View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Etheses - A Saurashtra University Library Service Saurashtra University Re – Accredited Grade ‘B’ by NAAC (CGPA 2.93) Gediya, Ketan K., 2007, “A Critical Study of the Novels of Saros Cow Asjee, Ardashir Vakil and Farishta Murzban Dinshaw”, thesis PhD, Saurashtra University http://etheses.saurashtrauniversity.edu/id/831 Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Saurashtra University Theses Service http://etheses.saurashtrauniversity.edu [email protected] © The Author A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE NOVELS OF SAROS COWASJEE, ARDASHIR VAKIL AND FARISHTA MURZBAN DINSHAW A DISSERTATION TO BE SUBMITTED TO SAURASHTRA UNIVERSITY, RAJKOT FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLISH Supervised by: Submitted by: Dr. Jaydipsinh K. Dodiya Ketan K. Gediya Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer, Smt. S. H. Gardi Institute of English Department of English, & Comparative Literary Studies, Smt. S.R. Mehta Arts College, Saurashtra University, Ashram Road, Rajkot – 360 005. Ahmedabad – 380 014. Registration No.: 2772 2007 STATEMENT UNDER UNI. O. Ph.D. 7 I hereby declare that the work embodied in my thesis entitled as “A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE NOVELS OF SAROS COWASJEE, ARDASHIR VAKIL AND FARISHTA MURZBAN DINSHAW” , prepared for Ph.D. degree has not been submitted for any other degree of this University or any other University on any previous occasion. And to the best of my knowledge, no work has been reported on the above subject. And the work presented in this thesis is original and whenever references have been made to the work of others, they have been clearly indicated as such and the source of information is included in the bibliography. SUPERVISOR Dr. Jaydipsinh K. Dodiya Ketan K. Gediya Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer, Smt. S. H. Gardi Institute of English & Department of English, Comparative Literary Studies, Smt. S. R. Mehta Arts College, Saurashtra University, Ashram Road, Rajkot – 360 005. Ahmedabad – 380 014. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CHAPTER – 1 INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER – 2 A CRITICAL STUDY OF SAROS COWASJEE’S GOODBYE TO ELSA AND SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN 56 CHAPTER – 3 A CRITICAL STUDY OF ARDASHIR VAKIL’S BEACH BOY AND ONE DAY 113 CHAPTER – 4 A CRITICAL STUDY OF FARISHTA MURZBAN DINSHAW’S DISCOVERING ASHAVAN 192 CHAPTER – 5 CONCLUSION 238 APPENDIX – I A CONVERSATION WITH SAROS COWASJEE 252 APPENDIX – II A CONVERSATION WITH FARISHTA MURZBAN DINSHAW 258 BIBLIOGRAPHY 265 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS When I decided to undertake my doctoral research, I faced the problem which majority of research scholars do. It was the problem regarding finding a relevant research problem. It is true that there are very rare problems which are absolutely untrodden but I was interested in the literature written by a minority community. While I was a student at graduation and post graduation level, I had been interested in Parsis and their contribution in literature and other fields. I had come across the names of the few Parsi writers during this period. After completing my post graduation, I read the few works of the Parsi writers at random. When I decided to undertake my doctoral research I discussed about my interest with my supervisor Dr. Jaydipsinh Dodiya who encouraged me to work on the Parsi novelists. In this manner I set out on a journey into Parsi fiction which had been a highly rewarding experience. Though it took more than what I had initially thought of completing this dissertation, yet the present work, as it is, could be a reality because of generous support, guidance and co-operation of quite a few people around me. It is my moral duty to express my sense of sincere gratitude to all of them. The first and foremost, I am extremely grateful to Dr. Jaydipsinh Dodiya, Associate Professor, Department of English and CLS, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, without whose kind co-operation inspiration and esteemed guidance, this research work would have remained a dream. He is in real sense, a friend, philosopher and guide to me. His way of dealing with his research students is unique one. He never gets tired of answering questions. During the period of my research work, I have experienced that he is a man of insatiable nobility. I am extremely thankful to him for his motivation, when I most needed it. His perseverance for quality and hard work has always encouraged me to put in my best. I am also grateful to my departmental colleagues Prin. Dr. Indira Nityanandam for