Question

What is the irony in sahebs name how does sahib cease to be master of his own self

Answer 1

The name 'Saheb e Alam' means the master of the universe, but Saheb in the story is a rag picker who is an immigrant from Dhaka. the slum in which he lives is devoid of all the basic amenities but he and his people make rag-picking a livelihood. At the end of he story, the narrator sees Saheb carrying milk canister belonging to his employer. Saheb now has a permanent job, income and enough food. but the author notices that the boy does not look as care free as he used to be. the reason,she thinks, is that he is carrying the load of someone else and he has to be at the beck and call of another man. He used to be his own master when he was a rag-picker. That made all the difference.