A River Runs Through It

My son recommended the book "A River Runs Through It" during my recent visit to his place.it is a novella which is a part of a semiautobiographical collection of three stories written by Norman Maclean under the title "A River Runs Through It and Other Stories".The novella is noted for its detailed description of fly-fishing.Although most of us in India( including me ) don't understand much about fly-fishing,we can consider the description of fly-fishing as an excuse for dealing with a beautiful description of nature ,relation between man and nature,family bonds,inter personal relationships and a number of profound questions which have been raised and discussed in a manner reminiscent of "Walden Pond" by Thoroeau.


About Norman Maclean

Norman Maclean (1902-1990) was hired in 1931 as professor of English at University of Chicago. At the University he taught Shakespere and Romantic poets.Until his retirement in 1973,he had written a few academic papers,but had not written any work of fiction.After his retirement in 1973,at the insistence of his children Jean and John he began to write down the stories of his childhood and youth,which he liked to tell. The children often encouraged him in writing these stories.His first work of fiction was "River Runs Through It and Other Stories" which was published in 1976,when he was 74 year old.His second book "Young Men and Fire" (non-fiction) was published in 1992 posthumously.It was the winner of the National book critics circle award in 1993.

Publishing History

"The River Runs Through It and Other Stories was published by University of Chicago press.It was the first work of fiction to be published by University of Chicago press.
The publishing of this book was not advertised deliberately.People came to know about it by word of mouth and its mention by critics in their columns.Soon it was much talked about as "Never Advertised Book" and this in itself generated considerable publicity for it.
In 1977 the Pulitzer Prize committee for fiction recommended this book for the prize of that year.The Pulitzer Prize Board which can override recommendations of the jury,decided not to award the prize for fiction in 1977 for unknown reasons.

The Novella

The story concerns the Macleans,a Presbyterian family during early 20th century Montana where the father,a Presbyterian minister,and both sons share the passion of fly-fishing. It is through the prism of this passion that the life of the three and their opinions and attitudes have been reflected in the novella.Of the two sons the elder Norman is studious while the younger Paul is rebellious.The Novella begins with the first sentence "In our family there was no clear line between religion and fly-fishing.We lived at junction of great trout rivers in
western Montana and our father was a Presbyterian minister and fly-fisherman who tied his own flies and taught others..........Unlike many Presbyterians he often used the word beautiful".
The story is presented by the elder son Norman who goes on one last fishing trip with his rowdy and troubled younger brother Paul in an attempt to bring Paul's life back on track.
A brief introduction of their early life is given.When Norman and Paul are growing up in 1920's Montana under the watchful eye of their father,the mornings are spent in school and religious study while the afternoons are devoted to fly-fishing in near by "Black foot river".Norman goes to the east coast for study in college and returns after six years.In the mean time Paul gets a job as a journalist in the local news paper and makes a niche for himself as a journalist.But he has also become a gambler and a hard drinker.Although flawed,Paul's character has a great degree of complexity.He is a man of integrity who cherishes basic human values above all.He has a native American girl friend.In the Montana of 1930's native Americans were not welcome in many establishments.He takes his girl friend to such a restaurant and fights for her with a person who makes a racist comment about her.Although the novella has no politics, one appreciates Paul's. Basic decency.He also cherishes the beauty and way of life in rural Montana of 20's and 30's and hence has preferred to stay there unlike his elder brother.Paul is also an expert fly-fisherman.Norman really appreciates his expertise in fly-fishing.Norman considers the elegance with which Paul performs fly-fishing as a beautiful piece of art(see the quote at the end).
Most part of the story is devoted to Norman's return home and his and Paul's summer together.As adults Paul is a rebellious journalist while Norman is a level headed academic and their conflicting lives and ideas are exhibited through several events and yet the bond between the brothers is very strong.The brothers are also strongly attached to their parents.When the brothers visit their old parents together,the affection of their mother for the sons,specially the younger Paul is described very tenderly.The sons now accompany their old father on a fishing expedition,which turns out to be their last fishing expedition together.In the words of the author "To my father the highest commandment was to do whatever his sons wanted him to do,especially if it meant to go fishing". During this expedition there is a beautiful dialogue between Norman and his father.The reference point is Paul.The father says "Help is giving part of yourself to somebody who comes to accept it willingly and needs it badly.So it is that we can seldom help anybody.Either we don't know what part to give or may be we don't like to give any part of ourselves.Then more often than not,the part that is needed is not wanted.And even more often we don't have the part that is needed".
Similarly when Norman and Paul go on a fishing expedition on a hot summer noon,there is a beautiful passage which describes the relation and oneness between Man,God and Nature--"I sat there and forgot and forgot,until what remained was the river,the river that went by and I who watched.On the river the heat mirages danced with each other and then they danced through each other and then they joined hands and danced around each other.Eventually the watcher joined the river and there was only one of us.I believe it was the river"
The story combines beautiful language with foreboding sadness.All through the novella,the reader becomes increasingly anxious about Paul who ultimately dies a violent death.The parents are heart-broken but react to the news stoically.Norman is grief stricken.The story ends with a final passage full of profound and mystical meaning--"Eventually all things merge into one and a river runs through it.The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from basement of time.On some of the rocks are the words and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters"

