Theme

The story ‘The Lost Child’ by Mulk Raj Anand is a peep into child psychology. For a child his parents are everything. The warm and affectionate bond shared between a child and the parents cannot be substituted with anything.

The child in the story, wishes for sweets, balloons, merry-go-round and many more things in the fair. But he is denied everything. Even on the way to the fair, his father behaves in a strict way and is angry at the demand of the child. But when the child is offered all these things by the kind man, he refuses to see them. This is because his parents are not with him. Even if the parents are strict, a child feels happy and secure in their presence only.

Also the concern of the parents for their children is highlighted through their refusal to buy unnecessary things. Parents know what is best for them and have to instill responsibility in them.

The author has not given any name to the child or the parents or their village. This provides a universal touch to the story. The story is not limited to a particular place but narrates the desperation of a child without his parents.

For the same reason the author doesn’t end the story by uniting the child to his parents or giving it some other end because the story is not about the child and his parents but about parent-child bond. The story beautifully portrays what goes inside the mind of the child when his parents are not with him. Nothing can replace or take the place of a child's parents and this is what the story aims at.

Character sketch of the child.

Like every child, the child in the story is curious and inquisitive about new things. He is a playful boy who is brimming with excitement on his way to the fair. His eyes catch every vibrant thing as he walks with his parents to the fair. The flowers, bees, dragon flies, doves capture his attention and he runs after them to catch them. Because of this he lags behind his parents. But he is very obedient to the call of his parents, the moment his parents call him, he runs towards them only to lag behind again. His enthusiasm for the outing can be judged from the way he leaps & jumps around. Once in the fair, he is flabbergasted to see the crowd and amazing things being sold there. He wans to possess all of them. Even though he knows his father will not buy him anything , his spirit is not dampened. He is not stubborn to ask for things again and again but is not able to suppress his desire to ride the roundabout. His excitement here turns into fear as he realizes that his parents are not to be found anywhere. Panic stricken, he runs from one side to another looking for his parents and is saved from being trampled by a kind stranger. He feels insecure without his parents and refuses all the things he had desired earlier, which the man offers him. Thus, for the child material things are of no importance and he cannot savor them without his parents.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

1. Why would the child often lag behind on his way to the fair?

On his way to the fair, the child was attracted to toys in small shops that lined the sides of the path. He was fascinated by the colorful butterflies, dragonflies, flowers, birds etc. and would often run after them to catch them. Thus, in his excitement, he often lagged behind.

2. In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?

The child is very excited to go to the fair. Once in the fair, he is flabbergasted to see so many things being sold at different stalls in the fair. He is attracted to almost everything. He wishes for sweets, a garland & balloons. A little further, he spots a snake charmer and wants to listen to his flute. Though he desires all these things, he moves on without waiting for an answer because he is aware of his father’s strict nature. He knows that his father would refuse all those things giving one or the other reason.

3. When does he realize that he has lost his way? How has his anxiety and insecurity been described in the chapter?

After passing the snake charmer, the child reaches a merry-go-round. He finds other children and adults shrieking, screaming and having fun on it. He too wanted to ride the merry-go-round and this time could not resist his desire. He therefore made a bold request to his parents to go on that ride. On getting no reply from his parents, he turned to look at them and found that they were not there. He realized that he had been separated from his parents.

He looked everywhere for them, ran from side to side, crying in real fear but of no use. Panic gripped him & his flushed face convulsed with fear. His turban fell down and his clothes became muddy. He kept on running helplessly looking for them until his cries were suppressed into sobs. But he didn’t give up and ran towards a shrine where there was a huge crowd hoping to find his parents there. He felt tormented without his parents and didn’t even care of being trampled between their feet for he just wanted his parents.

4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?

The child was separated from his parents and felt insecure. He was panic stricken amidst strangers around. Though the man who picked him was kind and offered all the things the child had desired from his parents in the fair, the child refused and turned his face away from them. He didn’t show any interest in any of the things, not even the roundabout which he had desired the most. All those things would have given him happiness only in the presence of his parents. His parents were more important than those material things in the fair.

