too much

concerned about his habits is trying to plan everything for his career.

Adolescents need the companionship of parents no doubt but parents

should be careful not to take the driver's seat when deciding the careers

of their children. Carri Arndt writes:

Communication is very important part of any good

relationship. This is especially true for the relationship

between parents and their children. Unfortunately, in

adolescence, this task becomes more difficult. One reason

why this is difficult is because parents often see themselves

as being 'managers' of their children. They are constantly

organizing their children's lives ... this is fine until late

childhood, however causes problems at the beginning, and

all throughout adolescence. Instead of being 'managers' of

their child's life, parents need to be consultants ... By giving

up the role of manager, parents are giving their adolescents a

chance to become more autonomous, which is a large goal of

adolescence. < http://www . Oberlin. edu>

Thus, parent child conflict is itselfpart of the normal development

of adolescents. Ruskin Bond has minutely observed this cognitive change

among adolescents and presented in his novels. For Ruskin and for

psychologists, this conflict is a normal process and pause no danger to the

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individual or society, but if parents are separated through divorce or if

they constantly quarrel then not only does it end in parent child conflict,

but it may lead to depression, alienation or sometimes for worst to

violence or anti social activities. C.I.Standstorm has made an interesting

study of what he calls 'incomplete homes'. According to him:

Clearly the role played by home and parents is of vital

importance during the whole period of growth since the

home environment or its equivalent is the seedbed for the

forces that condition the whole specialization process. Spitz

has coined the term 'hospitalism' for different forms of

upbringing in children's homes during the early childhood

years .. .It is during puberty that the first decisive signs appear

of how different formative factors have functioned and what

fruit they have borne. There is much evidence that liberating

process which takes place during puberty is strength of the

organism as a whole: both of what it has inherited and what

it has been given by its environment. Everywhere, there are

homes that are incomplete in one way or other. Though

death or divorce may have disastrous effect on a child's

development, in other cases, the injuries may be

insignificant. It is not easy to judge the situation of a child of

a 'broken home'. A divorce is often preceded by a long

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period of deep dissension which inevitably means emotional

strain and discord. (229)

Impact of broken or quarreling family is treated by Bond both in his

memoir and in his fiction. Bond had experienced this depression in his

own life when he saw his parents drifting aside. He has written in his

memOir:

That early feeling of insecurity was never to leave me, and in

adult life, when I witnessed quarrels between people who

were close to me, I was always deeply disturbed - more for

the children whose lives were bound to be affected by such

emotional discord. But can it be helped? People who marry

young, even those who are in love, do not really know each

other. The body chemistry may be right but the harmony of

two minds is what makes relationship endure.(Bond SFWL

3-4)

In the works of Bond, rarely do we come across a healthy married

couple. Either his characters are mis matched or they fall apart or they go

on making compromises. Impact of such relationship certainly affects the

adolescents in the family. In The Room on the Roof and Vagrants in the

Valley. we find the disastrous effect of this on the characters ofKishen

and Rusty. Although Meena and Mr. Kapoor - the parents of Kishen are

not separated by divorce but their emotional tuning is never at par. Even

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Kishen realizes the emotional gulf between his parents and when after the

death of Meena, Mr. Kapoor marries again in a very short time; Kishen

becomes frustrated and becomes an anti social person.

Actually, the vagrant lives ofKishen and to a some extent Rusty

have born out of the disturbed family life. In the case of Rusty, his

parents have died and he has been kept away from the warmth and solace

offamily life, and for Kishen, though his parents live, they are good for

nothing. Although Mr. Kapoor and Meena are not divorced, they are

emotionally divorced. Partial failure of a family life is more dangerous·

than a complete failure of a family life. Aston Applwhite writes in an

article 'Does Divorce Devastate Children'?

A study, published in 1995, called 'Growing up with a

Single Parent', concluded that children from single parent

homes fare less well at every stage oflife .. .lf children of

divorce suffer psychological problems, it's usually because

of the troubled family life that has preceded the break up, not

the divorce itself. During the 1970s, the conventional

wisdom that unhappily married parents should hang in there

"for the good of children" yielded to a general

acknowledgement that divorce is less stressful for families

than life in a battle zone or an emotional freezer.

