Summary of the short story fritz by Satyajit ray
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The Short story ‘Fritz’ written by Satyajit Ray published in his book ‘Collected Short Stories’ is about a Swiss doll named Fritz.
Jayanto, the protagonist, works in the editorial section of a newspaper and Shankar, the narrator is a school teacher. Both of them are great friends and have finally managed to get some time to go on a trip together. They decide to go to Bundi; a village in Rajasthan where Jayanto had been before in his childhood with his parents.
They stay at the Circuit house (a kind of guest house) where Jayanto had stayed before in his childhood due to his father’s frequent work trips there. Upon reaching, Shankar realises that Jayanto is in somewhat pensive mood and queries about it. Jayanto says that the old memories are rushing into his mind. Shankar thinks that being the overemotional guy Jayanto is, he’s being nostalgic, so he doesn’t say anything in that matter.
They go for sightseeing in the compound and suddenly Jayanto remembers that there was a tall deodar tree there. He searches for it and finds it at the end of the compound. He looks at the trunk searchingly and says here he had met a European but doesn’t exactly remember who it was or how they had met.
They return to the Circuit house where Dilwar, the cook, has prepared their dinner. Meanwhile Jayanto seems to remember the old memory of the European. He tells Shankar the tale about Fritz which Shankar hears amusedly. It was a one-foot tall Swiss doll brought from Switzerland by his uncle for him. He says he was very much attached to the doll and was devastated when two stray dogs had mutilated it. He had buried the doll’s remnants under the very same deodar tree.
Shankar is quite tired so he goes to bed but wakes up abruptly in the middle of the night and finds Jayanto sitting on his bed, looking perplexed. Upon asking the reason, Jayanto says that something had walked over his chest when he was asleep. Shankar assures that it could have been his dream but Jayanto shows him his pillow. Faint marks were there pointing to the fact that an animal had walked over it. Shankar does a thorough search of the place but doesn’t find any small animal like mice or rats. Shankar feels that his friend is just exaggerating but tells him soothing words nevertheless. After this they both go to sleep.
The following day, during their visit to an old fort on the hills, Jayanto remains quite lost in thoughts. After returning, Shankar queries about it persistently. Jayanto says that Fritz, the doll, had come back alive and it was the doll last night who had walked over his chest leaving his footprints. Shankar, now annoyed with Jayanto’s irrational fears, suggests to dig up the doll’s grave and see for himself that the doll isn’t back.
Jayanto agrees; together they have the gardener dig the place where Fritz had been buried. To their horror, they find a pure white 12-inch skeleton, exactly the same size as Fritz. They both are confused and scared to see this. Naturally, weird thoughts and assumptions pop into their mind. The story ends here on a cliffhanger
The short story "Fritz," by Satyajit Ray, a Bengali filmmaker, writer, and composer, delves into the childhood memories of Jayanto. In this chilling tale, Jayanto, who works for a newspaper, is reunited with his childhood friend, Shankar, the narrator. They have planned to journey to Bundi, a rural town in India, that holds many childhood memories for Jayanto. As the two friends sightsee, Jayanto's memories of his father and the circuit house make him nostalgic. When they visit the fort, Jayanto is carried back in time to a different era, where craftsmanship was valued.
As the story progresses, Jayanto becomes quiet, sad, and absent-minded. However, he remembers a Deodar tree that was important to him and becomes excited when he is able to locate the tree and show it to Shankar. Later, upon reflecting about his childhood, he confides to his friend that he once had a Swiss doll named Fritz who was very lifelike. Fritz stood one foot tall and was attired in Swiss clothes. The doll was attacked by dogs and ripped apart. Jayanto, heartbroken about Fritz's untimely demise, buried the doll under the Deodar tree.
One night, Jayanko awakes with a start. He thinks there may be rats in their room. Neither Shankar or Jayanto can find the animal that disturbed Jayanto's sleep. Jayanto becomes more and more agitated, believing it was Fritz who visited him. Shankar, thinking his friend is needlessly upset, suggests going back to the tree to dig up the doll. The frightening twist occurs at the end of the story. Instead of digging up a doll, the pair has dug up a tiny, human skeleton. The reader is left to question just who or what Fritz was. What was Jayanko's role in Fritz's death?
Ray explores the motif of childhood memories and their effect on adulthood. Additionally, the friendship of Jayanko and Shankar is revealed. While the reader can only guess at Fritz's real identity, it is clear that Fritz's impact on Jayanko is everlasting.