5. What did the man do to make the child happy?

The man was kind and gentle to the child. He saved the child from being trampled between the feet of the crowd in the fair. Since the child was inconsolably, the man tried to console him by offering sweets, flowers, balloons etc. in the fair. He even took him to the roundabout but instead of feeling good, he cried even more bitterly and asked only for his parents.

6. According to the child, for what reason would the parents refuse to buy sweets for him?

The child was fascinated by the colorful display of sweets at the stall of a sweetmeat seller. The child wishes to eat his favorite burfi but knew that his parents would refuse saying that he was being greedy.

7. According to the child, for what reason would the parents refuse to buy a garland for him?

The child is irresistibly drawn to the vibrant flowers sold by a flower-seller at the fair. He wanted to wear a garland around his neck but he knew that his parents would refuse saying that they were cheap.

8. According to the child, for what reason would the parents refuse to buy balloons for him?

The rainbow colored balloons attracted the child and he desired to play with them. But he knew that his parents would never buy balloons for him saying that he was not a child to play with them.

9. What reason would the parents cite for stopping the child from going towards the snake-charmer?

In the fair, there was a snake-charmer who was playing a flute to a snake which was dancing to it. The child went towards the snake-charmer but proceeded ahead knowing his parents had forbidden him to hear coarse music as played by the snake-charmer.

10. Why did the child feel both repelled and fascinated by the fair?

As the child neared the fair, he saw a huge crowd of people entering the fair. Looking at the crowd, he felt repelled, he felt scared on seeing so many people there. But at the same time, he was fascinated by looking at the happy people entering the fair. He was attracted by the hustle bustle there.

11. The little boy was excited to go to the fair. Justify.

For the little boy, it was a day out. He was going to a fair with his parents. Brimming with excitement, he ran between the legs of his father and enjoyed looking at the things around. He was so engrossed in his playfulness that he kept on lagging behind his parents and they had to call him again and again. He leaped and jumped around the banyan tree and chased the doves to catch them. He was cheerful and lively as he walked to the fair.

12. Why did the mother warn the child?

The child was very excited to go to the fair. He was chasing butterflies, dragonflies which were always out of his reach. His mother gave him a cautionary call and asked him to come on to the footpath. Since a huge crowd was going to the fair, the road was busy and the mother didn’t want any mishap to occur. Therefore, she warned the child to be careful and walk on the footpath.

13. The father and the mother of the child had opposite personalities. Do you agree? Discuss.

Yes, the parents of the child were of opposite personalities. The father was authoritative and strict. He didn’t want the child to ask for useless things. He wanted him to be disciplined. On the other hand, his mother was soft, gentle and tender. She understood the innocent wishes of the child but she didn’t even want the child to disobey his father. She knew how to divert the attention of the child and keep his spirits high.

14. Compare the behavior of the child before and after he was lost?

It was the festival of spring. The child was brimming with excitement on his way to the fair. He was curious and fascinated by all the things around. Walking with his parents, he was happy and playful and tried to catch butterflies and dragonflies on his way. Even at the fair , he wanted to have different things available there. However when he was lost, he became panic stricken. His excitement changed into fear and insecurity. All the things that he had desired before were refused by him when offered by a kind man, who wanted to help him. All his desires were gone and he wanted only his parents.

15. What do you think would have happened at the end of the story?

At the end of the story, we find that the child is picked by a kind man who tries to console him. He tries to pacify the child by offering him different things so that he can look for his parents. The man would have done anything to restore the terrified child to his parents. He must have made an announcement from the lost and found stall in the fair or would have taken the help of the police.

In an extreme case, if he would not have found the parents of the child, he would have taken him with himself and raised him as his own child.

Explain the following expressions used in the story:

It was the festival of spring. From the wintry shades of narrow lanes and alleys emerged a gaily clad humanity.

1. Explain “gaily clad humanity”. What is the author trying to portray here?

The expression ‘gaily clad humanity’ means a sea of happy people (a huge crowd) who are thrilled and excited to go to the fair, emerging from the narrow lanes of the village.

He hurried towards his parents, his feet obedient to their call, his eyes still lingering on the receding toys. As he came to where they had stopped to wait for him, he could not suppress the desire of his heart, even though he well knew the old, cold stare of refusal in their eyes.

2. What does the line “his feet obedient to their call” tell us about the child?

It shows that the child is very obedient and heeds to the call of his parents the moment they instruct him.

