Characters

The Narrator

She is the granddaugther of Douglas and Tessie Rivers. She does not remember her grandfather but her grandmother. There is a forbidden topic in the family, namely the first wife of her grandfather named Olivia, until an old friend of Tessie and Douglas from India named Harry appeares. He left the family the old letters written by Olivia to her sister Marcia in 1923. The narrator travels to India to reconstruct the story of Olivia. She likes to have her room empty and just filled with things she needs. In India she works hard at her Hindi to communicate and she tries to adapt herself to India by wearing Indian clothes and eating Indian food. Hence she loves to be involved in the Indian society for example with Inder Lal’s mother and her friends. Almost every day she learns new things in India and so she changes step by step. She is very hospitable because she hosts Chid when he is ill twice. But she also is somehow naive because she gets involved with Chid, although does not want him go ahead with it. Her social engagement also is shown when she finds the old beggar woman and wants to help her. When she stary an affair with Inder Lal she gets pregnant but keeps it secret. She tries an abortion but when Maji massages her she feels like something is transmitted to her and suddenly she feels and intense wish to keep the baby. She leaves Satipur and goes up to the town of X to recover Olivia’s life. So she finds out that Olivia’s soul must have been suffused by the view and India itself. Having uncovered everything about Olivia the narrator thinks about herself again and decides to give birth to her baby at the swamis further up.

Olivia Rivers

Olivia is the first wife of the narrator’s grandfather Douglas. They live together in Satipur (India) until she elopes with the Nawab. Olivia does not want to fit in the typical pattern of a Victorian women. Of course she complys with general expectations like staying at home and she tries to make the home a comfortable place for Douglas and decorates her house with flowers, pictures and rugs. She also spends her time at home playing piano and sometimes she sews, too. Furthermore, she holds in the etiquette rules in clothing. She really likes to wear beautiful dresses, shoes and jewelry because she likes to attract attention. But she does not fulfill the etiquette rules in behaviour. She is not just the innocent and submissive woman but rebellious concerning the etiquette. This is shown at a dinner at the Crawford’s when she just takes another stand to be not in agreement with the others. This kind of having an intelecutal opinion is unusual. Moreover, Olivia is affected by graveyards because of the story behind the graves. At some times she is so touched that she has to cry. She is very emotional. Moreover, she loves Douglas very much- so much that she would burn herself with his dead body. She admires him and loves various little things like his popping eyes when he is amazed or his firm and manly voice. The couple would like to have babies but for some reason Olivia does not get pregnant. Olivia is very impressed by the palace and also by the Nawab because he is interested in her the way she is used from Great Britain. She does not feel fine in India because she is somehow an outsider between all the other long-established British-Indian families. That’s the reason why she does not want to go to Simla in summer. This changes when the Nawab steps into her life. She likes that he makes her feel like she is the only person who matters for him. After the picnic she begins to write longer letters to her sister Marcia because she needs someone to confide in. Without telling Douglas she visits Khatm every day. Because of her dislike for the British-Indian society she refuses to go up to Simla as the women are supposed to. She tries to please Douglas but more and more troubles occur. Olivia does not get pregnant although she wishes profoundly to have a baby. Getting more and more involved with the Nawab she has sex with him. When she gets pregnant she is in a moral dilemma because she does not know whose child it is. She decides to have an abotion which is a very courageous step for a British woman in her time. After eloping with the Nawab she spends the rest of her life in the town of X. There she lives a similar life as she lived before is mostly alone except the few visits by the Nawab. She is cremated on the Hindu cremation ground.

