Write the summary of the essay entitled "A Farewell Party".

Write the summary of the essay entitled “A Farewell Party”.

Ans.

Summary of the Essay

A Farewell Party is a famous work of well known writer Anita Desai. It is a story of those Indian families who are deeply lost in maintaining their higher social status and keeping distance from those whom they consider to be lower in the social standing. The family of Raman and Bina belongs to the middle class status, though not poor at all to be neglected by the rich around them. But for the most part, instead of participating in various social activities which could make them popular. they are more devoted to their family and so considered to be isolated natured people They have been officially transferred to Bombay and so they have arranged a farewell party which is attended by even those with whom they have practically no contacts. They have invited them simply out of false pride to show that they are now going to live in Bombay. The party is arranged sumptuously but it ends in disappointment and does not leave any ray of joy, as they might have expected.

Bina, the mistress, has prepared a long list for the arrangement of the party and she has observed extraordinary care but she forgot that they are arranging the party in the lawn where they will have to make enough arrangements of light. Consequently, the whole garden was in the dark as there was no moon. The party started and a number of guests, most of them from the reputed and respected families, began to stream in and Bina personally tried to attend them, with a glass in one hand and a plate of cheese biscuits in another. She welcomed the guests and they also responded with the same delight but there was not the sincerity of emotion in any of them. They complemented her in various ways and one of them remarked “Is it true, you are leaving us. Bina ? How can you be so cruel? Bina was surprised because she had never been so close with her. She was now thirty five and for the last fifteen years after her marriage, she was always busy in her family that she had no time to attend the social gatherings, still these women were talking to her as very close friends. She saw Mrs. Roy, the wife of the commissioner, who told her of their acquaintance for two years while it was actually five years. She professed that she is going to lose a good friend while actually they hardly knew each other properly because Bina never participated in her programmes. When she moved away. Bina’s attention was drawn by Mr. Bose, an employee of the local museum who said that she had been of great inspiration to him and now he will feel her absence. But in fact, Bina had no intimacy with him also except visiting the museum only sometimes with her children. Then Bina noticed a company of the wives of the representatives of various mercantile companies like Imperial Tobacco, Brook Bond, Esso. Even among them, the division could be clearly seen according to their social status of the company in which their husbands worked. All of them were talking loudly and as Bina joined them. they cried to welcome her and show their affection though it was simply an affectation. They made various enquiries about her preparations. They lived comfortably and could not imagine the difficulties of her life.

Seeing Mrs. D’Souza, she left their company. She was her daughter’s teacher at the convent school. Bina offered her some drink and told that she would look for Tara, her daughter. All this time. Raman, the husband of Bina was serving the guest with the waiters are offered them cocktail drinks. He had made a collection of various wines during these last five years and was now using them to finish that stock. Raman himself took some glasses secretly and enjoyed the various sounds of water, ice and drinks from that large gathering. He saw the children enjoying in the room and his son made a request for some music with his friends which he allowed but at a low volume. Raman belonged to the employees of the lower rank of his company and so had never enjoyed the company of the so called moderns who considered him a man of bad taste he now decided to go and welcome them with wine and cigarettes of his own company. But none of them liked only because they were Indian cigarettes. However, all of them congratulated him on his promotion and talked to him as if the had known him for years. Raman was surprised at this intimacy, still he accepted their greetings.

Then he met Miss Dutta, an equally affectatious lady who claimed that Raman and Bina had been so popular but she herself knew that she was telling a lie. She was the most busy woman of the society, the chairman or secretary of various societies. She was popular as a man eater and she now tried unsuccessfully to come closer to Raman also. Then appeared three pairs of the neighbours and expressed regret that they were late. They belonged to different age groups but they talked pompously. One of them referred to the fondness for her dog, Diamond for their family and another disclosed that her little son liked Bina’s daughter Tara and wanted to marry her when he grows young. The party was at its height and everybody enjoyed in his own way. Raman had never seen such a large gathering at his home during five years. Now the commissioner and his wife left and so did others slowly behind them. It seemed that Bina and Raman were left alone but then suddenly appeared the doctors from the hospital who were by now secluded in the dark corners. Now they sat on chairs and enjoyed the party in the cold wind. They also had no intimacy with the family except as doctors and so not friends in any way. Bina brought her child None there and the doctors and their wives bent forward and paid attention to the child.