The Film

In 1992 a film was made with the same title by Robert Redford ,starring Brad Pitt(Paul)and Craig Shefferd(Norman) etc. The film won academy award for best cinematography in 1993.It was also nominated for two other academy awards,including best adapted screen-play and best music.

An Interesting Trivia

The following quote from "River Runs Through It" is displayed at the base of Michael Jordon's statue at Chicago united centre---"At that moment I knew,surely and clearly,that I was witnessing perfection.He stood before us,suspended above the earth,free from all it's laws like a work of art,and I knew,just as surely and clearly,that life is not a work of art,and that the moment could not last.

CHILDREN OF HEAVEN

Yesterday I saw Iranian Director Majid Majidi's film "Children of Heaven".This film was made in 1998.In its simplicity & universal appeal it reminded me of De- Sica's Italian classic "Bicycle thieves". The movie has subtitles in English. The subtitles are very easy even for a 9-10 year old kid. It is a movie suitable for both children and adults . The film glows with a kind-hearted purity which is realistic i.e. not of the contrived variety . The film was shot in Tehran . To capture a more realistic image of the city the film was shot clandestinely. 

SYNOPSIS OF THE PLOT (contains SPOILERS!) :-It is a story of a 10-11 year old boy Ali & his younger sister Zahra.In the first shot of the film a cobbler is repairing Zahra's shoes which are then collected by Ali. On his way back from the cobbler Ali goes to the vegetable shop for geting some vegetables. Here a subtle 
hint of Ali's poverty is given when the vendor warns him for paying the old dues . Ali keeps Zahra's shoes outside the vegetable shop and a garbage collector carries them along with the garbage. oncoming out Ali searches the shoes in vain and is shoo-ed away by the vegetable vendor. Ali returns home and asks Zahra not to report the loss of the shoes to their mother. Ali's father is a poor worker and his mother is ill. The brother and sister now work out a solution. Zahra will wear Ali's"Sneakers" in the morning while attending her school. When the school is over, she will immediately rush to catch Ali who will be waiting for her in a narrow back-lane, so that he can then put on the Sneakers & make a run for his school which begins in the noon. Both the brother and sister try their best in accomplishing the above ,but for one reason or the other,very often Ali gets late for his school and is warned by the head master.
In the mean time Zahra observes a girl in the school who is wearing her lost shoes. Zahra follows the girl to locate her house & then takes Ali to her house for recovering the shoes . On finding that the girl's father is a blind garbage collector they return back without confronting the girl or her father. 
Ali & his father go out on a week end in search of a gardener's job with the hope of earning some extra money . Ali& Zahra are hoping that this extra money can be used for buying a new pair of shoes for Zahra.They find some work, get paid for it & are returning back when the breaks of their bicycle fail and Ali's father gets injured and the extra money goes for his medication. 
Finally Ali comes to know in his school about a running race for school children in which the third prize is a pair of Sneakers. Ali tells Zahra that he will take part in the race and try to come third so that he will acquire new Sneakers for her.  Ali some how manages to get selected in his school team and enters the race. 
In the race which is so beautifully filmed Ali comes first to his great dismay . Ali is awarded a large trophy, is felicitated & now becomes eligible for attending a two week camp at Ramsar-all expenses paid . But poor Ali is heart broken . He comes back home dejected & is unable to speak to Zahra who is eagerly waiting for him . At the same time we are shown a single shot in which we get a glimpse of Ali's father in the market who is carrying home number of purchases on his bicycle & among the purchases is a hazy hint of two pairs of shoes. In the final scene a dejected & tired Ali takes out his torn Sneakers and dips his tired legs full of injuries & sores in the cold water of their domestic pond . 

