Question

theme of blue umbrella by ruskin bond

Answer 1

OK The Blue Umbrella is a very short novel by Ruskin Bond. Though the direct audience of this novel are children but grown-ups and old ones too like this novel because of the writing style and the message it conveys.

I personally felt that the main theme of the story is to keep others happy by doling out the things that you love most. It is tough to renounce the things that we love. In this novel, the lead character is Binya – a small girl from hills. She is of tender age but when she stumbles upon some picnickers from the plains and when they demand she gives up her tiger-claw to them in the exchange of the blue umbrella.

Later when the blue umbrella becomes a thing of envy for ordinary and unpretentious villagers, the greedy Ram Bharosa (the shopkeeper) takes possession of her umbrella by unethical ways. This act slanders his image and as a result people stop coming to or entertaining him – this further cause loss in his business. Unable to stand the agony of his loss, Binya officially gives her umbrella to him to save him from the loss he is suffering. In return, overwhelmed by her kindness, he gifts her bear-claw which is considered even luckier than the tiger’s.

Answer 2

In a small village of Himachal Pradesh, where a little girl, Binya, trades her old tiger claw necklace for a pretty, frilly blue umbrella. In the village the shopkeeper (Ram Bharosa) keeps an old ruined shop and sells warm Coca Cola bottles due to no refrigerator and sells sweets to the school going kids as a credit and regains his money as an axe and an earring etc. .For him an umbrella is a precious thing to have. The people in the village become very fond of her umbrella. Soon the shopkeeper becomes envious of the umbrella and tries to buy it from Binya but she refuses.

As time passes by, Ram Bharosa's desire to get the umbrella also increases. The schools get closed due to the arrival of the monsoon and Ram Bharosa employs a boy from the next village to work at the shop. When comes to know about his master's desire to own the umbrella, he offers to steal it for him. The shopkeeper unable to gain control on his craving, accepts it. He makes an attempt to steal the umbrella but fails and on being caught, he gives Ram Bharosa's name. Now everyone stopped coming to Ram Bharosa's shop. However, Binya realizes her mistake and that she shouldn't have shown off her umbrella because for now, due to it, Ram Bharosa was suffering. In the end, Binya gives the umbrella to Ram Bharosa, who returns her favor in future by gifting her a necklace with a bear's claw.