NAME - SOURAV KUMAR

ROLL NO - 09
PAPER - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

KJ SOMAIYA COLLEGE OF ARTS AND COMMERCE

Research Proposal

TITLE - Issues of loneliness, racism

Introduction:
Rohinton Mistry belongs to the diasporic group of writers who thereafter settled in
Canada, after acquiring Canadian Citizenship. However he can be considered as "twice
displaced", the first displacement was a result of his belonging "to an ethnic group that
migrated to India" while the second was a consequence of his choice to migrate to
Canada from Mumbai in 1975.

'Swimming Lessons' is the last story from Rohinton Mistry collection of short stories
"Tales From Firozsha Baag". It speaks about narrator new experiences in Canada as
well as his early life in Bombay through his memories. The story is also autobiographical
as the narrator similar to the writer (Mistry) is twice displaced and is caught in the
struggle to adapt his new life in Canada.

It also focuses on the lives and crisis of the Parsi Community in Bombay housing
complex called 'Firozsha Baag'. It mainly shifts the focus to the issues of loneliness,
racism and cultural adjustment of an indian Immigrant Protagonist.
One of the most important aspect is the 'Italicized Portion' that is highlighted in the story
which are narrator's parents response to the letters he sends them from Toronto. These
letters also suggests his ongoing struggle in the new place among new people and his
feelings of loneliness.

Aim-
To study the character and journey of narrator same as that of writer as both are
'twice displaced' and is caught in the struggle to adapt their new life in Canada.

Objectives:
● To study 'Swimming Lessons' as an 'autobiographical' as the narrator and
writer are similar in many ways.
● To display narrator remarks about cause and effect in questioning 'Bombay
Parsi Community' and the filth of 'Chaupatty Beach'.
● To question racism and stereotype that an indian immigrant Protagonist
faced in this short story.

Literature Review:
A constant concern of Diasporic Writer like Mistry is search for identity, dealing
with problems of racism and cultural conflicts. Mistry has written extensively
about different aspects of Post Colonial society, whether writing a short story or
novels, he tends to end up dealing with an identity crisis, faced by his characters,
their sense of loneliness, dealing with racial comments and cultural issues.

Janette Turner Hospital, in 'Los Angeles Times Book Review', praised Mistry and
is of the opinion that in 'Swimming Lessons' the narrator alludes to racist remarks
other make about him, he is unaware of his own sexist remarks about several of
the women he encounters in the course of the story. Hence, in general she likes
the stories set in 'Firozsha Baag' more than Toronto.

'Swimming Lessons' important feature is that its setting moves with the narrator
from Bombay to Toronto and in both Cities, Mistry shows the sense of loneliness,
alienation, the sudden change from 'happiness to misery', (a sign of worry) which
the protagonist and other characters have to go through.

Hypothesis:
Swimming is a metaphor for acceptibility and for the narrator learning to swim is
overcoming the problems of being an immigrant.

Being an immigrant he has to bear the taunts, racial comments but still he
continues going for Swimming lessons.
Mistry is reminding his own journey through narrator as he was an immigrant too
and he also faced racial taunts of those outsiders.

Research Methodology:
This research work will include close reading of the text, autobiographical and
historical material including sources on cultural studies. There will be a diasporic
interconnection of the themes and issues highlighted in the works of Mistry.
For a better understanding of this work, the researcher has focused from the
narrator as well as writer point of view as both have to struggle with the
loneliness, alienation, racial taunts and cultural conflicts that is highlighted in the
story of Rohinton Mistry.

Research Approach:
The research Approach used by the researcher is a qualitative and descriptive
Approach.
Historical Method:
Being a Diasporic Writer, Mistry has his roots in India before migrating to
Canada. Mistry brilliantly viewed the setting of the story which quickly moves
from Bombay to Toronto through narrator. While living with his parents he
enjoyed life to the fullest in Bombay. He was used to the beauty of Chaupatty
before filth took over. But suddenly while migrating to Canada, he felt a sense of
loneliness, alienation which he had to suffer. He was the victim of racial
comments made by those outsiders. While reflecting his memories on his
homeland, it made him quite emotional as he remembered those beautiful
moments which he spent with his parents when he was a child in Bombay.

