The Characterisation in the Story Deliverance

The Characterisation in the Story Deliverance

The Characterisation in the Story Deliverance

The Characterisation in the Story Deliverance

Dukhi, Chikhuri, the Pandit Gashiram are some characters in the short story entitled ‘Deliverance’ by Premchand. Dukhi is the main character whereas Chikhuri is a minor character. Both belong to the poorer classes of society. But there is a difference between the two. Dukhi is naive, subservient, cowardly and bears a mentality of being enslaved. On the other hand, Chikhuri is something advanced and progressive-minded and critical to the power and position of the Brahmans. 

Dukhi holds very high regard for the Brahmans. We see that he is very careful and anxious to receive the visit of the Pandit Ghasiram to their house.  He is poor but he tries his best to please the pandit. Hence he suggests his wife wash their cot and set it out in the hot weather to get dry by the time the Pandit comes. Along with this, he advises his wife to go to the village merchant to bring all the things they need to receive the Pandit whom they are going to invite to their house in order to fix an auspicious date for his daughter’s betrothal. 

After this Dukhi goes to the house of the Pandit and requests him to come to his house but the Pandit declines his request and says that he has no time but would try to go in the evening. He takes the avail of Dukhis’ appeal and set him to carry straws and split a hard piece of wood. Dukhi takes to do the work without the least objection. 

When Dukhi becomes exhausted and goes inside the house of the Pandit asking for a bit of light to smoke a pipe, the Paditayin rebukes him and hurls a piece of coal to his forehead.  Then Dukhi says, ”Mother, it was very wrong of me to come inside your house. Tanners don’t have much sense — if we weren’t fools why would we get kicked so much.” This dialogue shows that Dukhi is mentally enslaved.

Again When his friend Chikhuri advises Dukhi to ask for some food then Dukhi says, ”How can you expect me to digest a Brahman’s food, Chikhuri?” Besides this, we see that Dukhi works all day long to please the Pandit. He carries straw and splits woods and at last, he dies of exhaustion and hunger.

On the other hand Chikhuri, a minor character, who appears once only in the third scene of the story is bold and critical. He is conscious of his right and he is not ready to respect the Brahmins without rhyme and reason as he realises how the Brahmans enjoy the comforts of life by suppressing the lower classes of people. Seeing Dukhi being exhausted from splitting a hard piece of wood,  Chikhuri advises Dukhi to ask for some food and says (criticizing the exploitation of the Brahmins), ”The government officials may force you to work for them but they pay you something for it, no matter how little. This fellow’s gone one better, calling himself a holy man.” 

All these show that  Dukhi and Chikhuri contrast each other. 0 0 0

The Characterisation in the Story Deliverance

Read More: Premchand’s ‘Deliverance’: An Analytical Study

N. B. This article entitled ‘The Characterisation in the Story Deliverance’ originally belongs to the book ‘World Short Story Criticism‘ by Menonim Menonimus. The Characterisation in the Story Deliverance

Books of Literary Criticism by M. Menonimus:

1. World Short Story Criticism
2. World Poetry Criticism
3. World Drama Criticism
4. World Novel Criticism
5. World Essay Criticism
6. Indian English Poetry Criticism
7. Indian English Poets and Poetry Chief Features
8. Emily Dickinson’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
9. Walt Whitman’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
10. Critical Essays on English Poetry
11. Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: Return of the Spirit-An Analytical Study
12. Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: ‘Yawmiyyat Naib Fil Arayaf’-An Analytical Study
13. Analytical Studies of Some Arabic Short Stories
14. A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Pre-Islamic Period …