B.A./B.

COM - I : GENERAL ENGLISH

COURSE CODE : AA-101 LESSON NO. 10
SEMESTER - I SHORT STORIES UNIT - III

MUNSHI PREMCHAND
“THE CHILD”
STRUCTURE

10.1 Introduction
10.2 Objectives
10.3 Introduction of the Author
10.4 Introduction to the Short Story
10.5 Main Points of the Short Story
10.6 Summary
10.7 Let Us Sum Up
10.8 Glossary
10.9 Self-Assesment Questions
10.10 Check Your Progress
10.11 Examination Oriented Questions
10.12 Suggested Reading

10.1 INTRODUCTION
“The Child” depicts the realistic picture of Indian society. The story
exposes the man-made shallow norms and rigid customs that lead to

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injustice, inequality and maltreatment of the voiceless, especially women.
Premchand had a purpose behind writing the story, which was aimed to
transform the society and to educate the narrow minded and hypocrites to
shun all kinds of prejudices.

10.2 OBJECTIVES

1. The objective of this lesson is to acquaint the learner with the various
social issues related to the short story “The Child”.

2. The learner is given a detailed and comprehensive summary of the story

so as to thoroughly explain the theme and substance of the story.

3. “The Child” brings to light the fact that society needs transformation.

4. We are made to learn the shortcomings of the society and to ponder over
pettiness of the social taboos which hinders the progress of the society.

10.3 INTRODUCTION OF THE AUTHOR

In the realm of Hindi literature, Munshi Premchand is still the most

popular among readers. He stands as a guiding force for those who believe in
writing with a social purpose. Like G.B Shaw he acts as a social reformer in
his novels as well as short stories. He found writing as the best medium in
creating awareness among the people as it exposes the pettiness of the
human world. This Upnayas Samrat wrote two hundred fifty stories and more
than a dozen novels on issues like dowry, widow remarriage and prostitution.
Some of his best works are Idgah, Kafan, Godan, Nirmala, Gaban, Rangbhumi
and Vardaan. On seeing the miserable life led by widows he himself decided to
get married to a child widow Shivrani Devi in 1906. He is undoubtedly called the
master of the realistic fiction who had a rare insight into human psychology.

10.4 INTRODUCTION TO THE SHORT STORY

The short story champions the cause of widows who have always
been maltreated by the society. The writer is conveying the message that a
woman can’t be won over by just providing bread and lodging and the basis of

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a man and woman relationship should be love and not social status. The story
brings out the shortcomings of Indian society and satirises the middle-class
morality. Middle-class morality refers to the values and code of conduct followed
by the rich and the poor and these middle-class people had to follow rigid and
strict norms which ultimately suppress their freedom. This suppression leads
to injustice and frustration. Gangu in the story is a representative of what
Premchand was in his real life.

10.5 MAIN POINTS OF THE SHORT STORY

The story begins with a focus on Gangu, a poor Brahmin. This uneducated
Brahmin is shown short tempered before his marriage to Gomti Devi. Gangu
never bows to his master as he thinks he belongs to high caste of Hindu
hierarchical caste system. He never prays and does not take a bath daily.
He is shown to be concerned about his master’s reputation when he leaves
his job in order to get married to Gomti Devi whom people considered a
bad character woman and who was turned out of the widow’s home. After
the marriage Gangu started his work as a hawker and lived in thatched hut
with his wife. When Gomti leaves his house without telling, he blames him
self only for not being able to prove himself as a good husband. Gangu
narrated this to his master, who is also the narrator of the story. After this
meeting the narrator went to Nanital for a month and when he comes back
he is astonished to see a baby in the arms of Gangu at his home. Gangu said
that the boy was God’s gift to him. Gomti had gone to Lucknow for child
birth and Gangu brought her back and heartily accepted the child as his
own. The narrator taunts him for his shamelessness in accepting Gomti’s
illegitimate child. Gangu is unmoved and reasons “After all when one takes
a harvested field, one does not refuse the crop merely because someone else
has sown it’. This was the lesson of courage, compassion and real goodness
taught by an illiterate Brahman to his master.