 Douglas Rivers

Douglas is the grandfather of the narrator. He workes for the government in colonial India as the collector’s assistant and lives there together with his first wife Olivia in Satipur. Douglas is said to be just and upright and he works very hard. Because of these features he is favoured by the Indians and the British. He speaks Hindustani fluently and so he is able to have conversations with the inhabitants. Furthermore, he is noble and handsome. He loves his Olivia very much although in his eyes the heat in India is too much for her which makes her irritable. So he thinks the problem is solved if she goes to Simla. Douglas adheres to all the rules and etiquettes put on him and so he refuses and invitation from the Nawab without his superior althogh his wife really wants to go. He does not know about his wife’s affair with the Nawab but must have suspected it because he always speaks badly of the Nawab. When Olivia has the abortion in Khatm she begins to miscarriage in Satipur and so he brings her to hospital. This betray is compunded when Olivia elopes. Afterwards he marries Tessie, the sister of Beth Crawford. They have a son and after the British Raj he and Tessie go back to England.

Tessie Rivers

She is the grandmother of the narrator. After the wedding with Douglas she has a full and happy life in India. In the course of time she, her husband and her sister Beth return to England. The narrator describes her and Beth as ”cheerful women with a sensible and modern outlook on life” (page 7, line 21). She never talks about Olivia until Harry appears to bring them Olivia’s letters.

Beth Crawford

Beth is the narrator’s great-aunt. She also lived in India with her husband and had a full and happy life there. Together with her friend Mrs. Minnies she represents the typical perfect British-Indian woman. Douglas and Tessie met because Tessie visited Beth in Satipur. Moreover, she is helpful: when Harry breaths the wish to go back to England she organizes the passage. When Olivia elopes she decides to be silet about Olivia because she changed the “sides”. Beth also returned to England in course of time.

Major Minnies

Major Minnies is also employed in the British Administration. Although has many problems with the Nawab, he admires him in some way. After Olivia’s elopement, he banished Olivia from his thought but still thought so much about the influence of India on the British that he published a monograph. He and his wife live the perfect British-Indian life. After the British Raj they stay in India.

The Saunders

Dr. Saunders is the senior doctor in Satipur. He lives together with his wife. When Olivia has her abortion she miscarriages in his hospital and so he knows exactly what happened. Afterwards he says that Olivia always was somehow rotten. Mrs. Saunders suffers from the bereavement of her baby. So also her real attitude towards the British-Indian life becomes clear: she wants to go home to England. She also does not represent the typical British-Indian woman because she is not that educated, has a sloveny house and screams at her servants.

Harry

Harry is an old friend of Douglas, Tessie and Beth. He lives with the Nawab at his palace although he originally comes from Great Britain. His role at palace is not accurately defined. Harry is not very handsome and attractive but he is a great entertainer and knows how to amuse people. Unfortunately, he suffers from the heat in India and does not feel good at hot days. He is torn between staying with the Nawab and visiting his ill mother in England and stays because the Nawab persuades him. So he loves to visit Olivia and he calls her house an oasis. Furthermore, he does not like the relationship between Olivia and the Nawab but helps Olivia when she wants to have an abortion. One day he eventually manages to persuade the Nawab to go home. There he lives several years with his mother until she dies and after that with his friend Ferdie. The Nawab often visits them. He keeps contact to Olivia’s sister Marcia and so he got the letters from Olivia to Marcia written in 1923. After Douglas death he brings the letters to Tessie and Beth.

The Nawab

The Nawab is an Indian prince living in his palace which was built in the 1820s in Khatm. He rules since he is 15 and so he is used to get everything he wants. Always surrounded by many people including Harry he really likes to entertain Europeans. He is described as generous and always appears to listen closely to his guests although he also notices his surrounding. Furthermore, he is manly and strong and very sure of his great power. So he is used to get everything he wants to have. He was married to a woman called Sandy but the marriage broke up because she was mentally ill. He is interested in Olivia because she reminds him of Sandy and so he visites her and later on he invites her for a picnic by involving all Indian codes of honour. But behind the curtain he has many problems. At first his financial problems burden him and he is also involved in affairs with dacoits. For these reasons he has problems with the British Administration. After losing his power he travels to London to ask for more money. So he travels between Harry, his mother, Sandy and Olivia. By the time he gets very fat, soft and somehow womanly. Eight years before Olivia he dies from fit of apoplexy.

