English 2 Project
SUMMARY AND CHARACTER ANALYSES OF THE STORY BONKU BABU'S FRIEND.
Title
SUMMARY AND CHARACTER ANALYSES OF THE STORY BONKU BABU'S FRIEND.
Introduction
"Bonku Babu's Friend" is a short story written by the renowned Indian filmmaker and author, Satyajit Ray. The story revolves around a character named Bonku Babu, who encounters a peculiar and mysterious visitor. Bonku Babu is a retired middle-aged man with a passion for collecting rare artifacts and curiosities.
SATYAJIT RAY (2 May 1921-23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher; and composer. Widely considered one of the greatest film-makers of all time, Ray is celebrated for works including The Apu Trilogy (1955-1959), The Music Room (1958). The Big City (1963) and Charulate (1964) and the Goopy-Bagha trilogy.
Ray was born in Calcutta to nonsense rhyme author Sukumar Ray. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent film-making after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves (1948) during a visit London.
Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries, and shorts. Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955) won eleven international prizes, including the inaugural Best Human Document award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. This film, along with Aparato (1956) and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) (1959), form The Apu Trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. He also authored several short stories and novels, primarily for young children and teenagers. Popular characters created by Ray include Felude the sleuth, Professor Shonku the scientist, Tarini Khuro the storyteller, and Lalmohan Ganguly the novelist.
Ray received many major awards in his career, including thirty-six Indian National Film Awards, a Golden Lion, a Golden Bear, two Silver Bears, many additional awards at international film festivals and ceremonies, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. In 1978, he was awarded an honorary degree by Oxford University. The Government of India honored him with the Bharat Ratna, its highest civilian award, in 1992.
On the occasion of the birth centenary of Ray, the International Film Festival of India, in recognition of the auteur's legacy, rechristened in 2021 its annual Lifetime Achievement award to "Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award".
SUMMARY OF THE STORY
The story "Bonku Babu's Friend" by Satyajit Ray is about a teacher named Bonku Babu who remains calm despite being constantly teased and pranked by his students. He endures these mischievous acts because he loves teaching a few good students in each class. In his free time, he attends social gatherings hosted by Sripati Babu, where he is also ridiculed but feels obligated to attend.
During one such gathering, the topic of conversation shifts to space and aliens. Bonku Babu suggests that if someone from a different planet were to visit Earth, they might choose any place, including their village. However, everyone dismisses his idea, except for Chandi Babu, who jokingly suggests that Bonku Babu would be the ideal specimen to be taken away by aliens.
Feeling hurt and insulted, Bonku Babu realizes that his companions are not true friends and decides to leave the gathering. While returning, he meets an extraterrestrial being, Ang, who had mistakenly landed on Earth instead of Pluto. Being superior to men both in technical knowledge and empathy, the mysterious friend introduces Bonku Babu to a world beyond his familiar surroundings, exposing him to new ideas, places, and experiences. Through his friendship with the mysterious character, Bonku Babu undergoes a personal transformation. He learns new perspectives, gains confidence, and develops a broader understanding of the world. The story highlights how friendships have the potential to change individuals, expand their horizons, and help them discover their true selves. The encounter with Ang makes Bonku Babu capable of speaking against the ridicule he had suffered throughout his life. It made him realize what true friendship means.
CHARACTERISTIC ANALYSE OF BONKU BABU
Bonku Babu, the protagonist of the story, is a mild-mannered and patient individual. He is a teacher at the Kankurgachhi Village Primary School, where he has been teaching geography and Bengali for the past twenty-two years. Despite facing constant teasing and pranks from his students, Bonku Babu remains calm and rarely gets angry.
Bonku Babu’s calm demeanor can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, he realizes that losing his temper would jeopardize his job prospects, especially at his age. Secondly, he finds fulfillment in teaching a handful of good students who make his profession worthwhile. He goes the extra mile by inviting these students to his house, offering them snacks, and sharing exciting tales of foreign lands and adventures, displaying his talent as a storyteller.
Outside of his work, Bonku Babu attends evening gatherings hosted by Sripati Majumdar, a lawyer in the village. However, even there, he often becomes the target of jokes and ridicule. Despite the constant teasing, Bonku Babu continues to attend these gatherings, as he values Sripati Babu’s opinion and feels obligated to participate.
Bonku Babu is an imaginative and curious person. He displays a keen interest in space travel and speculates about the possibility of creatures from other planets visiting Earth. While his ideas are often dismissed or ridiculed by others, Bonku Babu remains open-minded and contemplative.
Throughout the story, Bonku Babu’s patience and resilience are tested. He endures various pranks played on him, ranging from having ink smeared on his clothes to being attacked by a person dressed as a ghost. Despite these incidents, he remains undeterred and maintains his composure.
Bonku Babu’s character is marked by a sense of dignity and a desire for respect. He yearns to be treated with kindness and fairness, even though he often finds himself on the receiving end of jokes and ridicule. Despite his gentle nature, there is a quiet strength in Bonku Babu that allows him to persevere through challenges and maintain his integrity.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF SRIPATI MAJUMDAR
Sripati Majumdar is a middle-aged lawyer residing in Kankurgachhi village, where the story takes place. Sripati is portrayed as an influential figure in the community and is respected for his legal expertise.
In addition to his legal prowess, Sripati is known for his sense of humor. He has a quick wit and enjoys engaging in banter and playful teasing of Bonku babu, the protagonist of the story. Sripati's humor often involves making jokes at the expense of others and it is evident from the story that he does not realise that what he calls fun is painful for the others. Although he does not intend to cause harm, his behavior shows no sign of empathy or a quality of a true friend. He deliberately calls Bonku Babu to his gathering so that he can play prank on him as Bonku Babu was a gentleman who never complained loudly. His behaviour was no different than the naughty children in the school. The often appeared senseless and heartless, unacceptable of a man who holds such an important position in the society.
CONCLUSION
Bonku Babu's Friend is a delightful tale that explores the dynamics of an eccentric friendship. The story highlights the transformative power of companionship and the importance of embracing the idiosyncrasies of others Through the amusing anecdotes and misadventures of Bonku Babu and his friend, the author presents a lighthearted and relatable narrative that resonates with readers of all ages.
REFERENCE
1. https;//slothskilll.com/2023/05/21/bonku-babus-friend-by-satyajith-ray-explanation-theme-style-character-analaysis- important-extra-questions-summary-title-significance/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/satyajit Ray.
3. https://edurev.in/question/3623037/Bonku-Babus-friend-summary-
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