<http://www.divorceonline.com>

-

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Mr. Kapoor and Meena are emotionally miles apart. Selfish and

arrogant Kapoor is only married to a bottle of wine and is incapable of

giving any emotional support to his wife or a child. Kishen's vagrancy

and his rebelliousness have to be understood in this regard. Kishen can

sense his mother's helplessness but remains silent, but when he marries

second time on the pretext that 'We have to carry on'; Kishen can not

take it anymore and becomes a ruffian.

In Ruskin's story 'A Job Well Done' relation between strict and

heartless step father and sensitive son is portrayed. The narrator has

grievances against his step father Major Summerskill because he is trying

to fill in the place of his father. In addition, his step father is very strict

and believes that his orders should be listened to and obeyed. The

narrator likes his gardener Dhukhi. There is a well in a garden. Major has

ordered Dhukhi to cover the well but the narrator likes the well to remain

open because his late father also liked it. The boy climbs the banyan tree

when his step father comes and scolds Dhukhi for incomplete work.

Dhukhi points to something in the well. When Major looks inside,

Dhukhi taps him on the back. The narrator on the tree watches his step

father disappearing in the well. Dhukhi covers the well as if nothing has

happened. After seven months, the boy's mother starts receiving new

visitors one of whom is a colonel. Dhukhi likes this man and tells the boy

that the new sahib is good. The boy says that ifhe is not, then they can

-----------------

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always open up the well again! The story shows that the narrator is so

frustrated with the second marriage of his mother that he remains silent

even when his step father is killed by the gardener.

It can be that because of such frustrations as well as emotional

turbulence during the time of adolescence, that the teenagers feel

alienated and lonely. Ruskin Bond has referred to this sense of alienation

experienced by adolescents number oftimes in his novels. Psychologists

have felt that the more we scrutinize adolescence and alienation - the

more they seem like two concepts, similar and ultimately inseparable.

When we read the memoir of Bond, we realize that he constantly

felt insecure and lonely in his adolescence. He witnessed the quarrels of

his parents from early childhood, but his feeling ofloneliness intensified

when his mother took divorce from his father and when his father died of

malaria, Ruskin could never settle in the house of his step father because

he felt that his mother and his step father were engaged in their own

activities. He was as if practically ignored.

When his father died, Ruskin was utterly broken both with the

feelings of helplessness and insecurity. He never could understand why

God needed his father more than he did. When he came to Dehra in

vacation, after his father's death, he found that nobody had come to

receive him to the platform. Other children had been met by parents and

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relatives and had dispersed to their homes. A feeling of loneliness began

to creep over him.

Even when his mother and step father Mr.Hari went to the

nightclubs, Ruskin woke up the nights feeling insecure and wondering

how he would cope ifhis parents had a fatal accident coming home, or if

some avenging tigress got her own back into the jungle. He could not

fancy himselflooking after his physically disabled sister, baby brother

and two half- brothers.

Psychologists confirm that fear of death reaches a peak during

puberty and early adolescence. Swedish doctor Bertil Soderrling calls

eleven years old - 'Hypochondriacs' and like many others he has

observed that "Serious fear of death appears then for the first time. His

behaviour is characterized by the fear that his parents will die and leave

him alone and unprotected." (Sandstorm 212)

When Meena dies in The Room on the Roof Kishen becomes very

lonely and feels insecure. He keeps on walking in the room all night and

cries his heart out. Although Kishen has a comforting company of Rusty

yet, when Meena dies, he becomes apprehensive about his stability

because he knows that his father is unreliable. Ruth in The Flights of

Pigeons passes through the same emotional turbulence. The feeling of

loneliness and insecurity is even more so in the case of Ruth because she

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is an unmarried girl. When the entire family shifts to Lala Ramjimal's

family she feels alienated and cut off.

