The Shadow Bride: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Shadow Bride: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intricate relationships and conflicts among a cast of characters in a narrative set in British Guiana. At the center is Betta Singh, a young East Indian medical doctor returning home with aspirations to aid the impoverished, yet grappling with skepticism and a desire for deeper meaning in the face of prevalent suffering. His mother, Mrs. Singh, embodies a complex duality—exerting control over her family while longing for dominance by a strong man. Betta's wife, Meena, represents devotion and innocence, caught in the rift between her husband's ambitions and his mother's disapproval.
Supporting characters include Aji, a longstanding family retainer who challenges Mrs. Singh's authority, and Mulvi Sahib, a Muslim tutor who provides guidance to Betta but is ultimately overshadowed by the Pujaree, a Hindu teacher who becomes Mrs. Singh's lover, complicating family dynamics further. The narrative also introduces Rani and Lahti, two adopted orphans with ties to the Singh family, whose fates are intertwined with the darker aspects of the household. Through these characters, the story delves into themes of power, identity, love, and the consequences of past actions. Overall, "The Shadow Bride" presents a rich tapestry of human experience, reflecting on cultural and personal struggles within a colonial context.
The Shadow Bride: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Roy A. K. Heath
First published: 1988
Genre: Novel
Locale: British Guiana
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: The 1930's
Betta Singh, a young medical doctor of East Indian descent. He has studied in England and come home to his native British Guiana with the intention of helping the many impoverished people there who suffer from tropical diseases and malnutrition. His scientific training has left him skeptical about religion, yet he yearns to find some higher meaning in life that would explain the misery he sees all around him. His idealism brings him into conflict with the selfish, materialistic people who dominate the economy.
Mrs. Singh, Betta's wealthy widowed mother. She evinces a strange combination of strength and weakness. She tries to dominate her son and everyone else in her household yet yearns to have a strong man dominate her completely. The author refers to her as “the shadow bride” because she seems to have left her soul in India when she went to British Guiana as a young bride.
Meena Singh, the beautiful, sensual woman whom Betta marries when she is sixteen. She becomes devoted to her husband and shares in all of his misfortunes and occasional triumphs. She is the innocent cause of a serious rift between Betta and his mother, because the older woman does not approve of her son's undistinguished marriage.
Aji, an ancient female family retainer who tyrannizes the Singh household until she becomes so feeble that she has to be cared for like an infant. She is the only person in the household who dares to stand up to Mrs. Singh, who mildly accepts Aji's verbal abuse. Aji can behave as she does because she alone knows Mrs. Singh's terrible secret: that she murdered her own husband.
Mulvi Sahib, a Muslim religious teacher who was brought to live in the Singh family home when Betta was a child to give the boy private tutoring. He remains Betta's friend and counselor, a sort of father substitute, until his death. Mulvi Sahib also exercises a strong influence over Betta's mother but ultimately is replaced in her esteem by the Pujaree.
The Pujaree, a Hindu religious teacher who assumes such powerful influence over Betta's mother that he eventually becomes her lover and finally her husband. In spite of his sincere belief in nonattachment and self-effacement, the Pujaree cannot help coveting power and material possessions. After replacing Mulvi Sahib and Betta in Mrs. Singh's affections, the Pujaree manages to drive away all of her household retainers so she is totally dependent on him.
Rani, an orphan adopted by Mrs. Singh as a little girl. She is in love with Betta and is heartbroken when she is given away to another man and Betta marries Meena. She eventually becomes Meena's best friend and confidante.
Lahti, another orphan adopted by Mrs. Singh as a child. It is revealed late in the story that Lahti actually is an illegitimate daughter of Mrs. Singh's deceased husband. Although Mrs. Singh supports the girl, she cannot help hating her as a reminder of her husband's infidelity. Lahti develops a self-hatred as a result of Mrs. Singh's attitude. Because of her self-hatred, Lahti allows herself to be physically and sexually abused by Sukrum.
Sukrum, a vicious, scheming opportunist who insinuates his way into Mrs. Singh's household. He eventually becomes Lahti's lover and then her husband. Temporarily fallen out of Mrs. Singh's good graces, Sukrum and Lahti becomes vagrants living from hand to mouth. Lahti dies from the privations of their homeless existence. Later, Sukrum worms his way back into Mrs. Singh's household and becomes her sole retainer and her virtual jailer.