10.6 SUMMARY

Gangu, the poor Brahmin servant behaves differently from other servants

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in the household. He gets easily agitated over the slightest rebuke and
does not seem to be pally with the other servants. He never bows to anyone
and expects others to bow in front of him because of his high caste. Whenever
he sees his master in profuse perspiration he fans him with an attitude of
doing him great favour. The master does not like someone to intrude his
privacy. He does his minor works himself so that he can have the feeling
of independence. One morning the narrator was about to go for a morning
walk when Gangu came in and expressed his wish to leave the job as he
wanted to get married to Gomti Devi, a woman who was turned out of the
widow’s home. The narrator was shocked to see the courage of this old-
fashioned Brahmin who never touched the used utensils and now was ready
to get married to a woman of doubtful character. Gangu reasoned that a
woman can’t stay with a man who does not love her. The narrator was bewildered
to see Gangu who was talking in the tone of a poet and ultimately he
accepted his resignation. The master knew that tomorrow Gangu would
repent his decision of marrying Gomti Devi. After five months he saw
Gangu working as a hawker and was happy.

One day the narrator received the news that Gomti Devi had run away
so he felt elated to hear this news and thought that he would offer his
shoulder to Gangu for crying. Gangu looked completely shattered when
he met him. On seeing him, the narrator expressed his superficial sympathy
towards him but Gangu blamed himself for her running away. He told him,
perhaps he was not educated that’s why she left him. He blamed himself for
not being able to prove himself as a good husband. The narrator was taken a
back to see the unshaken love for a defamed woman like Gomti. Gangu
resolved to find her as soon as possible. After this incident, the narrator went
to Nanital for about one month. On his return he was shocked to see
Gangu carrying a baby in his arms and was very happy. The narrator mocked
at his shamelessness taunted him on getting child within five months
of his marriage. Gangu replied proudly “when one takes a harvested field
one does not refuse the crop merely because someone else has sown it”.

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He embraced the child as a gift to him. The narrator was touched by Gangu’s
sentiments and his pure love for Gomti. He felt ashamed of his middle-
class morality. He kissed the baby and went along with Gangu to his house
to meet Gomti.

10.7 LET US SUM UP

“The Child” is a thought provoking story. It brings to light the fact

that Indian society is narrow minded when we talk about man and woman
relationship. Men are allowed to marry after wife’s death but marriage of a
woman after her husband’s death is still a taboo. The writer has tried to
bring some reforms in the story through an illiterate character Gangu who
unconditionally loves Gomti Devi and accepts her child as his own. Gangu
believes that “to win someone over, one has to first forget about oneself”.
The writer is making us understand that one should be bold enough to cast aside
all kinds of pressures that this society exerts on us. Women are to be treated
with respect and compassion. A woman’s heart can’t be won by merely
providing bread and lodging. Gangu, who is acting as a mouthpiece of the
writer made the narrator ashamed of his old age rigid customs and traditions.
The story is also a satire on the middle-class morality. Due to its rigid norms
it makes people blind towards the plight of downtrodden in general and
widows in particular. The story has its relevance in modern India too; still
some reforms are needed for the overall development of the society.

10.8 GLOSSARY

Perspiration: sweat
Short tempered: who gets easily angry
Rebuke: to criticise harshly
Syce: a servant with responsibility for the horses
Addiction: a strong desire or need for something
Ancestry: forefathers

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Invade: to forcibly enter a place
Centre for: asked to come
Seldom: not often
Bother: disturb
Unsolicited: not being asked for.
Reprehensible: at fault, blame worthy
Backbiting: speaking ill behind his/her back
Mode of flattery: praising somebody insincerely
Ignoble: shameful, not noble
Annoyed: displeased
Irritably: angrily
Leisure: time to relax
Contemplative: thoughtful
Idling: not doing anything
Inflict: to impose
Dispose off: to get rid of somebody
Muster: gather
Alternative: choice
Intriguing: mysterious, strange
Bewilderment: confusion
Expel: turn out of
Lovelorn: Love less, lovesick
Stupid: silly
Better off financially: in a monetarily better position

Conviction: with certainty

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Unperturbed: not upset
Zeal: enthusiasm
Board and lodging: meals and room
Widow: women whose husband is dead
Martyr: one who sacrifices his or her life for the sake of principle
Aloof: keep away from something or someone
Hawker: one who carries goods from place to place and sell
them
Contentment: satisfaction
Envious: jealous
Dissuaded: made one not to do something
Respite: relief
Shattered: broken down, sad
Feigned: not real, pretended
Blasphemed: said something irreligious
Perception: correct understanding of people, things etc.
Frailty: weakness in character
Displaying: showing
Impish: mischievous, naughty
Sentiments: feelings
Embodiment: the model or best example of something
Bashful: shy
Placid: calm
Sheer: complete

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10.9 SELF- ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

Q.1 Discuss the theme of the story?