Along with the fear of being left alone with the death of parents,

another reason why adolescents feel alienated is because during

adolescence they are always puzzled about the choices offriends. Some

adolescents are so taken over by the body changes which occur during

adolescence that they grow introvert. They also start living in the world

of imaginations and dreams. In such circumstances, when an opportunity

comes for them to form lasting friendship, they are caught unaware. With

the commencement of puberty there generally comes a period of

restlessness that is difficult to ease' in most cases this is a natural sign of , ,

a maturation process leading to deeper self knowledge. An introverted

awareness and apprehension are the essential features of maturation in

this early stage of youth. During puberty, relationship in groups outside

home reaches a climax. Being accepted in a group is usually regarded as

something of importance. Aptitude to adjust oneself to social groups at

school and in neighbourhood is often of cmcial importance for well-

balanced development from the age often or eleven onwards. It is clear

that there is a deep need for solitude during puberty. Withdrawal is often

sudden and violent from both family unit and companions. No new

interests appear spontaneously to substitute the old ones. As a result, an

adolescent seeks uneasily for something that can satisfy him.

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A deep sense ofloneliness and a high degree of psychological

vulnerability are two main characteristics of adolescence, because for a

teenager every attempt of experimentation and reaching out is new and

very intense. If the outcome is negative, it is exceedingly painful because

youth don't have a 'bank' of positive experience to draw from when

defects occur. Such loneliness can be seen in the case of Rusty in The

Room on the Roof. The loneliness that he suffers from comes from his

quest for independence, introspective habits, and an apprehension of

joining a 'gang' of friends. There are number of paragraphs in the novel

which show Rusty's loneliness. I quote them in full:

He stood in the side track, and stared down the empty road,

and to his surprise and disgust, he felt immeasurably lonely.

(Bond' ROR 549)

Around him everything was dark and silent and lonely. He

had got away from the bazaar, which held the misery of

beggars and homeless children and starving dogs, and could

now concentrate on his own misery; for there was nothing

like loneliness for making Rusty conscious of his unhappy

state. Madness and freedom and violence were new to him:

loneliness was familiar, something he understood ..... Rusty

was alone until tomorrow, he was alone for the rest of his

life. (Bond, ROR 575)

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Rusty, being the only young person in the community, was

the centre of everyone's attention, particularly the ladies, he

was also very 10nely.(Bond, ROR 553)

Kishen has gone and part of my life has gone with him and

inside of me, I am all lonely. (Bond, ROR 632)

Another theme which is bound to come when the novelist is

occupied with the lives of adolescents is the sexuality of the teenagers. In

Ruskin Bond's memoir, novels and short stories there are number of overt

sexual descriptions. Bond has also portrayed the sexual frustrations of

teenagers and their fantasies.

Ruskin Bond himself has frankly provided details about his sexual

adventures in his memoir. When after his father's death, Bond lived with

his mother and step father, he used to go to the night clubs or casinos at

'White House' or 'Greens' with his mother. It was there that he saw an

Anglo Indian girl Doreen. Bond was attracted by her lovely legs and full

sensuous lips. He wanted to kiss her. When the midnight hour came,

Doreen gathered Bond in her perfumed arms and planted a long sweet

kiss on his hungry lips. Bond has written in his memoir that it was his

first kiss and he remembers it even today. Besides temporary infatuation

with Doreen, Bond had few other sexual adventures in his school at

Simla. He writes: "Did we have sexual adventures? Of course we did. It

would have been unreasonable to expect a horde of eight to twelve year

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olds to take no interest in those parts of their anatomy which were

undergoing constant changes during puberty. But it did not go any further

than a little clandestine masturbation in the dormitories late at night".