MY IMPRESSIONS:-THE movie was a nostalgic trip for a person like me who grew up as a poor kid in India of 1960s &70s. The movie is about a family which is poor , struggling to survive & yet has the courage to try to overcome the odds which are stacked against it . The film is a story of love between two siblings and in filming this bond with all the fragrance of innocence and sweetness it puts to shame the culture of violent video games & toy guns. 
The scenes of Ali & Zahra exchanging notes during study so as to work out a solution to their problem are filmed very tenderly . The simplicity of Ali's working class father is touching . When Ali & his father are searching part time work as a gardener, he is really intimidated by the challenge of speaking into intercoms or facing ferocious barking dogs . 
Even a 10 year old understands that there is no likely hood of attack of a Godzilla or some giant monster on a city. On the other hand losing your kid sister's shoes entrusted to your care is a real life problem especially when your family can not afford to do so . Hence  the  film  appears far above other       manufactured entertainment . 
ABOUT MAJID MAJIDI:-Majid was born in 1959 in a middle class Iranian family . He started acting carrear at the age of 14with amateur stage groups. He studied at "The institute of dramatic arts " in Tehran. He has made many famous films . 
His film "Song of sparrow" was the inaugural film in film festival 2008 held in India. His documentary "Barefoot to Herat" on life in refugee camps & city of Herat is also very famous. For those of us who have not seen this movie, it is a must see movie . The movie is an unforgettable experience. 
ONE LAST WORD:People visiting this blog site are requested to post their comments on the blog site so that we can have a real live debate on various topics and issues. 

