The basic objective of V.S.Naipaul’s novel A House of Mr.Biswas is the quest of individual identity formation and independence. The author traces the life of the protagonist Mr.Biswas since his birth to his death.Mohun’s quest for this two is clearly symbolised by the house motif that is evidently portrayed in the novel.From his birth he lived in a series of houses which neither belonged to him but were owned by others who either related to him directly or indirectly.
Most these houses belonged to his despised in-laws the Tulsis whom he hated with equal measure.They ranged from the Hanuman House ,to the chase,to the Green Vale,to Shorthills and to a rental in port of Spain.
The sense of identity and freedom was a strong desire that ate into Mr.Biswas life.He felt bitter and discriminated by the society which was formed by various social classes.Mohun being of the higher caste was thus accepted by the Tulsis to marry Shama but the caste thing never satisfied Mohun’s search for identity.
On the contrary he became more miserable as time flew by.As a matter of fact ,his lifetime struggles ranging from living with relatives,unsatisfying low paying jobs and the callous family relationships he had heightened his frustrations of not having his own identity and being independent.
The social hierarchies in colonial Trinidad was what affected the citizens who belonged to the lower class in the society. The low class were afflicted with chronic poverty and became a source of cheap labour at low wages which could not upkeep them.
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A good example isMr.Biswas and his family who languished in poverty therefore making them therefore unable to depend on themselves.We therefore get to understand the root cause of Mohun’s lack of identity and independence.He has to live in Hanuman house and eat their bad food simply because he is not in a position to fend for himself and his family.He resented his dependence on the Tulsis’s and the fact that he was unable to do it himself.
His life is driven by the goal and vision of owning a house and a plot of land that he could proudly call his.He even goes to an extent of buying a doll’s house for his daughter Savi which costed him more than a months wages.He simply wanted her to reason from his point of view.The destruction of the doll’s house fuelled his thoughts of building a house of his own.However, all his efforts were not fruitful at all since all the two houses he tried to build ended up being destroyed by fire and floods.He did all this without real caution hence the result of the shoddy work was destruction since he was not in a position to buy the needed materials at a go.
His search of identity and independence is finally realised wen he goes to port of Spain.His little going to school and the knowledge he had acquired in English earned him a job as a professional reporter of the Trinidad sentinel.This earns him repect from the Tulsis who had earlier on branded him a looser who could not make it in life.From this,we learn that ones identity and respect in Trinidad was earned only when one was from a higher social class or was educated.His son Anand getting a scolarship and Savi also being educated gives Mr.Biswasa a unique fulfilment.The were now able to depend on themselves by his getting of a job and Savi also acquiring a highly paying job.When he finally buys a house Mr.Biswas is a happy man since he had achieved status in the long run.His discovery of many flaws later in the house could not deter his sense of fulfilment.
We therefore conclude that the the title’ A House of Mr.Biswas’ was symbolically used Identity , Independence and Belonging A house of Mr. Biswas brings forth the crisis of identity formation. There are powers that attempt to distract hi destination but Biswas tirelessly battles against them. The battle is long and tedious but at last it is fruitful. The novel, A House for Mr. Biswas traces the life of the protagonist, Mr. Biswas Mohun from birth to death. The state of their poverty and the death of his father disorient everythng in the family. The disorientation of their family leads him to be an intruder in different homes. His presence and absence was never felt in the houses he lived. He therefore quest for his own house as a sign of identity, independence and belonging. Irony comes in when Mr. Biswas fully feels dependent when he is utterly alone yet independent when he relies on others. We expect him to feel dependent when he relies on others but it’s vice versa.
According to Jennifer Makumbi interview on identity in the daily nation, she was asked if she considers identity to be fluid. She commented;’ Yeah! Absolutely. It’s only when moved out of your comfort zone that you realise that identity is a fluid thing. Identity seam to be stagnant for people who have not moved on.’ Identity was stagnant for Mr. Biswas because he had not moved on. He was still on his comfort zone. The Tulsi’s were accommodating to Mr. Biswas at the initial stage but he never felt a part of the family and he recented the fact that he was dependent on the other people. For him to creat an identity for himself he had two options ; to either make it with what comes his way that is the Tulsi’s or create his own identity from nothing.
Mrs. Tulsi’s takes away the identity and freedom of her subjects by luring men to marry her daughters in exchange of their labour in order to expand her territory. This symbolises the effects of colonisation. Colonisers exploited the people for their own benefits. Mr Biswas had to move out of his comfort zone that is the Hanuman house and struggle to purchase a house of his own. He managed to purchase a house although it was on mortage. The house was in a poor condition but he was happy for himself. He had gotten where he belonged and where he could identify with . Mr. Biswas yearning for a house is symbolic. It symbolises the quest for anchorage in a rootless world caused by colonialism hereby yearning for creation of a new culture and traditions.
Mr. Biswas’s movement from one house to another until he gets the house that he yearned for shows the many stages that one has to go through in order to get his /her own identity. The Tulsis’s house symbolizes the static society which offers refuge for those unable to find foothold in the Trinidad society which lacks the resources. For Mr. Biswas to get his independence and identity, he had to move out of the comfort zone. He had to move out of Hanuman’s house and create his own identity.The author uses the article ‘a’ in the tittle to symbolize Mr. Biswas’ determination to seek his own identity at all cost and get rid of the dependancy feeling. It also means that the struggle for identity and independence is individual. Mr. Biswas had to stand up alone and struggle for his freedom.
The author also uses the title ‘Mr’ to refer to the protagonist to show that although many prople sees him as a burden, he will struggle and acquire his own identity and independence. Mr. Biswas is born with a sixth finger and at his birth the Pundit said it was a sign of bad omen. When he sneezed they believed that something bad is bound to happen. The sixth finger symbolises people who are abled differently. This people are judged as a bad omen because of uncontrollable things and are alienated by the society hence they have to be independent. Although this people are termed as bad omen, their uniqueness leaves a big mark on their lives
House Of Mr.Biswas. (2021, Dec 17). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/house-of-mr-biswas/