(Bond, SFWL 26)

In Bond's works we find that teenagers have many affairs but they

are more physical in nature than emotional. Another strange thing we find

in the works of Bond is teenager's unconventionality in their approach to

sex. The teenagers of his works do not worry too much about Indian

taboos or morality_ Sometimes they even seem displaced in Indian

surroundings. We wonder whether we are reading about post independent

India or 21 st century England. Bond has portrayed sexual relations in all

forms - he has shown physical relations between a narrator of 3 0 and a

girl of 16 in 'Love is a Sad Song', intimate moments between an elderly

woman and a teenager in The Room on the Roof, Sexual phobia in Delhi

is not Far, even orgy in Delhi is not Far when Kamla makes love to Suraj

in presence of the narrator, multiple sexual relations in The Sensualist,

even lesbian relations between Shankhini and a prostitute in The

Sensualist, incest in Vagrants in the Valley and The Sensualist and calf

love in The Room on the Roof. Out of all these relations, we can only see

strong emotional attachment along with sexual urge in The Room on the

Roof where Rusty really loves Meena otherwise sex for Bond youth is

experiment and exploration. Bond writes in The Sensualist: "A youth of

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eighteen who suddenly finds himself a sexual warrior becomes quite

rampant, and pursues his prey indiscriminately. Too indiscriminately for

his own good". (916)

Woody Allen said, "Love is the answer. But while you are waiting

for the answer, sex brings up some pretty good questions". Bond is far

more advance Indian writer in his treatment of sex. His 'The Sensualist'

is treated at par with much controversial book by Khushwant Singh, In

Company of Women. Being a writer whose main attention is on the

adolescents, it is but natural for Bond to sound unconventional.

Friends or peer groups are inseparable from the lives of

adolescents. Janet Shucksmith narrates the significance of friendship

during adolescence:

Although relationships with parents determine in large

measure our longer-term preferences, attitudes and values,

during adolescence it is often relationships with friends that

cause most concern and which pre- occupy the thoughts of

young people as they grow up.

Friendships are based on a completely different set of

structural relationships to those with parents. They are more

symmetrical and involve sharing and exchange. Friendships

are important to young children but there is a change at the

beginning of adolescence -- a move to intimacy that includes

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the development of a more exclusive focus, a willingness to

talk about oneself and to share problems and advice. Friends

teIl one another just about everything that is going on in each

other's lives ... Friends literaIly reason together in order to

organize experience and to define themselves as persons.

<http://www.scre.ac>

In all the novels of Bond we find that the central character has

number of adolescent friends. When the support from the parents or

family seems to be failing, friends provide comforting warmth. The group

of friends share the problems of each other, advice each other and try to

work out the solutions of the problems. The sharing, co-operation, and

loyalty that Rusty receives from Somi and his friends in The Room on the

Roof do much for his self- esteem and development of values. This

powerful friendship shapes his character and prompts him to take an

interest in and assume responsibility for others. By crossing social, a

cultural and economic barrier, Rusty becomes a real 'man'.

Herbert G. Lingren, an Extension Family Scientist has written an

article on adolescents' relations with peers. According to him,

As children grow, develop, and move into early adolescence,

involvement with one's peers and the attraction of peer

identification increases. As pre-adolescents begin rapid

physical, emotional and social changes, they begin to

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question adult standards and the need for parental guidance.

They find it reassuring to tum for advice to friends who

understand and sympathize - friends who are in the same

position themselves. By "trying on" new values and testing

their ideas with their peers, there is with less fear of being

ridiculed or "shot down". <ianrpubs.unl.edu>

The peer group is a source of affection, sympathy and

understanding; a place for experimentation; and a supportive setting for

achieving the two primary developmental tasks of adolescence. These

are: (1) identity - finding the answer to the question "Who Am I?" and

(2) autonomy - discovering that self as separate and independent from

parents. It is no wonder, then, that adolescents like to spend time with

their peers.

The role played by peers in adolescence is very critical.

Relationships with peers during the adolescent years come closer to

serving as prototypes for adult relationships in social relationships, in

work and in interactions with members of the opposite sex. Teenagers

who do not learn how to get along with others by the time they reach

adulthood are likely to face obstacles in years ahead. The role of the peer

group in helping an individual to define his or her own identity becomes

very important during adolescence. At no other stage of development is

one's sense of identity so unstable. The adolescent must get ready to meet

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society's demands for social independence, for relationships with sexes,

marriage and adulthood. For these reasons, teens need the support and

guidance of their peers. Company of Somi, his 'Best favourite friend',

gives Rusty a feeling of safety and confidence. When Rusty rebels against

his guardian and leaves his home, Somi finds out a job of a teacher of

wild and disagreeable Kishen Kapoor. Somi knows Rusty's restlessness

and sometimes he comes out with the words of advice also. When Rusty

feels frustrated after everyone leaves Dehra, worried Somi writes unusual

prudent letter:

I know you feel like leaving India and running off to

England, but wait till you see me again, All right? You are

afraid to die without having done something, you are afraid

to die, Rusty, but you have hardly begun to live.

