Characterizations

Main characters of Olivia’s story:

 

Olivia Rivers:

Olivia is the main character of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s novel and therefore appears most often and is described most exactly. Nevertheless, there is always something mystifying and inaccessible about her. In appearance, she seems to be quite small, delicate and feminine because the narrator uses adjectives like “slim” and ”slender” while describing her. Most of her time, she spends in her house playing the piano, reading or dressing, which makes the reader guess that she is a rather conventional middle-class wife from an age long past. From Olivia’s behaviour and reactions we can conclude that has a negative attitude towards the Anglo-Indian society in Satipur. To her mind, the officer’s nobleness and arrogance makes them boring, barring Douglas who is ‘noble and fair’ (p.20,l.25). Olivia, being keen on exploring the exciting world outside, cannot understand how people who live in India for years can be so dreadfully uninteresting. Although she is so fascinated by this country, she usually sits at home waiting for something to happy due to her dependence on others. Consequently, she enjoys passing the time with the Nawab because in this way she can escape from her monotonous and boring life into an adventure-filled and entertaining world. This is the reason why she is happy about every minute she can spend at the Palace and why she becomes irritated when Douglas makes reservations towards the Nawab. Over the course of the story, Olivia becomes so attracted by the Nawab’s masculinity and charm that she turns away from her husband. In her admiration for the Indian prince, she behaves rather naïve and dominated by her instincts. She refuses to believe the warnings with regard to the Nawab she often hears from the British community, including Douglas. In her opinion, it would be virtually impossible that a prince cooperates with criminals. She even dismisses the warnings of her good friend Harry, wanting to save her from the Nawab’s   wangle.  

Within the women society at Satipur, Olivia remains as a kind of outsider. Realising that he has nothing in common with the older British women Mrs. Crawford and Mrs. Minnies, she refuses to accompany to Simla for the summer. In general, she remains an outsider in India, because she neither learns the Indian language, nor makes friends with any Indian woman. Her only real reference person is the Englishmen Harry living at the Palace, who feels as impressed by the Nawab as she does.

Towards the end of the novel, Olivia’s motives become more and more obscure (f.ex. her motive leading to the abortion). Eventually, Olivia runs away from the conflict she has caused, hiding herself in a mountainside house in a remote town, and living isolated the rest of her life. Her motives become more and more obscure

 

Attitude narrator towards Olivia:

I think, the narrator is kind of fascinated by Olivia although she mentions that there seems to be nothing special about her (p.147, l.12). The narrator appears intrigued by Olivia’s hidden strength and the way she changed by her experiences in India. At the outset, Olivia is described as “sensitive and intelligent” (p.30, ll.12-13) and “frail” (f.ex. p.24, l.19), but later she is even referred to as “tough” (p.121, l.6), surviving the heat and dust in the summer, passing through an abortion and spending her last years with no contact with the outside world.

Attitude Marcia towards Olivia:

Olivia’s sister Marcia refers to her as a “passionate” person acting impulsive not reasonable (p.164, ll.5-6).

Attitude Dr. Saunders towards Olivia’s elopement:

One time, Dr. Saunders mentions that he had always known that Olivia was in a certain way rotten and week. Furthermore, he thinks that the Nawab took advantage of this weakness (p.155, ll.27-29).

Attitude Mr. Minnies towards Olivia’s elopement:

Mr. Minnies explains Olivia’s shocking behaviour with India’s effects on people. He believes that every person, including Olivia, has a “weak spot” which can even destroy “the most sensitive, often the finest people” when they stay in India.

 

Douglas Rivers:

Douglas, Olivia’s husband, seems to be in many respects the complete opposite of his wife.  He feels very much part of the colonial community in India and never questions his status. He attends for duty very conscientious, leaving the house at sunrise and often returning late in the evening. All in all, he is a very virtuous character: he always sits very straight in contrast to the Indian or Harry: “As always, he was sitting very straight; his nose was straight, so was his forehead, his evening jacket fitted impeccably” (p.20, ll.23ff.) Olivia describes this characteristic as “noble and fair” (p.20, l.25).

 Although Douglas can be tender and understanding towards his wife, he usually keeps his feelings to himself (p.156, l.2). His estimation that duty is more important than feeling is shown very well in the section, where he rejects the Nawab’s invitation to dinner due to the fact that his superiors have not been invited (p.24). So to speak, he neglects Olivia’s desires because of his huge sense of duty. But indeed, Douglas can feel strong emotions; he is just incapable of expressing them: “Douglas loved her more than ever at this time, if that were possible. Inarticulate be nature, sometimes he reached such a pitch of high emotion that he felt he had to express it: but his feelings were always too strong for him and made him stutter.” (p.83, ll.20-23). Maybe owing to his belief in loyality, Douglas cannot detect the real reason behind Olivia’s increasing irritability. He always blames everything on the weather: “You should have gone to Simla. The heat’s getting you down.” (p.102,  l.29).

