Clear Light of Day: Analysis of Major Characters
"Clear Light of Day" by Anita Desai explores the complex dynamics of the Das family through its major characters, each representing different facets of Indian society and the passage of time. Bim Das, the eldest daughter, embodies the traditional values of old India. Now over forty and living in a dilapidated family home, she is a history teacher who reflects a sense of peace and self-acceptance, yet struggles to integrate her past with her current reality. In contrast, her sister Tara, a sophisticated diplomat's wife, symbolizes the new India post-independence, grappling with the tension between her polished exterior and the nostalgia for simpler times.
Baba, the siblings' retarded brother, remains in a childlike state, illustrating the family's deep connection to their shared history, while Bakul, Tara's husband, represents modernity and the desire to move beyond the family's fixation on the past. The character of Raja, the eldest son, adds another layer to this exploration, initially appearing as a romantic figure tied to the ideals of independence but ultimately succumbing to materialism and arrogance. Through these characters, Desai delves into themes of memory, identity, and the impact of societal changes on familial relationships, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of cultural evolution in India.
Clear Light of Day: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Anita Desai
First published: 1980
Genre: Novel
Locale: the suburbs of Old Delhi
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: Summer, 1947, and fifteen years before and after
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, unselfish, unhurried, and sure of life. In some ways, though, she has not come to grips with the present and melded it with the past, and therein lies her flaw.
Tara, Bim's sister, an Indian diplomat's wife. Altogether the opposite of her older sister, Tara is attractive, sophisticated, and worldly, having accompanied her husband to various overseas posts. To an extent, her poise is merely an exterior quality, in spite of her seemingly successful marriage, her two teenage daughters, and her role as hostess and wife in diplomatic circles. Representing the new India that was created after independence in 1947, Tara finds herself torn between the past and the present, especially when she visits Bim at the family home and dredges up memories of another time, when life seemed surer and more settled.
Baba Das, Bim and Tara's retarded brother. Although he is in his thirties, Baba is like a child, innocent and unaffected by events around him. He is fat, lethargic, and dependent on Bim, who caters to his every wish. For most of the day, he plays English-language records from the late 1940's. Like his sisters, he is caught in the web of the past, even in his mindless state.
Bakul, Tara's husband and a diplomat in the Indian foreign service. Handsome, successful, and aggressive, Bakul considers the family's obsession with the past foolish and tedious. He has left the old India behind and entered the larger world, even though he gives lip service to the idea of Mother India as home.
Raja Das, the eldest son of the Das family. During the flashbacks to the gaining of independence in 1947 and the partition riots, Raja appears as a kind of romantic hero. He reads and writes poetry, dreams of heroics, and possesses the total devotion of his sister Bim, who nurses him to health during a long illness. Coming from a traditional Hindu family, he breaks tradition by marrying a Muslim woman, then leaves Delhi for Hyderabad, where he becomes a rich businessman. Although he does not appear in later sections of the novel, he is described by Bim as having become excessively fat, arrogant, and pretentious.
Mira-masi, the aunt of the Das children. A traditional Indian woman, she served as their nurse during childhood.