The Begum

The Begum is the Nawab’s mother. She is in her fifties and is handsome exept a large wart on her cheek. Not being able to speak English she is not able to speak with Olivia. She is chain-smoking cigarettes and appears to be very relaxed. Futhermore, she is described as inconstant because she often changes her opinion for example in going up to the mountains or not. She sold the family jewelry to have a pleasant life in New York after her son lost his power.

Sandy

Sandy is the wife of the Nawab. She is modern and beatiful and the Nawab compares her to Olivia. Her family (the Cabobpurs) is very rich and did not agree to the marriage. Because of a mental disease she lives in a clinic in Switzerland.

Inder Lal

Inder Lal lives with his wife Ritu, his mother and three children in a small and untidy flat in Satipur. He is a government officer and often suffers by the intrigues and jealousy at work. Moreover, he is about 25 or 26 and his careworn expression hides his young face. His eyes show his longing to life. He is very religious which is shown at the shrine at the Nawab’s palace and his interest in Chid. At first he is embarrassed to be seen with the narrator but soon he begins to be proud of his English friend. He is helpless concerning his ill wife Ritu and accepts every advice to help her. But he also somehow suffers from the arranged marriage. So he is even insecure if his wife is pretty or not. Furthermore, he likes to be together with the narrator and so they start an affair. He does not know about the narrator’s pregnancy.

Inder Lal’s mother

She is a widow in her 50s but still healthy and strong. Having fun with her friends this probably is the best part of her life. She is very proud of her son but her daughter-in-law makes some problems because of her frame of mind. As her son, she is very religious. Moreover, she is used to look over girls to check them as a possible wife for her son as she did to find Ritu.

Ritu

Ritu is Inder Lal’s wife and they have several children. She is very mentally and physically very weak and has sometimes kinds of outbursts. She is always locked up in the house but sometimes accompanies her mother-in-law to the bazaar. Sometimes she visits the narrator but she never speaks to her because she is really shy. Moreover, Ritu suffers from a psychological disease and so she has often outbursts. At the end she goes on pilgrimage with her mother-in-law to get rid of it.

Chid

Chid (full name Chidananda) is an originally American but came to India to live the Hindu religion. So he turned Ascetic, changed his name and pilgrimates. He only posesses his orange robe, some beads and a begging bowl. Chid is dependent on other people and has not removed all of his past because he still writes home for money. When the narrator hosts Chid he also goes through her posessions and takes what he wants because of his disbelief in posessions. He is always hungry and need sex very often. So the narrator compares him to Lord Shiva. After the advice of Maji he pilgrimates with Ritu and Inder Lal’s mother. One day he comes back and had changed totally. So he ended his ascetic life and just wants to go home but first has to spend some time in hospital because of his liver and kidneys.

Marcia

Marcia is Olivia’s sister. Normally, they do not have a close relationship but when Olivia gets in contact with the Nawab and the relationship between them grows Olivia writes long letters to her. Marcia seves as a kind of diary to relieve Olivia’s guilty conscience. She thinks that she and Olivia are much alike but this is not true: Marcia smokes and drinks very much.

Maji

Maji is a friend of Inder Lal’s mother and later also of the narrator. In the past she was a midwife and had to earn the money for her children and her husband. So she had a hard life. After her husband died and the children were old enough she started to visit holy places. Now she lives in a small hut and is a kind of a sage. The narrator describes her as an earthy-looking, peasant, fat and jolly woman with magic powers. So Maji is also the one who persuades Chid to pilgrimate with Inder Lal’s mother and Ritu. She tells the narrator that she is pregnant because Indian midwifes are able to tell it by the way the woman walks. So Maji also offers an abortion and the narrator feels like Maji transmits something to her. This also affirms the thought of Maji as a spiritual wise woman.