His feet obedient: transferred epithet (the feet of the child are not obedient, it is the child who is obedient.

3. “------- he well knew the old, cold stare of refusal in their eyes.” What refusal is the author talking about? What does this tell us about his parents?

Cold stare means dispassionate or insensitive look or stare.

The child on his way to the fair demanded toys from his parents. But the father, who didn’t understand the playful mood of the child, gave him an insensitive & angry look, refusing him to buy any toy for him.

This shows the parents to be strict, maybe they want to discipline the child.

The father’s eyes grew red with anger. He looked at the child just like a cruel ruler who was trying to oppress him.

His mother, melted by the free spirit of the day, was tender and, giving him her finger to hold, said, “Look, child, what is before you!”

4. “His mother melted by the free spirit of the day ------”. Explain the expression ‘free spirit of the day’. What is the mother trying to do here?

Since everyone was going to the fair to celebrate the festival of spring, they were happy and excited. The child too was full of enthusiasm but the angry look of the father dampened his spirit. His mother, who was tender and soft, understood the feelings of the child on that day of fun and frolic. She was sympathetic with the child and tried to divert his attention towards something else.

But lo! he heard the cooing of doves and ran towards his parents, shouting, “The dove! The dove!” The raining petals dropped from his forgotten hands.

Forgotten hands: Transferred epithet (hands have not forgotten anything, it is the child who has)

5. “The raining petals dropped from his forgotten hands.” Explain.

When the child entered the grove, flower petals fell on him and fascinated by them, he started collecting them. But soon his attention shifted on doves that were cooing there. Looking at the birds, he forgot about the petals in his hands and ran towards the doves.

The child watched them intently and then he made a bold request: “I want to go on the roundabout, please, Father, Mother.”

Bold request: requesting something without thinking of the consequences, ready to take risk for it.

6.. At one point , he made a bold request. When did he do so and why?

When the child reached a merry-go-round in the fair, he found other children and adults shrieking, screaming and having fun on it. He too wanted to ride the merry-go-round and this time could not resist his desire. He therefore made a bold request to his parents to allow him to go on that ride.

7. One little boy ran between his father’s legs, brimming over with life and laughter.

It means the little boy could not contain his happiness because he was going to a fair. He was overflowing with enthusiasm and joy.

8. He hurried towards his parents, his feet obedient to their call, his eyes still lingering on the receding toys.

It means although he returned to his parents, who had moved ahead, his eyes were still on the toy shops that were left behind.

9. His father looked at him red-eyed, in his familiar tyrant’s way.

It means his father behaved in his usual strict and oppressive way.

10. “Come, child, come!” they called to the child, who had now gone running in wild capers.

It means the child was leaping, jumping and performing antics as the family was walking to the fair.

11. As they neared the village the child could see many other footpaths full of throngs, converging to the whirlpool of the fair.

It means everyone (the crowd) was moving towards one destination i.e the fair. From all the roads and footpaths, people were drawing towards the excitement of the fair.

VOCABULARY BUILDING ACTIVITY (with answers)

Ex. 1. Find the synonyms of the following words from the chapter:

(Clue: From the beginning of the chapter till the child reaches the fair)

i) Dutiful

ii) Wish

(Clue: From when the child reaches the fair till he gets lost)

iii) Appeal

iv) Splendor

v) Rough, boorish

(Clue: From when the child gets lost till the end)

vi) Crammed

vii) Ruthless

viii) Reiterated

Ex.2 Using the answers of the above exercise, fill in the following blanks to complete the paragraph meaningfully.

Once in the (a) ---------------- lanes of Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum dwelling lived an (b) ----------------- girl, Malti. She was around twelve years old but had witnessed the (c) ------------- reality of this world in these years. She worked with her mother as a domestic help in various houses. At one such house, there was a girl of her age. Seeing her, Malti developed a (d) ---------- to study and be like her. She was fascinated by her (e ) --------------- . Her dreams were infinite but means were limited. She went to her mother with a (f) ----------------- but her mother did not pay any heed to it. She thought that Malti would forget about it in a day or two. But Malti (g) --------------------- her desire every day, to which one day the mother showed her (h) ------------------- hands to Malti that were unable to give her a smooth life.