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Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai

Clear Light of Day (Novel)
Clear Light of Day is one of Anita Desai’s most outstanding novels and may be regarded as one of the masterpiece in the field of Indo-Anglican fiction. The novel indicates the realistic pictures of family life. Ani ta Desai was born in 1937 of a German mother and a Bengali father. Clear Light of Day tells the story of a Hindu family living in a rented house in old Delhi. The house belongs to a rich Muslim landlord, whose name is Hyder Ali , Mr. and Mrs. Das live in this house with their four children --- Raja, Bim, Tara and Baba. Raja, Bim, Tara and Baba in this novel are the victims of an unpleasant, meaningless, hopeless, melancholy atmosphere of childhood. They spend their childhood in a home, which smells of disease and decay. The parents are busy with their own affairs, and do not make an effort themselves about the needs of their children. The kind of unhappy situation creates fear, insecurity, distrust and anxiety as the children grow up. Mr. Das sent his son Raja in Hindu College to study. Raja is fond of Urdu poetry, which is encouraged by Hyder Ali who has allowed a free access to Raja to his large collection of Urdu books. 

Some critics say that Anita Desai in this novel gives a new dimension to the problem of the collapse of human ties by bringing into focus the part played by time. After the death of Mr. and Mrs. Das, Raja and Tara follow the bent of their minds and go to their separate destinations, so that Bim is left alone in the old house to look after the mentally disabled Baba. It is during Raja’s illness that Hyder Ali leaves Delhi secretly with his family and goes to Hyderabad where his mother owns a house. However, Raja soon receives a letter from Hyder Ali himself, informing him that he and his family are safe and well settled in Hyderabad. After recovering from his illness, Raja decides to go to Hyderabad at the invitation of Hyder Ali who has written to him to join him there, and who has also promised to get him suitable employment in that city.

Raja leaves for Hyderabad so that Bim is left all alone in the old house to look after the mentally disabled Baba. Bim’s younger sister Tara had got married to a young man in the Indian Foreign Service, and had already left for Sri Lanka where her husband Bakul got his first posting. In course of time Raja gets married to Benazir inherit all his property including the old house in Old Delhi in which the Das family (including Raja himself) had been tenants, and in which Bim and Baba still live as tenants. At this point Raja writes a letter to Bim from Hyderabad, informing her that Benazir and he have decided not to raise the rent of their house in Old Delhi but to allow Bim and Baba to continue living in that house as tenants on the same rent which Das family had originally been paying to Hyder Ali.

This letter has almost a devastating effect on Bim. Actually Raja has begun to regard himself as a big landlord, and has now written a patronizing letter to her. Bim had once been very close to Raja, had shared his interest in English poetry, and had been his playmate as well. But now she feels completely separated from him on account of the shameful letter, which he has written to her. Bim is now a lecturer in history in a women’s college in Old Delhi. Raja is now the father of five daughters and a son. Tara and Bakul have now two grown-up daughters. Bim, who had rejected the proposal of marriage from a physician by the name of Biswas, remains unmarried and is, in fact, a confirmed bachelor. Baba is totally disabled. He spends most of his time playing a gramophone and listening to some old English records. He is unable to express his own thoughts and feelings.

Tara and Bakul arrive in India from the USA. They stay with Bim and Baba. They also decide to go to Hyderabad to attend the wedding of Raja’s eldest daughter, Moyna, to which they have been invited. Bim and Baba are also invited. Bim has decided not to go to Hyderabad to attend the wedding because she is still annoyed at the behavior of Raja. She cannot forget her past grievance. In fact, Bim now shows that offensive letter to Tara to justify her bitterness against Raja. Tara tries to console Bim but Bim remains unchanged in her attitude towards Raja. Bim alone has to look after Baba, that she alone has to attend to the insurance business which her late father left.


Memories of the past crowd in upon her mind; and she recalls all the love she had felt for Raja, for Tara, for aunt Mira, and for everybody else who had at any time lived in this house. Gradually Bim is consoled by Tara and Bakul. Bim’s bitter mind towards Raja becomes soft.  She decides to forgive Raja. She has forgiven Raja even though he had written to her an unforgivable letter. She sees as well as by the clear light of the day that she feels only love and desire for them all. Tara has got ready to leave for Hyderabad with her husband and with her two daughters who have come from Washington. 
Bim gives Tara a message for Raja. Tara is to tell Raja because they are not used to travelling. Tara is to tell Raja further that Bim wants him to come to Delhi to meet her and Baba, and also to settle certain business matters with Mr. Sharma (The junior partner in the insurance business which Mr. Das had left behind him.) Yet Bim would also like Raja to attend to Hyder Ali’s house and to carry out certain repairs in it. The final message is as follows,’ Tell him, I am waiting for him. I want him to come. I want to see him. This is a message of reconciliation and love. This message would bring tears into the eyes of all sentimental readers, and into the eyes of all brothers and sisters who have any brotherly and sisterly feelings in their hearts. The novel ends with a function, which is held at the house of the Misra family who has long been neighbors of the Das family. At this function and aged singer sings Bim’s mind the following line from T.S. Eliot “Time the destroyer is time the preserver”. Bim feels deeply moved by this song, which softens her still more towards her brothers and sister.   

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