Character Sketch

Bim Das, a history teacher. The unmarried, eldest Das daughter, now over forty, still lives in the decaying family home situated on the outskirts of Old Delhi. Slightly heavy and turning gray, Bim is not particularly attractive and makes little effort to be so. Her energy and capability, along with her keen understanding, compensate for whatever she lacks physically. Shown through flashbacks in her younger years, Bim has always been at peace with herself and managed to convey that quality to others. She represents the old India: spiritual, peaceful,...

Look at the following character's in the novel and provide a character sketch for one of the following character. The above is an example of what I am looking for. Tara, Misra, Baba, Bakul, Raja, Hyder Ali. Due Tuesday.

Setting

The novel goes back and forth in time but takes place only in Old Delhi, going from
the late 1940s to approximately the 1970s. The entire novel takes place in the family
home. Although the characters leave the house for small amounts of time, the bulk of
the story takes place in the house. The house grows older with time, and its inhabitants either pass or move away; Bim and Baba are the only two who remain throughout the entire novel. The four parts of the story move back and forth in time from the sibling's childhood to adulthood in each of the four parts, although even these center around the family home, as well.

Posted by Mrs. N. Buffonge

The Well

The well is located in the family's garden and serves as a symbol for darkness and
death for the children from childhood through adulthood. When the siblings were
children, their family purchased a cow that was a source of great pride and attention
for all of them.

One day, however, as the nights grew warmer and it was no longer
necessary to keep the cow tied up in the shed overnight, she was let loose in the
garden and, during the night, fell into the well and drowned. She left her young calf
behind and it died soon after. It proved impossible to pull the body of the cow out of the well and so there it remained, forever. The fact that the cow's body remained in the well, decaying, was something that terrified the children. The entire ordeal proved traumatic to them, and the well became a source of fear for the children. They never dared go near the well, and dared each other to throw things into it. The fear they felt toward the well stayed with them even into adulthood. They never dared go near it,and, even as adults, the reluctance remained.



When they were children, the well was regarded as a dark and scary place, a place that symbolized death and other unpleasant, horrible things. The extent to which it stayed in their memories became evident when Aunt Mira passed away. Bim, who had nursed her from the start of her sickness, was deeply affected by the death of her aunt. After she passed away, Bim had recurring dreams and visions of her aunts, and many of those dreams centered around the well. One vision she had in a dream was of Aunt Mira's mangled face floating in the black water of the well. This only goes to show how deeply the association of death and the well had been ingrained in Bim from her childhood experience.

Posted by Mrs. N. Buffonge

Question on Aunt Mira.

Aunt Mira plays a crucial role in the children's upbringing. Yet as the children grow older, all but Bim leave her and don't return until her death. Describe the importance of Aunt Mira's presence as the children were growing up. What did she provide for them? What did they, in turn, provide for her? How did this contribute to her downfall?

What are your thoughts on this questions.

posted by Mrs. N. Buffonge.

Point of View of Clear Light of Day

Style
Point of View

The story is told entirely in third person, by an omniscient narrator. Each, section,
however, concentrates on a specific character and takes place in a different time
period. Part 1 concentrates primarily on Tara and her arrival at the house. Her
observations of the sameness of the house and its inhabitants provide the reader with
his/her initial descriptions and characterizations of the characters. Part 2 goes back in
time to when the children were growing up, and centers primarily on Bim. The reader
is given a completely different outlook on the characters and rationalizations for their
behavior in the first section as adults. Part 3 also takes place during the children's
childhood and focuses mainly on the two sisters and their differing experiences in
school, as well as their relationship and differing personalities. The reader learns a
great deal about them through interactions as children that relate directly to their
relationship as adults.

Part 4 goes back in time again to Tara's visit to the house as an adult, and concludes
the novel with a truce between the sisters. By telling the story in four parts and
centering each of the parts on a different character, Desai is able to create complete
characterizations of each of the main characters and provide her readers with a
thorough understanding of each of them. By alternating the focus of each of the parts
on the thoughts and feelings of the two main characters, Desai is able to fully
characterize each of them. The readers are able to understand and sympathize with
both characters as they view the world through their eyes, rather than just one or the
other.

Posted by Mrs. Buffonge.

Clear Light of Day #2 " March 18th, 09"

Discuss the representation of freedom and entrapment in Clear Light of Day ?

Clear Light of Day " March 18th, 09"

"It is the narrative voice that is largely responsible for providing the moral perspective in works of prose fiction." To what extent is this statment true.

Language and Meaning

Anita Desai uses language to her advantage, providing her readers with a great deal of
imagery, extremely colorful language, and recurring themes to emphasize the
development of her characters. Her vivid descriptions provide her readers with a clear
picture of her native country of India, where the story takes place, and also clearly
portrays the setting and, most importantly, her characters. Desai uses a variety of
literary devices, including metaphors, recurring themes and imagery in her colorful
descriptions that add a great deal to the story by painting a clear picture in the minds
of her readers of her characters, their personalities and childhood experiences, as well
as the setting that, although it appears the same on the surface, shows signs of small
but significant change upon closer inspection.

Clear Light of Day

The political situation in the country, while the children are growing up is corrupted and unstable. However, the children seem to be sheltered from it in the city. How does the political situation influence the story? How does it create a tension in the family? Would the story be different if there was a peaceful backdrop?

Latoya Letlow, Janyessa Humphrey, Grace- ann James and Sharia Greene.

Clear light of day

Question

In Anita Desai Clear light of day do you belive that Raja's poems had some sort of significance? If so what is the significance?

Shemez

clear light of day

Question
It takes Tara many years before she finally relinquishes her guilt to Bim amd apologizes for her behaviour. It also takes Bim a great deal of time to forgive Raja for his letter and accept him. Was the time laspe necessary? How would the story and and the characters lives been different if they had been able to forgive and forget sooner? Do you think this would have been possible?

Shemez Roland and Marisia

The Character of Baba

Question "# 3

Baba's character seems to stay the same throughout the story.
He is silent and never speaks, yet plays an important role in
the lives of the other characters and in the development
of the novel. Describe this role and what it brings to the novel.

Question # 2

Aunt Misra plays a crucial role in the children's upbringing. Yet, as the children grow older, all but Bim leave her and don't return until her death. Describe the importance of Aunt Misra's presence as the children were growing up. What did she provide for them? What did they, in turn, provide for her? How did this contribute to her downfall?

Welcome to Year 2 Literature Clear Light of Day

Discussion Question # 1 Submitted by Mrs. N. Buffonge.

In the family of Tara, Baba, and Bimla, One can see that there is a lot of resentment with each other. We see some of the causes and strains that exist between Bimla and Tara, but what is the underlining factor why Bimla and Raja are not close anymore?