I know you are not happy in Dehra, and you must be

lonely. But wait a little, be patient, and the bad days will

pass. We don't know why we live. It is no use trying to

know. But we have to live, Rusty, because we really want to.

And as long as we want to, we have got to find something to

live for, and even die for it. (Bond, ROR 644)

In real life also Ruskin Bond had a friend with the same name. He had

also offered sound advises to Ruskin Bond . .:/.

In Vagrants in the Valley Rusty is again given comforting

companionship by Kishen, Devinder, Sudheer and Hathi. The role of

Somi is replaced by Devinder here. He encourages Rusty to find out a

suitable career. He knows enough of Oliver Goldsmith's life, of whose

book he reads that One can not live life on borrowed money. He

motivates Rusty for a career.

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Since Friends exert positive influence on the lives of adolescents,

they start seriously thinking about their careers. All adolescents pass

through these speculations some time or other. Many important career

decisions such as to continue the college education or abandon it,

selecting a source oflivelihood etc. are taken during adolescence. These

early decisions affect the rest of a person's life; therefore, it is important

to understand the individual and social factors that play into the process

of adolescent career development. When the youth approaches the end of

adolescence, he starts thinking about his own future suddenly. Almost all

of Ruskin 's adolescents know the importance of good financial career.

The protagonist of The Room on the Roof, Vagrants in the Valley and

Delhi is not Far wants to be a creative writer. He does not want to rot like

a mango at the end of season. He is encouraged and guided by friends

"I have quoted both the advices in the first chapter.

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like Somi and Devinder. He realizes that adolescent vagrancy can not and

should not last for ever. Even careless characters like Kishen and Sudheer

also want to settle down in life with a steady and honest career. Anxiety

to be successful career in the profession of choice becomes more

pronounced when an adolescent starts comparing himself with adult

people around who are either failures with their profession or they have

compromised with their dreams; however making compromise is not the

nature of adolescents therefore all the more eagerness and worry.

There are number of social or economic reasons why adolescents

start seriously considering the career. Adolescents who are orphans or

waifs pass through economic stress until they settle down to a good

career. Rusty, Kishen, Devinder, Sudheer, Suraj all these have not

enjoyed comfortable family lives. We find that career is not just a future

dream for Ruskin's adolescents, it is much more - a question of survival,

test of skills.

When adolescents start independent thinking and questioning, they

find lot of contradictions and hollowness in the theories of adults. An

adult world viewed by an adolescent is not impressive. In Ruskin Bond's

novels, we find an adolescent evaluating the adult world and realizing the

arrogance and failures of adults. Two male adults presented in The Room

on the Roof are looked at closely fonn an adolescent's perspective. The

novel holds up the mirror to the false values, abusiveness, rationalization,

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and selfishness of adults in their dealing with excruciating frankness.

Bond exposes the cruelty and hypocrisy ofMr. Harrison and self­

centeredness, indulgence, and neglect of Mr. Kapoor towards his son. Mr.

Harrison who substitutes Rusty's dead father has done a lot for him. He

has brought Rusty up in a perfect English way, as his father would have

wished. Mr. Harrison and other adults of the European society are

actually the products of colonization. Most of the Europeans had left

India after independence, but some people had stayed because money

could buy them comforts in India. However, their colonial hypocrisy and

false sense of colour superiority had made them close their eyes to the

reality. Mr. Harrison and others have taught Rusty that the Indian bazaar

is full of thieves and germs. Rusty is not only taught about colour­

superiority, and class- superiority, but caste- superiority as well. He is

told that, to play with the sweeper boy is not allowed in India because the

sweeper boy is low caste untouchable. When Rusty, however really visits

the bazaar, all the false conceptions are broken. He not only finds India

safe and comforting, but also warm and hospitable.

