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Chapter 20
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Absurdity and Chaos
Nature vs. Modernity
Traditions, Customs, and Expectations
Exploitation of Spirituality
Summary
Analysis
For the sake of appearances and good publicity, the new DC and Mr. Gupta briefly visit Sampath to receive his blessing. The DC feels a pang of sympathy for Sampath as he (Sampath) remains silent and turns away in the face of another arguing crowd. This only makes the DC more nervous about the situation than before, but Mr. Gupta tries to reassure him. Later on, the DC and Mr. Gupta meet with the Brigadier to discuss his (the Brigadier’s) plan for getting rid of the monkeys. Having heard about the plan to scare the creatures away with guns, an angry mob gathers outside the meeting, shouting cries of outrage. The Brigadier angrily demands that the crowd come up with a solution of their own, and he mocks the idea of trying to negotiate peacefully with the monkeys.
The DC’s sympathy towards Sampath shows that he (the DC) is at least a bit more conscientious about the situation than his peers. But this doesn’t affect things much, as he typically follows the guidance of the more cynical Mr. Gupta in any case. Their politically-motivated visit to Sampath’s orchard is another example of everyone in Shahkot exploiting Sampath’s apparently spiritual nature for their own purposes. Meanwhile, the angry mob back in town seems to demonstrate that the chaos present throughout the novel is inescapable, whether in the grove or Shahkot.
Themes
Ultimately, the DC decides that the Brigadier’s plan is not ideal, as it could result in human casualties. Later that day, they meet with the CMO to discuss his plan. With the advice of Mr. Gupta, the DC dismisses the CMO’s prohibition plan as well, because of the outrage and complications that banning alcohol would cause. Finally, the group visits Verma to discuss his plan. Feeling irritated and bitter that his own plan hadn’t been approved, the CMO immediately rejects Verma’s plan out of spite. Mr. Gupta and the DC agree, and the officials head home sheepishly, knowing they’ve failed to decide on a workable solution to the monkey problem.
For a second time, the government officials of Shahkot completely fail to agree with each other on a solution to the monkey crisis despite devoting an entire day to trying to make a difference. The CMO’s petty response to Verma’s plan highlights just how ridiculously the town’s officials are behaving. The plan was unlikely to succeed in any case, but dismissing it immediately for personal reasons is nonetheless absurd. The officials’ feeble attempts to solve Shahkot’s problems continue to be a source of comic relief.
Themes
At his home that evening, the DC silently worries about the monkey problem, and his dinner isn’t helping to lift his spirits. The cook (whom Mr. Gupta had already upset before) prepared a grubby dish of burnt, tasteless cutlets for the DC, seemingly as a statement of dislike. Just then, Mr. Chawla suddenly steps into the room, interrupting the DC’s gloomy thoughts. Mr. Chawla introduces himself as Sampath’s father, and proposes a plan of his own. On the last day of April, the town’s military could band together and capture the monkeys all at once, delivering them to a far-off forest from which the apes can never return.
In Mr. Chawla’s view, this conflict between nature and modernity has continued for long enough. His solution is not only more practical than the other officials’ plans, but also symbolic of the fundamental changes he wants to bring to the orchard. By forcibly capturing the monkeys and taking them elsewhere, the military will defeat nature itself and bring order to the orchard, as far as Mr. Chawla is concerned. Meanwhile, the cook’s hatred of the DC is one more minor detail that may come into play soon.
Themes
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Nervously sensing that the orchard is slipping away from him, Mr. Chawla is bent on solving the monkey problem and setting his plan in motion. He successfully convinces the DC to approve the plan, as it seems to be a solution that will more or less satisfy everyone without offending anyone too much. For Sampath’s safety, it’s decided that he should temporarily descend from the tree while the monkeys are being captured. But Sampath refuses to come down, feeling that once he’s descended, somehow there will be no climbing back up. He maintains that he will neither descend nor live without his monkeys. He glumly reflects on how messy and noisy his once-perfect orchard has become, and he silently resolves to escape somehow.
This plan is Mr. Chawla’s last desperate attempt to make the orchard into the kind of place he’s envisioning. With the wildness of nature subdued and the people of Shahkot placated, he’ll be free to continue exploiting Sampath’s spiritual devotees to his heart’s content. Notably, he makes sure that his scheme satisfies everyone in town, including the more traditional citizens who treat monkeys as sacred animals. As always, in Mr. Chawla’s mind, adherence to traditions and social norms is the key to maintaining an orderly (and profitable) life.
Themes
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