Analogy between D.D.T. story & liberalization in India

In the post world war II era ,industrial production & world wide use of DDT as an insecticide picked up.It was
thought that this molecule was a boon for the civilization & with its help we could control population of many insects and pests . In India the malaria eradication programme started in 1953 & huge quantities of DDT were used to bring down mosquito population . The results were dramatic. By 1970 there was a reduction in incidence of malaria by more than 90% . Even WHO thought that with the help of organochlorines there could be near total eradication of malaria . Nothing could have been farther from truth than this belief.
Organochlorines like DDT are persistent & toxic . They also cause reduction of bird population drastically . Birds are natural predators of insects . So the long term effect of use of DDT was an increase in mosquito population rather than a decline . Moreover the now enhanced mosquito population was resistant to DDT . Apart from this , compounds like DDT show biomagnification . These toxic molecules accumulate in human body and harm our liver,nervous system etc.Incidentally Indian population is one of those populations which have highest DDT deposition in the body . We lagged behind the developed nations in banning use of DDT by  more than ten years . We came to realize the harmful effects of DDT only when the harm was already done . In fact in India politicians like Sharad Pawar have still not learnt the lesson . He is in favour of using toxic chemicals like endosulfan & with great reluctance has agreed to phase-out the use of endosulfan in 11 years.
               A grand drama analogous to the " DDT show " is now being played in " The Indian theater " under the name of "Liberalization " . The short term effects of liberalization were dramatic . It gave tremendous boost to the Indian economy & affluence percolated to the middle classes . This newly acquired affluence is acting as an opiate for the Indian middle class so that they are gradually becoming insensitive to the plight of the poor who constitute more than half of our population .
The long term effects of policies of Manmohan Singh & his cronies like Montek Singh Ahluwalia are only now beginning to appear . The so called " Liberalization " has made the poor even poorer &has increased the chasm  between the haves & have-nots . The price rise of essential commodities & the double digit inflation are an outcome of these policies . The large number of unprecedented suicides by farmers is a direct effect of the so called liberalization policies . Amartya Sen's work has established that the large number of deaths in the "Great Bengal famine (1943) " were not due to shortage of food but they were due to wrong economic policies and bad management by the government . Same can be said about the Indian government vis-a-vis the farmer suicides . On one hand millions of tons of grain is rotting due to negligence and lack of proper storage space & on the other hand the Indian government is not prepared to distribute free grains to the starving poor, in spite of the Supreme court's suggestion to do so . The life of middle class people,poor people & peasants is going to be more and more difficult in India , thanks to Manmohan-Montek duo .
Let us briefly see the effect of liberalization on the education scene . In Indira Gandhi's socialistic regime education up to postgraduate level was quite cheap and affordable . Even a poor person with a dint of hard work could aspire and could receive higher education . Thousands & thousands of poor boys and girls who could become Doctors, Engineers, Scientists, Teachers,Chartered accountants.........stand testimony for this . Post liberalization the thinking is that any grant to educational institutes is a largesse  which should be minimized as far as possible and the educational institutes should become self sustaining and self financing . The net result was a tremendous rise in educational fee .
Today on an average the so called free seat students in a government college has to shell out thousands of rupees annually as fee . For Medical & Engineering students it is Rs.400000 to 50000 annually . Add other expenses like dress, food, transportation etc. & the figure goes to 100000 Rs. per year . In other words the system has barred the children from lower middle class and poor class from becoming Doctors & Engineers. And this is the scene in govt. colleges . I am not discussing the education economics of the private Medical & Engineering colleges which are special domains of the rich,for the rich & by the rich .In the post liberalization India the sons of babus, peons, primary teachers, factory workers or marginal peasants are doomed to remain poor . Is that fair?
deepak

What is common to Baba Ramdeo & Indian tribals

The recent Baba Ramdeo episode should be a lesson to the civil society of India at large.Baba Ramdeo faced police atrocity for the first time in his life & that too was a relatively mild " polisiya-karyawahi " i.e. only "lathi-charge " & yet Baba's immediate response was to create an armed force of 11000 strong to counter attack the police force. What the civil society needs to understand is that tribals & dalits who have been subjugated since 2000 years of pre-independence history are even today facing the same kind of subjugation & exploitation in Independent India . The Indian independence was just a change of "lords" for the" tribal serfs" .The police & bureaucracy continue to exploit & humiliate the tribals .Mothers & sisters of tribals are raped at will by these lords & masters .Police firing & resultant deaths are a regular occurence .The "neta's"& the MNCs are eager to plunder their habitat & destroy the source of  their livelihood .The timber mafia ,the mining mafia & the corrupt leadership & bureaucracy all have joined in a conspiracy to destroy their lives & lifestyle .
After so much provocation if the tribals become Naxals or Maoists & join armed struggle,then it should not surprise the civil society at large at all .This is not to justify the killings by the maoists ( being a gandhian I can't condone that ),but we should understand that those killings were the desperate act of a people who were pushed to the wall .
Therefore it is imperative that the Indian society at large should become more sensitive about the problems of the tribals & should strive for a more inclusive development .People like Ramansing & Chidambaram have either no understanding of the problem or they are representitives of the wasted-interests .In fact they are a part of the tower of Babel comprising of the politicians ,bureaucrats,police & MNCs which needs to be destroyed first .If destruction is too violent for your taste then atleast this unholy alliance needs to be disciplined severely if we want to bring back the tribals in the fold of Indian civil society .We need to realise that the tribals are not our serfs ,their land & habitat are not there to be looted & their women are not there to be had by any &everybody with little power .Unless we frame stringent laws punishing people who try to exploit the tribals very severely & unless we give full opportunity to the tribal youth &children to become respectable functional units of our society ,this problem is not going to be solved .