Give a critical estimate of the story Deliverance
Answers
The story Deliverance which was originally written in Hindi titled Sadgati meaning a good death, is quite ironic and by this story Premchand had been successful in criticising and satirising Hindu society and its prejudiced norms.
EXPLANATION:
This short story titled ‘Deliverance’ deals with the subjects of class discrimination and untouchability. The story is of Dhuki, the central character of the story, who lives a tough life with his wife Jhuria and daughter. His daughter’s engagement has been fixed and hence Dhuki needed the help of the Brahmin Pandit Ghasiram to fix a propitious day for the engagement of his daughter.
However, Dhuki and his wife are very meticulous and anxious as in what way they would receive the Pandit at their house. From this we can see that in what way the lower caste people respect and revere the Brahmins so much. However as the story proceed, we get to see the vainness of the so-called Brahmins.
The more Dhuki and his wife were worried about the welcome of the Pandit the more opportunist and negligent the Brahmin was. Here is where the irony of caste discrimination in the Indian society comes. The Pandit to who Dhuki had gone to fix an auspicious day for his daughter’s engagement took advantage of this situation and made Dhuki to work in his house.
Dhuki had split hard pieces of wood and carry straw. All day long Dhuki worked diligently in hunger, however the Pandit and his wife did not care to feed Dhuki. Moreover, the Pandit went on to insult Dhuki as he was unable to split the wood piece, and in trying to split the wood with his utmost strength, Dhuki got exhausted and died instantly. Even after Dhuki’s death, he did not get proper funeral rituals. Therefore, Premchand, in his story ‘Deliverance’ has depicted the disastrous impact of caste discrimination in the Indian society
The critical analysis of the story ‘Deliverance’ is given below in the form of attachment.