going through certain portion of the draft of my dissertation and Mr. Manish Bhatt and Mrs. Shobhana Nair for their co-operation in my work. I am deeply indebted to Saros Cowasjee and Farishta Murzban Dinshaw who not only responded to my e-mails and queries but also sent me some useful material in their novels. Unfortunately I could not make any contact with Ardashir Vakil. I am also thankful to Mr. Mark Vajcner, Librarian, University of Regina, for sending me some useful material on the works of Saros Cowasjee. I take this opportunity to express my thanks to Prof. B. S. Nimavat, Head, Department of English and Dr. Dilip Bhatt, V. D. Kanakia Arts and M. R. Sanghavi Commerce College for their valuable suggestions, encouragement and co-operation in my work. I owe a great deal to my dear parents for whom no words of gratitude are enough as they always encouraged me and blessed me on the path of my academic journey. For the sacrifice, my wife Heena and my lovely daughter Ishita, gave during these years of research was painstaking for them. But for their support this dissertation would not have seen the light of the day. I am also thankful to my brothers Parth and Indra for their encouragement and support. For variety of reasons my special thanks are due to my friends and colleagues. I cannot mention names of all, as the list is very extensive. But I acknowledge all those, whose contribution has made this work possible. - Ketan K. Gediya. CHAPTER – 1 INTRODUCTION Who are the Parsis? : Parsis, the followers in India of the prophet Zoroaster (Avestan Zarathushtra) are descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to India to avoid religious persecution by the Muslim rulers. The name Parsi is from Pars (The Middle Persian word for Fars) region now within the geographical boundaries of Iran, and the original homeland of the Persian people. The word Persia itself derives from Persis, the Greek form of Pars. Indian census data (2001) records 96,601 Parsis in India, making them India’s smallest racial-cum-religious minority. The number of Parsis worldwide is estimated to be less then 1,00,000. In 2004, the Indian government accorded the Parsi community the status of Scheduled Tribe, which provides them with special protection and direct representation in Parliament. The word Parsi is really an ethnic term or identity for this minority community. As the Parsis are followers of prophet Zoroaster their religion is known as Zoroastrianism. Zoroaster was born in Azerbaijan, North Iran in 660 BCE. Both his father’s name Pourushaspa and his mother’s name Dughdova bear striking resemblance to the Sanskrit words having the same meaning. Pourushaspa is a combination of two words: Pourushapa or Purusha in Sanskrit means man, and Aspa, which becomes Ashva in Sanskrit means a horse. The term Dughda in Dughdova means milk in Sanskrit and in Avestan. The word Zoroaster which in the Avestan Language means ‘loving the camel’ is exactly identical with the Sanskrit word for camel, which also is Ushtra. Zoroaster reformed the existing polytheistic beliefs of the ancient Persians. He established a new religion, which was named after him as Zoroastrianism. The originality of Zoroastrianism lay in its rejection of the 2 myriad gods of the age and its concentration on the spirit of good. Zoroaster combined in an orderly ethical system data familiar to his age, handed down by Persian and Indian prophets. His doctrines appear not to have been greatly influenced by the more ancient-orient but seem rather to have sprung from his own soil and people, growing out of the older Aryan faiths. He sought a purification of current beliefs and strove to establish a monotheism, which would free man from loyalty to deities connected with magic. Many modern scholars believe that Zoroastrianism had a large influence on Judaism, Mithraism and Manichaeism and thus indirectly influenced Christianity and Islam. Zoroastrianism combines elements of monotheism and dualism. To Zoroaster the sole God was Ahura-Mazda, whereas to other people this God only one among many deities. Other divinities, for example, the sun God Mithra, were revered at the time, but to Zoroaster these traditional deities were not gods at all, but demons. Central to Zoroastrianism is the world’s constant struggle between good and evil. In the beginning of creation, the supreme God Ahura-Mazda created two twin spirits, for good ‘Spenta Mainya’ and for evil ‘Angra Mainya’ or ‘Ahriman’. Man is free to choose the path of either spirit. The path of good or righteousness ‘Asha’ will lead to happiness ‘Ushta’, whereas the path of evil will lead to unhappiness, enmity and war. Therefore it’s strongly encouraged that one chooses Asha.