Swimming Lessons as a Post Colonial Study

A Post Colonial Study is an academic discipline that analyzes, explains and

Parsi Heritage is one of the most important post colonial aspect which Mistry
showed in this short story. The Parsis are a small religious community in India
devoted to Zoroastrianism, whose ancestors fled Islamic persecution during 8th
Century. The largest Parsi Community is in Mumbai and the population of Parsi
Community is declining due to unwillingness to accept conversions to the faith,
the Parsis maintain the importance of their purity in the face of high death rates
and lower birth rates.
In terms of history of British Colonialism in India, Parsis were often viewed as
agents of and collaborators with the British. They enjoyed good relations with
British Colonizers but suffered of trying to be too western. Mistry literature
reflects his position as a member of 'twice displaced' people and explores the
relationship in Parsi Community.

Tentative Chapterization
Chap. 1 - Appropriateness of the title 'Swimming Lessons'

The first chapter will focus on the title 'Swimming Lessons' which is appropriate
or suitable because it not only relates narrator's memories of swimming lessons
with his mother at Chaupatty Beach but also at the same time he also suggested
of his hope that his swimming lessons in Toronto 'will overturn that failure'.
The narrator was concerned with the filth, dirt that took over Chaupatty and it had
been an obstruction in his learning swimming as a child. In order to combat his
unfulfilled battle, he gets enroad himself for the swimming lessons in Canada.

Chap. 2 - The Old Man and the Memories: The Old Man reminds
narrator of his own grandfather

The Old Man is introduced by narrator is often found waiting in the apartment
lobby to make small talks. The Old Man in his wheelchair reminds narrator of his
own grandfather who was also reduced to his wheel chair due to the suffering of
Parkinsonaism and Osteoporosis. Mistry through narrator makes the reader feel
as narrator's unwillingness to visit the hospital to meet his ill grandfather as a
child.

Ch. 3 - Home, Nation and Identity

Mistry was himself a Diasporic who earlier has its closed roots with his homeland
before migrating to Canada. His description of Kersci in the short story is a
reminder of his own journey.
The narrator was of the opinion that he lost his identity after migrating to Canada,
he felt he belongs from different world.
In 'Swimming Lessons' the migrants are also shown to receive racially offensive
behaviour at swimming pool. The pool becomes a hangout of some racist
groups. Although Canada offers multiculturalism, racism is uncontrollable and a
Parsi is defined as a "Paki Paki smell like curry". Although Multiculturalism is
supposed to promote harmony between various ethnic group but it creates
differences among them.

Ch. 4 - Letters as an important medium used by Mistry through

The Italicized portions in the story represent the letters which narrator sends from
Toronto to his parents. The Parents have their different opinions for their son -
The mother represents love whereas father represents vision. The father is
adamant not to reply to his son's letter which is equal to 'a few lines of empty
words', however towards the end he asked the mother to leave 'little space' for
him at end of the letters. Through his father, Kersci, the narrator not only projects
the practical approach towards life but also about art of writing, he says-
"When they say that whole story can never be told, the whole truth can never be
known."

Conclusion-
Through his diasporic roots Mistry has well depicted his family background, his
community's confined situation in big cities like Bombay and his deep attachment
and nostalgia for a bygone world.
Mistry has portrayed Parsis in the 'Firozsha Baag' as a heterogeneous
community revealing their internal conflict, jealous and hypocrisy.
The story is autobiographical at the same time, Mistry being a diasporic writer
fulfils the dual responsibility. He writes as an immigrant writer about his status
and challenges in Canada as well as his early life in Bombay.

Bibliography

https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-
books/swimming-lessons
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in/journals/index.php/english/article/view/626

The IIS university Jaipur, Research Proposal (https://www.google.com/url?

http://tlhjournal.com › productsPDF
వెబ్ ఫలితాలు (A thesis of Loyola College)

Tales From Firozsha Baag by Rohinton Mistry (Faber; Main edition (19 October 2006)