Module: General Practice
Q13: Consider the following statements regarding the role of language and communication in the story:
1. The mother's inability to speak English is viewed by Shamnath as a fundamental marker of her backwardness and a major social handicap.
2. The American Boss insists that all communication in the house be conducted strictly in English, punishing any use of Hindi.
3. When the Boss interacts with the mother, Shamnath steps in as an embarrassed and manipulative translator, trying to control the narrative.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
2. The American Boss insists that all communication in the house be conducted strictly in English, punishing any use of Hindi.
3. When the Boss interacts with the mother, Shamnath steps in as an embarrassed and manipulative translator, trying to control the narrative.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: C
The correct combination is statements 1 and 3. Language functions as a powerful tool of class division in the narrative.
Structurally, Shamnath is deeply insecure about his mother's monolingual, vernacular background, viewing English as the ultimate currency of sophistication (Statement 1). During the accidental encounter, Shamnath acts as a highly anxious intermediary, translating the Boss's words while simultaneously barking harsh commands at his mother in their native tongue to make her perform (Statement 3). Contextually, English in post-colonial India was the language of power and upward mobility.
Statement 2 is incorrect because the American Boss is actually quite accommodating, attempting to speak broken Hindi (like Namaste) to make the mother comfortable, contrasting sharply with Shamnath's linguistic elitism.
Structurally, Shamnath is deeply insecure about his mother's monolingual, vernacular background, viewing English as the ultimate currency of sophistication (Statement 1). During the accidental encounter, Shamnath acts as a highly anxious intermediary, translating the Boss's words while simultaneously barking harsh commands at his mother in their native tongue to make her perform (Statement 3). Contextually, English in post-colonial India was the language of power and upward mobility.
Statement 2 is incorrect because the American Boss is actually quite accommodating, attempting to speak broken Hindi (like Namaste) to make the mother comfortable, contrasting sharply with Shamnath's linguistic elitism.