character sketches of gupta
Answers
Answer:
In the story The Price of
Flowers, Mr Gupta was an Indian residing in England. He once saw a 13 year old
girl named Alice Margaret Clifford but called Maggie in a vegetarian
restaurant. He slowly befriended her and her mother who were anxious to know
about Maggie’s brother’s welfare in India where he was employed in the military
service. Gupta was once shown a crystal ring sent to them by the brother.
Once when the ill mother asked
Gupta to look at the ring and say how the son was, he did not hesitate lying
that he was fine. The mother became better. But, Gupta soon became sad when he
learnt that the son had died even before he said such a lie. However, he kept
this fact to himself. When he was about to leave for India for a new job,
Maggie met him and gave a shilling to buy flowers for keeping on her brother’s
grave. After she left, Gupta wiped his tears and went upstairs to resume his
packing.
This shows that Gupta was a caring and sensitive person. It was his caring nature that made him hide the fact about the brother’s death when he knew the truth. The sensitivity is shown when Maggie gives him the shilling to buy flowers for her brother’s grave.