Voices In The City(Anita Desai)

2 Pages 546 Words

Voices in the city

Voices in the city is a pessimistic novel like Cry the peacock.The protagonists of this novel are detached , self-centered and remain aloof from others just as Maya in Cry the peacock, who alienates herself from the rest.What they always wanted was shadows,silence and stillness and that was what they were left with.
Nirode the main character is an editor of a newspaper. The novel begins with the scene at the station when nirode comes to see his brother off. When the train departs he starts introspecting , compares his capabilities and achievements with Arun’s. He broods over the way he has grown up with his shortcomings and laidback attitude.Wonders the way he has whiled away his time since childhood and has been a looser always.This thought (realization) makes him envy Arun who has always been the winner.
In this novel the life of Calcutta has been portrayed . The characters of this novel especially Nirode and his sister Monisha feel themselves detached from this city.They find it difficult to cope up with its busy life where people are so ambitious and rapacious.Their mother who lives in Kalimpong is also like any of the calcuttians and that is the reason they don’t approve of certain things about her.Nirode never replies to her letters never feels the need of her embrace and shelter because he thinks she is having an affair with Major Chaddha. He finds her lusty at this age and fels that she is no more concerned about her children’s feelings and emotions.Even the company his friends dosent excite him and he becomes a loner.
Thinking that after reaching lofty heights there is no other way than to descend to the bottom , Nirode feels why not to take a shortcut and remain at the bottom since this is the ultimate destination.Because he has never achieved anything in his life , he starts living revelling in the failures .He gives up too soon and leaves the pursuit of success.Living in a sm...