Ans: The story contains the themes like social reformation and selfless
love. The story revolves around the various social issues like
caste system, middle-class morality and the ill treatment done to the
widows. Women are treated as mere objects rather than individuals.
Gangu is representative of what Premchand was in his real life.
Gangu considers Gomti as a goddess. When the narrator dissuades
Gangu from marrying her because of a doubtful past Gangu
defends Gomti’s action of leaving her previous husbands almost with a
zeal of a poet. He says “where there is no love you cannot expect a
woman to stay on. You cannot win a woman with mere board and
lodging.” Premchand attacks the narrow-mindedness of the society
through the story expecting a better society by casting aside all old
rigid norms and rules which cause frustration.Gangu’s unconditional
and selfless love is another theme of the story. His love is based on
the ideology that ‘to win someone over, one has to first forget about
oneself’. He is truly in love with Gomti and accepts her child as a
gift from the side of God. He reasons that after all, when one takes
a harvested field, one does not refuse the crop merely because
someone else has sown it. Gangu can be considered as embodiment
of love, human warmth and goodness.

Q.2 Who is the mouthpiece of the writer?

Ans: Gangu is truly representing Premchand’s ideals.He himself married a child

widow for which he had to face a lot of pressure from the conservative
society in which he lived. Gangu is also shown as a real hero who does
not believe in shallow old rigid customs and norms which foresees a man
to consider a woman as an object rather than individual. He was
discouraged by his master for not marrying Gomti Devi who had already
left three husbands but his unconditional and selfless love would not stop

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 him from marrying her and accept her child begotten by some other man.
Gangu is an independent thinker who believes that a woman needs to
have an emotional support rather than financial. We should seek inspiration
from Gangu and his beliefs. The writer is educating the minds
through an illiterate Gangu that woman are to be treated with respect.

Q3. What is middle-class morality?

Ans: Morality means in the contest of behaviour, real values help to

distinguish between the right and the wrong. The values and code
of conduct is followed by middle-class people who are neither too
rich nor were too poor . Middle-class people usually follow rigid and
strict norms which ultimately limit the freedom and suppress their
individuality. This suppression sometimes causes frustration
andinjustice in the society. In the story, the rigidity in the behaviour
of the master makes him blind towards the plight of widow and the
true love of Gangu. The master thinks that accepting an illegitimate
child and marrying a woman of doubtful character is not acceptable
i n t h e s o c i e t y. H e d i s s u a d e s G a n g u f r o m m a r r y i n g h e r b u t
Gangu’s courage, sincerity and kind attitude touched his heart and he
felt a shamed of his middle-class morality. His morality consisted in
false notions, hypocrisy and insincerity. Gangu sets up new and
inspiring customs and becomes an embodiment of goodness.

10.10 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1: Was Gangu’s personality different before his marriage. How does
Gangu convince the narrator that he is not wrong to marry Gomti?
Is the narrator convinced?

Ans: In the beginning, we are told, he is arrogant and he never bows to

anyone. He expects other people to bow in front of him because of
his high caste. But after marriage, he worked as a hawker to look
after his wife. After marriage there is a change in his attitude. He
becomes more humble and an understanding husband. He convinces

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 his master by saying that Gomti Devi is an educated woman and her
former husbands treated her like an object. This way he convinces
the narrator and the narrator senses the resolve of Gangu and allows
Gangu to marry Gomti.

Q2: What is the impression the narrator has of Gangu’s married life
with Gomti? Do Gangu and Gomti continue to have a peaceful
marriage? How?

Ans: The narrator is of the opinion that this marriage cannot last long but
he is surprised to see both living a happy and peaceful life.
Gangu is a sincere and courageous lover who refuses to go by what
people say about Gomti’s character and accepts the child as his own.

Q3: What is the middle-class morality that the narrator seems to

represent here? How does this contrast with what Gangu believes?

Ans: Woman like Gomti Devi, who has already left three husbands is
considered to be of loose character. In conservative society people
are not respectful towards such widows and marrying such types of
woman is improper and unacceptable. This type of middle-class
morality of narrator contrasts with Gangu’s belief. Gangu is
unaffected by all kinds of rumours floated by the people and he happily
accepts the child begotten by someone else as God’s gift.

Q4. Is Gangu the hero of the story? If so, how does the story make him
one? What is the role of the child in the story?

Ans: Gangu has the right sense of judgement as he is bold enough to stand
against societal pressure. He’s the real hero who believes in equal
rights for women and treats his wife not as an object but as an
individual. He is kind and considerate towards Gomti and accepts
her child. The role of the child is to establish Gangu as the embodiment
of goodness.

