The Story Calcutta by Baj - Essay Example

Analysis of the Short Story: Calcutta Introduction In the span of just a couple of pages and pregnant dialogues, short story writers present life’s varied colors as expressed in emotions and actions. Short stories directly reach the heart of the reader since they touch something personal or close to personal experiences. In the initial stages of appreciation of a story, the reader is amazed by the writer’s awareness of something which was in his (reader’s) personal domain. It then dawns upon him/her that writers take experiences from everyday life and express them in their talented words and that such experiences are not unique to any individual but are in the nature of human conduct itself which repeats. A similar experience is felt in the short story “Calcutta” by Baj. The story explores the mindset of the two principle characters, one running away from life’s failings and the other taking pleasure in ‘under the table auction’ or in clandestine activity. Under such circumstances, the two come face to face with something more fundamental to human life – a desire for compassion and companionship. Character analysis We do not know the name of the main male character in the story and it is immaterial. ‘He was 44, divorced, his backyard overrun with crabgrass’ explains succinctly his setting in life (Line 13). He is fond of adventure, revels in the betting game called Calcutta and assessment of his skills in that game. His backyard’s unkempt condition is a reflection of his own life as a divorcee with little thought for care and orderliness. His love of the betting game is an extension of his wayward life that seeks fulfillment in (your last name) 2 adventures with no real substance or meaning to life. Hence it is not surprising that he had an encounter with a stranger and derived bodily pleasure devoid of any meaningful relationship – a sort of under the table auction game called Calcutta. The inflated ego in the man is evident from his giving the contact number to the woman and his anxious waiting to receive a call from her in order that he may have a repeat of the satisfying physical relationship that he was offered. But he is human too and this was brought out with a stunning clarity to both the reader and to the man himself in the climax to the story. Gracie’s character is the complete opposite of that of the man – we can even consider Gracie as symbolic of his divorced wife – a woman fed up with the wayward life of her husband. "I had a son, Gracie said, and a husband" (Line 24). The past tense reveals her present status as a single person, perhaps divorced. Interestingly, while the man was seeking an extension of his wayward behavior through casual encounters such as that with Gracie, she was in a mood to take revenge for the misfortunes of her own life, quite contrary to her own character. "That woman you were with, that woman who did all those things, that wasn’t me" sums up her mood and inner feelings as does her statement, "That night I couldn’t get them out of my head. It was too much. Just too, too much. I needed to feel something else. Anything else" (Lines 22 & 27). This is a wonderful way to put the fact that the physical persona that you see need not necessarily be the inner self. The man mistook the aggressive sexual overtones of Gracie as something of a tribute to himself as he is wont to by his character, but is brought down to (your last name) 3 earth by Gracie’s revelation of her inner feelings and her determination not to see him again. Plot The plot chosen for the story fits the purpose or the intent of the writer to bring together two individuals in contrasting life situations and create an encounter that satisfies both, albeit temporarily. The meeting takes place in a neutral ground, ‘The Esquire’ pub followed by the hotel room episode. ‘Calcutta’ as the title of the story represented a betting game – a game that involves unknown variables and outcomes. This is quite similar to the casual relationship between Gracie and the man. The man, true to his character of gambling, wants a repetition of the encounter with Gracie, who gently but firmly informs him of the end game – that she would never see him again – a bet that is lost. When he was losing her forever, he was suddenly jolted to his emotional self, as opposed to his external bravado, and this realization of human nature was beautifully conveyed by the author in the words, “…he suddenly felt that he’d gotten away with something -- not just in The Esquire, but something more, something that had to do with his whole meager life -- and all he wanted was to repay the world’s kindness, to make everyone happy, especially this woman he’d never talk to again. He wanted to send her off into her hideous dreams with a goodnight kiss” (Line 42). It is not uncommon to encounter situations quite similar to the story. The intensity of an event or other nuisances may vary but two dissimilar persons, both searching for temporary satisfaction amidst life’s apparent chaos, coming to face the hard reality of (your last name) 4 human existence is interesting and appealing. The writer uses symbolism in several ways to narrate the story without wasting many words. Some fine examples are ‘betting under the table’, ‘’overrun with crabgrass’, ‘…cicadas answered, their songs of distress and longing rising up, more beautiful than ever’. In these pithy words and sentences, the writer was able to delineate the characters, the plot, moods and the ultimate message of the story, which is that behind our façade, we are just humans substantially given to noble emotions. The eager anticipation of the man while waiting to receive a call from Gracie is a universal experience. The anxiety before the call and the attempt to put a brave face of not expecting such call but still hoping for it, are all too common experiences. How to juxtapose two individuals of opposite sexes into a situation that would reconcile them to the passing phase of an encounter and bring them to the frailties of human relations is the achievement of the writer in the story ‘Calcutta’. Reference Baj, “Calcutta” Read More