Question

What is the theme and message of the story "The Letter" - by Dhumaketu class 10 CBSE ?

Answer 1

The theme of the chapter ‘The Letter’ is that the human beings are transformed into better beings by suffering. For example, Ali’s brutality to animals is converted to his sensitivity to their sufferings after he is separated from his own daughter. Similarly, the postmaster is transformed into a much more understanding man after he comes to know about his own daughter’s illness. This chapter is also about Ali’s wait for a letter from his separated daughter. Dhumketu wants to tell the readers a very important message that we don't live in a chaotic and unorganized universe where our deeds go unrecorded! He wants to teach us that each and every thought we think, each and every word we speak, and each and every action we do, there is a reckoning done automatically. And this reckoning is done here and now on this earth, during our present lifetime; not in the distant future. We are accountable for our actions. For instance, the postmaster in the story 'The Letter' behaves quite unsympathetically and rudely with Ali, who is already sad and sorrowful for his past misdeeds and separation from Miriam. The same postmaster has to repent for his rudeness when his own daughter falls ill. He realizes how it feels being separated from daughter. So all sins are punished here by the Providence. Ali was punished for inflicting pain on innocent partridges and hares; and later on the postmaster was punished for being insensitive to Ali's pain!

Answer 2

The letter is an emotional, heart rending story about an old hunter, coach man Ali. The story evolves around Ali, his daughter Miriam, post master, letter. Ali visited post office daily for receiving a letter from his daughter Miriam who left him after marriage