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10.11 EXAMINATION ORIENTED QUESTIONS

1. Premchand is the pen name of ________________________.

(Dhanpat Rai Srivastava)

2. He is popularly known as .(Upnayas samraat).

3. He is known as Master of . (realistic fiction)

4. He has written more than a dozen novels and short stories. (250).

5. His objective of writing was to the society. (transform)

6. “The Child” is a on middle-class morality. (satire)

7. The story is told in narrative form.(first person)

8. The theme of the story is .(social reformation)

9. On seeing baby in the arms, the narrator compares Gangu’s happiness

with__________.(Nanda of Mahabharata)

10. Gangu is called by the narrator. (embodiment of goodness)

Q1. What is your opinion about the ending of the story ? Do you really
feel his solution is idealistic? Substantiate your answer.

Ans. The writer gives a happy end to the story and justifies the action of
marrying Gangu to Gomti Devi whom the narrator thought to be a
woman of doubtful character. On being asked by the narrator about
the acceptance of someone else’s child, Gangu supported his
argument by quoting an example. He said that a person who buys a
harvested field dose not refuse the produce because it was sown
by somebody else. The solution may be idealistic but it is justified
in context of the story. The narrator was convinced on hearing his
argument and felt ashamed of his narrow thinking. Gangu also taught
the narrator that woman cannot be won over by just providing boarding
and lodging. The man-woman relationship is based on love and not on
social status. These remarks passed by an uneducated Brahmin left a

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 great impact on his mind and the narrator took the baby in his arms
and kissed him with affection. He then went with Gangu to see
Gomti. The end of the story compels everyone to cast aside all kinds of
pressures that society exerts on us. Man and woman are born equal
but the society is prejudiced towards women. Attitudes have to be
changed and women are to be given respect. The story depicts the picture
of the pre-Independence Indian society but it has its relevance in the
modern Indian society too. In this era also if a man’s wife dies he is
allowed to get married but if a woman’s husband dies, marrying again
is considered as a taboo. The end of the story is quite inspiring and
urging people to change their mindsets.

Q2. What is the idea of morality that Gangu seems to represent? How
does this contradict what the narrator believes?

Ans: In the opinion of Gangu, morality is to be just, kind and respectful

towards woman. One should not think of harming others and lead a
peaceful and harmonious life. In this story, he does not bother about
the rumours floated by the people against Gomti Devi. His idea of morality
clashed with that of the narrator. His courage and sincerity touched
his master towards the end of the story. He proved to be a man of
understanding with a practical approach to the problems of life. He
married Gomti against all social pressures. Six months after this
marriage with Gomti, the later gave birth to a child which he knew to be
of someone else’s, but he gladly accepted the same to ensure a happy
life. This conduct of Gangu humbled the narrator. In the heart of hearts,
the narrator started feeling guilty for opposing Gangu’s marriage with
Gomti. Gangu’s large heartedness and unconditional love for Gomti
changes the Master’s heart. He accepted Gangu as an embodiment of
goodness. In order to expiate for his false sense of morality, he went to
see Gomti along with Gangu. Gangu’s sincerity thus exposed the
hollowness of the narrator’s concept of morality.

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Q3. At the end of the story, it is the arrival of the child that resolves all
problems. Comment.

Ans. The arrival of the child resolves all problems. If there is no child
Gangu’s worth is unnoticed in the story. Gangu’s bold decision of
marrying Gomti Devi was socially unacceptable to the people in
general and his master in particular. Gangu never bothered about
the reputation of Gomti Devi. After marriage both lived happily in a hut.
He worked as a hawker and was contented to earn a small amount
of money. After some time Gomti left Gangu without informing him
which pained Gangu but he blamed himself for her escape. He went
in search of her and after some time she came back with the baby she
had delivered. She had actually gone to the hospital for the delivery
of the child. Gangu was very happy to see the child and went to
narrator’s place carrying the child in his arms. The narrator taunted
him for carrying an illegitimate child as it was born six months after
Gangu’s marriage with Gomti. He reasoned that a person, who bought
a harvested field, could not refuse the produce because it was sown
by somebody else. He meant that when he accepted Gomti as his
wife, he found no harm in accepting her child also. This impressed
the narrator and he felt humbled. He considered Gangu as a man of
better understanding than himself. Gangu’s large heartedness
and unconditional love for Gomti changes the heart of the narrator.
Gangu teaches him the lesson of courage, compassion and what the
real goodness is. Thus, we can say that the arrival of child resolves all
the problems, social as well as personal.

10.12 SUGGESTED READING

• The Pierian Spring: An Anthology for BA, B.Sc, B.Com and BCA,
first year, University of Jammu.

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