Draw a character sketch of Lachmi | Do you sympathise with her

Draw a character sketch of Lachmi. Do you sympathise with her ? Class 11 | English (Karma) 6 Marks

Ans:

Lachmi is portrayed as a simple Indian woman right from the moment she is introduced in the story. She is short, fat and in her mid-forties and she is fond of jewelleries. She wears a ‘dirty’ white sari with a red border. Had she been sophisticated like her husband, she would have chosen her dress likewise. The brass tiffin-carrier containing cramped chapattis and mango pickle also highlights her ordinariness. Later, when she starts conversing with the coolie, the readers can understand that she does not discriminate between a rich and a poor-this is another naive trait. But her simplicity fails to attract her husband because she is a traditional woman and is incapable in imbibing British culture. Her illiterate relatives are disliked by Sir Mohan Lal. So they never came. The way she wipes her hand in her sari and emits loud belches shows her indifference towards artificial etiquette. She has no vanity. Her innocence is also evident in her meek obedience to her husband. She is the representative of native Indian women who are dominated by their husbands. Finally, her sending a red dribble across like a dart concludes her disregard for western mannerism as well as so-called urban sophistication.

The readers sympathise with Lachmi as her husband, Sir Mohan Lal does not consider her to be an ideal match. He always behaves with her rudely and hates her. But she does not complain against such misconduct. Rather she meekly accepts the subjugation and mastery’ of her husband and proves herself to be an obedient wife.