On one hand, Mr. Harrison is a snobbish, cruel, and strict man, the

other adult portrayed in the novel- Mr. Kapoor is a braggart, drunkard,

self-opinionated man. There is nearly a difference of20 years between

him and Meena. He remains intoxicated all the time. His favourite

sentence is" I am Genius." In spite ofMr. Kapoor's habit of drinking and

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his carelessness towards the family, Meena remains devoted to him.

When, after the death of Me en a, Mr. Kapoor marries again, Rusty is

overcome by a sense of anger: "It was not unusual for a man to marry

again after his wife's death, and he knew that, but his heart was breaking

with fierce anger. He was revolted by the rapidity of it all; hardly a month

had passed and here was Kapoor, with his second wife. Rusty

remembered that it was for this man - Kapoor - this weakling, this

drunkard, this self opinionated, selfish drunkard that Meena had given her

life". (Bond, ROR 652)

Mr.Kapoor's dialogue with Rusty in the presence of 'New Mrs. Kapoor'

reveals the snobbishness of Kapoor:

How did Meena die? Asked Rusty, determined to hurt

Kapoor- If Kapoor could be hurt ...

'I thought you knew. We had an accident. Let us not talk

about it, Mister Rusty'

'The driver was driving, of course?'

Kapoor did not answer immediately but raised his glass and

slipped from it.

'Of Course' he said.

'How did it all happen?'

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'Please, Mister Rusty, I do not want to describe it. We were

going too fast, and the car left the road and hit a tree. I can't

describe it, Mister Rusty.'

'No, Of course not', said Rusty. 'Any way, I am glad

nothing happened to you. It is also good that you have

mastered your natural grief and started a new life. I am

afraid; I'm not as strong as you. Meena was wonderful and I

still can't believe that she is dead.'

'We have to carry on.' (Bond, ROR 652-53)

Mr. Kapoor has never been a good husband. He has never been a good

and responsible father also. He has taught nothing to Kishen, except 'The

virtues of a chewing gum'. He has left alone Kishen to become a thief.

Thus the adults in the novel are not favourably presented.

Even in The Vagrants in the Valley adults like Mrs. Bhushan or

Ramsingh are ridiculed. Mrs. Bhushan is portrayed thus, "Mrs. Bhushan

was an imposing woman of some thirty-five years and she walked with

heavy determination that kept people, and even bulls out of her way. Her

dogs, her husband, and her servants were all afraid of her and submitted

to her dictates without a murmur. A masculine woman, she bullied men,

and children, and lavished most of her affection on dogs. Her cocker

spaniels slept on her bed, and her husband slept in the drawing room."

(Bond, VIV 695)

187

The conversation between Sudheer and Ramsingh is very

humorous. Ramsingh, a man of seventy, who might have been as devilish

in his youth as Sudheer himself, asks Sudheer about the ideal bride for

him:

Tell me of a suitable woman. She should be young, of

course. Her nose- what kind of nose should she have?

'A flat nose,' said Sudheer, without ghost of a smile. 'The

nostrils should not be turned up'

'Ah! And the shape of her body?'

'Not too manly. She must not be crooked. Do you expect

too much, old man?

'Her head? Asked the old man eagerly. 'What should her

head be like?'

Sudheer gave this a moment's consideration. 'The head

should not be bald,' he said. Ramsingh nodded his approval;

his opinion of Sudheer was going up by leaps and bounds ..

'And her colour, should it be white?'

'No, not very white.'

'Black?' 'Not too black. But she would have to be evil­

smelling; otherwise she would not stay with you. (Bond,

VIV 728)

188

Ruskin Bond has also shown volatile nature of adolescents who in

spite of their depression have the capacity to be cheerful any time. They

may seem lonely but in general remain optimists. They introspect a lot,

but are more social than adults. They carry a sense of nostalgia with them

but also look to the future. Perhaps that is what it takes to be an

adolescent!