Moreover, Douglas appears, as opposed to his wife, unimpressed of the exotic country which might have to do with his unquestioning dedication role within the British administration. He believes that he serves the country by administrating districts without considering the consequences of taking away the power from the Indians.

Obviously, he neither likes nor trusts the Nawab, being convinced that he is a gangster boss. Consequently, he sometimes treats him quite coldly (pp.75f.).

We can conclude that Olivia felt attracted by the support and security he radiates due to his dutiful life. She, having no real principles, might have seen Douglas as a representative of what is right and noble. But eventually their different opinions lead to a certain estrangement between the couple which later causes Olivia’s elopement.

 

The Nawab:

In the story, the Nawab is depicted as tall, graceful and masculine. Harry, admiring the Nawab in some way, describes him as strong and irresistible. In many passages, Harry and Olivia, being both impressed with the Nawab, stress the Nawab’s positive qualities. Here some examples:

·  “he is a fascinating man… And terrifically handsome” (p.137, ll.31-32)

·  “well-endowed by nature with looks, brains, personality, everything” (p.89, l.27)

·  “he is a strong, forceful character” ( p.137, l.8 )

·  “He’s a very strong person. Very manly and strong. When he wants something, nothing must stand in  his way. Never; ever” (p.37, ll.15-17)

·  “irresistible force of nature” (p.148, ll.32-33)

But Douglas and the other British in India do not share these feelings towards the Indian prince.

When Olivia meets the Nawab for the first time, she feels on the one hand flattered because he shows that he feels attracted by her beauty, but on the other hand she is impressed by his alertness and his managerial skills. Therefore she is in denial concerning the negative facets of his character. Major Minnies, by contrast, in my opinion gets to the point with regard to the Nawab’s weakness of character: “In some way he is a fine man. He has some fine qualities-and if only these were combined with a little self-restraint, self-discipline… But somehow I admire him” (p.137, ll.1-5).

Moreover, the Nawab is almost always bored and frustrated in virtue of the lack of power. He has nothing to do in the palace, no real political power and also not enough power to meet his demands. That he dreams of action and adventure, we can conclude from his frequent anecdotes dealing with his eminent ancestor Amanullah Khan. His state is small and also destitute and he hates the British for showing him constantly his irrelevance in his state.

Additionally, I think the Nawab can also be called unscrupulous because he acts without any scruples whenever it serves his purposes. An example:  Although he is an Indian prince, he deals with the dacoits and even denies brazenly his involvement in front of Olivia; he appears “two-faced”. I guess that he exploits Olivia’s naivety shows that he has a lack of principle.

Then again, the Nawab often behaves like a child. His mood can change abruptly and sometimes he loses suddenly interest in things he was keen on just minutes before (cf. Olivia’s piano playing, p.85, ll.18-23). Another evidence for his immaturity is the great influence his mother has still over him (p.38, l.31 – p.39, l.1).

Another of his qualities is that he is passionate and impulsive. When he likes a person, he can be absolutely generous; but when he thinks he/she behaves not respectfully enough towards him, he feels easily offended.

His certainty that he is the father of Olivia’s baby depicts very well how much he is a very self-opinionated person.

 In the course of the story, the reader recognises that the Nawab has a lot of problems. His state Khatm is bankrupt, he and his wife live separated, his parents-in-law trouble him and the British authorities show little sympathy for his situation and do not trust him.

Later in life, he loses all his power and receives less income, whereupon he becomes fat and womanly. Eventually, he dies in his mother’s arms.

 

 

Harry:

Harry excludes himself of the Anglo-Indian community. When Olivia meets the as “plumb and unattractive” describes Harry for the first time at the Nawab’s dinner party, he wins her sympathy by his dislike with regard to the British visitors. The abhorrence Harry conceives for the British society seem to have to do with bad experiences in the past: “I hate them. They’re the sort of people who’ve made life hell for me ever since I can remember. At school and everywhere” (p.148, ll.16f.). This hatred unites him with the Nawab , just as his affection for the prince create a special bond between him and Olivia. He is her only confidant whom she can reveal her worries and ask for information or advice.

Being trapped between opposing forces, Harry is depicted as an unhappy person: on the one hand there is the bond with the Nawab, but on the other hand he has a sick mother after which he has to look.

Furthermore, Harry shows himself as rather weak-willed. At first, he allows Beth Crawford to arrange his travel back to England, but abandons the plans at once when the Nawab is present. In addition, he lets the Nawab treat him like a little child, answering for him and telling him to get dressed and to comb his hair (p.76, ll.17-27).

Harry also plays in important role in pushing forward the plot and the love story between the Nawab and Olivia. Harry often praises the Nawab in front of Olivia; due to this, her feelings towards the prince might have strengthened. By warning Olivia about the Nawab’s intend to defraud with regard to her baby, he confronts her with the truth, thereby moving the story forward.  

