Module: General Practice
Q47: Consider the following statements regarding the allegorical representation of the mother as "Mother India":
1. In a broad allegorical reading, the mother represents the authentic, rural, and self-sacrificing soul of traditional India (Bharat Mata).
2. Mr. Shamnath represents the protective new nation-state, fiercely guarding its rural heritage against any form of foreign exploitation.
3. The story's climax symbolizes the new Indian urban elite willingly selling out the country's indigenous heritage to secure foreign capital and personal advancement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
2. Mr. Shamnath represents the protective new nation-state, fiercely guarding its rural heritage against any form of foreign exploitation.
3. The story's climax symbolizes the new Indian urban elite willingly selling out the country's indigenous heritage to secure foreign capital and personal advancement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: C
The correct combination is statements 1 and 3. This concept relies on advanced literary allegory.
Structurally, the mother—old, vernacular-speaking, clad in traditional garments, and stripped of her wealth to educate her son—is a potent symbol for the raw, traditional nation of India (Statement 1). Shamnath represents the newly educated, post-independence ruling class.
When Shamnath forces his mother to blindly sew the Phulkari for the American Boss, it is a direct allegory for the new Indian elite exploiting the labor and heritage of the rural heartland to appease foreign investors (Statement 3). Statement 2 is incorrect because Shamnath is the exact opposite of protective; he is the active agent of exploitation.
The causal reasoning in this allegory highlights the betrayal of the national ideal, where the motherland's sacrifices are rewarded with marginalization by her own modernized children.
Structurally, the mother—old, vernacular-speaking, clad in traditional garments, and stripped of her wealth to educate her son—is a potent symbol for the raw, traditional nation of India (Statement 1). Shamnath represents the newly educated, post-independence ruling class.
When Shamnath forces his mother to blindly sew the Phulkari for the American Boss, it is a direct allegory for the new Indian elite exploiting the labor and heritage of the rural heartland to appease foreign investors (Statement 3). Statement 2 is incorrect because Shamnath is the exact opposite of protective; he is the active agent of exploitation.
The causal reasoning in this allegory highlights the betrayal of the national ideal, where the motherland's sacrifices are rewarded with marginalization by her own modernized children.