Plot Summary

     Hey everyone, how's everyone doing? I would just like to inform you that I am about 30-40 pages from finishing the novel A Fine Balance; therefore I believe I can write about what I thought the plot was. So here is the plot summary:

     A Fine Balance is a story that takes place after the Independence of India in 1947. Over time, the story progresses into the time of the Emergency-called by Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi- till near the end of the Emergency. One thing to note right away is that none of the characters ever address Indira Gandhi by her name, instead they simply refer to her as "the Prime Minister," who knows why, perhaps just a sign of respect. The main characters, Dina Dalal, Maneck Kohlah, Ishvar and Om Darji, are all lead to each other due to economic forces that at the time; are drastically changing India.

     Ishvar Darji and his nephew Omprakash Darji (commonly referred to as Om Darji), were part of the Chamaar (from what I know, Chamaar means skin) caste, along with the rest of their family. The Chamaar caste traditionally cured leather and in their high times were considered untouchable. However over time, the Darji family realized that being in the caste system seems to put them in debt with the higher classes of the village, and also putting them in a powerless state as well. Therefore, in a risky attempt to break away from the caste system, Ishvar's father (Dukhi Darji; Dukhi meaning emotionally hurt), decides to apprentice his two sons Ishvar and Narayan to a Muslim tailor in a nearby village. Soon after, they became trained tailors, and were ready to work. As a result of their newly acquired skills (also passed down to Om), Ishvar and Om move to Mumbai to find work, because soon after becoming tailors, the Muslim's tailor shop became unavailable due to a "pre-made clothing shop" had opened.

     Maneck Kohlah, was from a small mountain village in norther India, who moves to the city to acquire a college certificate "as a back-up" in case his father's soft drink business (Kohlah's Cola) is no longer able to compete after the building of a highway near their village.

     Dina Dalal, was from a traditionally wealthy family. Over the years she maintains tenuous independence from her brother who she dislikes with a passion, by living in the flat of her recently deceased husband, Rustom Dalal (a chemist). Dina distances herself from all the political occurrences and keeps herself in line with her tailoring. In fact, she does quite well for herself, as she learns how to sew from her mother-in-law, and soon begins to make money for herself by doing little sewing jobs for her neighbours. Dina once says to Ishvar that she distances herself from the political ferment  of the period:
"Government problems and games played by people in power," she tells Ishvar. "It doesn't affect ordinary people like us" (Mistry, 86)
However by reading 90% of the novel, I've found out that in the end, it does after them, drastically.

     Now I don't want to completely ruin the book for you readers, and therefore I'm not going to post anything of the rest of the book. Upcoming blogs are going to be about the Darji's, and "The City by the Sea - Part 2."
Thanks again to all my followers, I'll keep you posted.