As the plot progresses, Harry falls ill and has to return to England to recover his poor health.

 

 

 

 The other characters in brief:

 

 Mr. Crawford:

• is the British chief administrator (the Collector)
• seems to be a dedicated and coscientious civil servant
• his comments are limited on non-committal statements

 

Major Minnies:

• is a member of the Anglo-Indian society
• among the Britsih, he has the profoundest relationship to India, its people and culture
• is fascinated by India
• knews Urdu poetry ( p.138 )
• expresses sympathy and understanding for the Nawab
• defends Olivia’s views
• his ideas concerning India’s influence on people he wrote down in a monograph

 

Beth Crawford and Mary Minnies:

• represent the typical wives of British officers
• neither ask questions nor look behind the bound of the world of the Anglo-Indian society
• never attemp to get to know the Indian culture etc.
• as their husbands, they feel a sense of duty
• Beth Crawford knows what is exoected of her as the wife of the Collector, and she does everything in her power to fulfil these expectations

 

Dr. and Mrs. Saunders:

• express open dedain for India (p.31, ll.29ff.; p.60, ll.3-9)
• Mrs. Saunders feels threatened and observed by her servants, wants to return to England
• Dr. Saunders calls Indian culture “plain savagery and barbarism” (p.60, l.4)
• they lost their child

 

 

 

 

 

Main characters of the narrator’s story:

The narrator:

The narrator is the most inexplicable character in the novel, I think.  Instead of giving some information about her character etc., she prefers reflecting on her experiences in India in her diary. Unfortunately, she not even mentions her name.

The only information we get about her outward appearance is that she must be in her late 20s (p.52, ll.3f.), and that she is “tall and flat-chested” (p.15, l.2f.). She seems to be the opposite of the typical Indian woman, which may be the reason why Inder Lal is initially embarrassed to be seen with her in public. The reader also does not really get to know much of her motivation for travelling to India in order to learn about the scandal around her grandfather’s first wife Olivia.

During her stay in India, she tries to integrate herself as much as she can e.g. by learning the Indian language, eating Indian food and wearing Indian clothes. Nevertheless, she retains her “Western behaviour”. Her typical behaviour becomes obvious in the incident with the old beggar woman. When she realises that the beggar woman is just dying, she goes to the hospital in quest for help. Although she is willing to help the woman, she accepts the medical superintendent’s explanation that under the circumstances nothing can be done to help such people. But when Maji shows her a completely different attitude to death and dying, she is also open to this new experience and shows sympathy and interest.

By writing very seldom anything about her motives or desires, the narrator permits the reader no real insight in her feelings and thoughts. This is why the reader cannot really comprehend her odd behaviour e.g. why she offers her body Chid, a man she neither loves nor finds attractive.

Although being not as much impulsive as Olivia, the narrator decides to keep her “Indian” baby. This radical decision shows that she starts to accept her new life in India and the changes this life will bring with it.

 

Inder Lal:

Inder Lal somehow represents the ‘new’ India after its independence. He is in the mid-twenties, speaks English, works for the local government, is married and has three children. Although he seems financially good situated, he is unhappy and frustrated. In front of the narrator he speaks open about his troubles like for example the jealousies at the office. He also seems to suffer from the burden of looking after his family; when the narrator wants to praise him (“It means […] he was a very good husband and father. Like you”, p.131, ll.9f.), Inder Lal simply replies, “What can I do?”

He seems to feel caught between his weak-minded, mentally ill wife on the one hand and his dominant mother on the other hand. In his relationship with the narrator he appears passive and uncertain so that she has to take the initiative.

In addition, he is, like the Nawab, quite easily offended. When he gets to know that the narrator is sick of Western materialism and is therefore enthusiastic about Indian culture, he is annoyed because he thinks this is supercilious.After coming to know him better, the narrator realises that Inder Lal is not just “meek and bowed”, but “that really inside himself he is alive and yearning for all sorts of things beyond his reach” (p.52, ll.8ff.)

His frustration and longing might represent the general disappointment in India that even India’s political independence has not eliminated all of its troubles.

 

 

 

 

 Other characters in brief:

 

Chid:

• originally a companion of a young British couple
• motivated to come to India by a interest in Hindu teachings
• has the same problems as other Western people in India (illnesses etc.)
• attemps to life the life of a sadhu
• has a ‘sexless’ body
• exploits the Nawab in order to content his sexual needs
• represents the young generation searching for spirituality in India in the 1960s and 70s and ultimately fail to find what they are looking for

 

Maji: 

• described as a mythological figure
• corpulent, a “very earthy-looking peasant woman” (p.81, ll.6f.)
• smiles and laughes a lot
• an Indian holy woman
• skilled in various mystical and physical practices
• is a forner midwife
• shows that nobody is ‘dispensable’ -> motherly, selfless
• impresses the narrator with her spiritual charisma