Analyse af Kushwant Singhs novelle 'Karma'

The short story Karma, was written by Kushwant Sighn and it was published in 1989

In the short story we follow the main character Sir Mohan Lal, who is a rich Indian man. The story takes place In India three years after the British rule (1858-1947) The story mainly takes place in a railway station and in a train.

In the story we follow a Indian man called Sir Mohan Lal who adores the English culture, even though he only have lived there for five years. “in his five years abroad, Sir Mohan had acquired the manners and attitudes of the upper classes. He rarely spoke Hindustani. It seems like he despises the Indian culture. Not only that. Also less educated Indians, including his wife Lachmi. “She was short and fat and in her middle forties. She wore a dirty white sari with a red border.” He talked to and about her as she was less worthy than him.

The characters in the short story is Sir Mohan Lal, his wife, the two English soldiers – Bill and Jim – and the luggage bearer and the coolie – and a coolie was a term used for unskilled labourers In India, and today it is a racial slur. This indicate that the luggage bearer and the coolie have a low status in the English society, suggesting that the coolie and the bearer is seen as servants and not as individuals, and that the two soldiers – Bill and Jim – has a much higher social status.