Ahmad Ismail 3571-FLL/BSENG/S23

The Shroud

Munshi Premchand wrote quite a few short stories, and among these is “The Shroud,” published in 1935. Telling the
story of a poor man who collects money to pay for his deceased wife’s funeral but spends the money on food and
drink instead, “The Shroud” has been praised not only as one of Premchand’s finest but also as one of the finest
short stories in the history of modern Indian literature.The story is a powerful critique of social and economic
injustices, and the characters are portrayed as products of their environment, shaped by poverty and societal norms.

About the Author

The author of the short story “The Shroud” is Munshi Premchand, an Indian writer, published in 1936 . Munshi
Premchand (1880-1936) is well known and one of the greatest novelist and short story writer of Hindi literature. He
peeps deeply inside the living condition of the downtrodden and oppressed class people. Premchand is also
considered to be one of the best character artists. ‘Premchand’s use of literary devices like imagery, symbolism, and
foreshadowing adds depth and complexity to the narrative, making it a rich and engaging read.

Summary

‘The Shroud’ is the story of suffering of a family due to extreme poverty which forces central character of the story
to situation which is comic as well as pathetic too. The Shroud” follows Ghisu and Madhav, a poor father and son
from the “untouchable” caste. There are many jobs available in the farming village where they live. However, Ghisu
and Madhav are lazy slackers who prefer not to work. The men get by by stealing food and working only occasionally,
when they need to.

Madhav’s young wife, Budhiya, is in labor. She screams and moans in pain. Ghisu and Madhav think she is dying but
they don’t go in to see her. Instead, they eat stolen potatoes and long for a fine feast. They fall asleep and in the
morning they find Budhiya and her baby dead.

The men beg the village landlord and the other villagers for money to give Budhiya a proper funeral. They manage
to collect five rupees, and with this money they go to the market to buy a burial shroud for Budhiya’s body. At the
market, they look at various cloth-seller’s shops but do not buy anything. They remark that a shroud is a waste since
it will only burn with the body anyway.

By nighttime, they arrive at a wine-house and go in. Eventually, they spend all of the donated money on alcohol and
food rather than on a shroud for Budhiya. At the wine-house the men become increasingly elevated. They dance,
sing, and say Budhiya will go to heaven. Finally, the men become so drunk that they collapse.

Critical analysis

Major themes of the story are selfishness, tradition, honor, independence, guilt, self-Importance, gender roles and
responsibilities. The story is narrated by a third person unnamed character who is not a part of the story. While
reading the story, readers are introduced to the theme of selfishness as Gishu and Mahadev are more concerned
with their own interests than Budhia’s. Both Gishu and Madhav thinks that they deserve better fortune than they
presently having, but they are not will to work to make their life better. It seems like they owed to the world for
better lifestyle. Though there were opportunities for both to work but they choose to live idler’s life.

The ‘Shroud’ also symbolically important as Premchand tries to symbolize tradition through it. Tradition is not
followed by Madhav and Gishu as they decide drink instead of buying Shroud for budhia. Not only while Budhia was
alive but even after her that Madhav andGishu dishonor her by not buying Shroud for her last ritual. Probably
Premchand also tried to highlight the gender issue during the time when story was written. Budhia is compelled to
do all the work while Gishu and Madhav both do not do any work and lives idlers life as they, being male, are superior
to Budhia. Budhia is not given equal status due to her sex. Story also tries to throw light on the issue of gender
inequality as Budhia is treated as servant by Gishu and Madhav in the family. Premchand also suggests that money
can bring independence to man. Gishu, after earning five rupees by begging , have the dominance over all the other
family members. It seems like Gishu and madhav both pretend to be selfish rather than buying shroud for Budhia.

It is also important that Gishu while drinkinking changes his character to who is believer of self importance. Gishu
makes unrealistic promises to Madhav which he can never fulfill. By drinking they seem to running away from the
reality which they do not want accept. They do not allow guilt to lasts longer and compromise with the decision they
have taken. Premchand tries to prove that alcohol can numb the person for a while but can one can never run away
from the realities.

Gishu’s words to the Madhav at the end of the story are based on his own selfishness. Though he himself not sure,
Gishu tells madhav that Budhia is in a better place. Gishu also tries to console himself and Madhav by telling Madhav
than next time they would surely by Shroud for Budhia. Both Madhav and Gihu, deep down in their hearts, know
that they doing wrong , but they do not want to accept the reality and chose to remain in the fantasy.

Main points : A poor father-son duo, Ghisu and Madhav, beg for money to buy a shroud for Madhav’s wife, Budhiya,
who died in childbirth.They spend the collected money on food and alcohol instead of a shroud.The story critiques
poverty, class, and religious hypocrisy.

Plot : The plot is fairly straightforward: an idle father and his idle son are cook- ing their meagre meal by the door of
the hut, where the young man’s wife is in labour. The woman dies and the two have to seek a loan to buy a shroud
for her burial.

Characters : Ghisu : Ghisu is Madhav’s father, and is arguably a bad influence on his son. Both are known around the
village for being lazy and unmotivated. Ghisu had nine children in all and his wife died long ago.Madhav : Madhav is
Ghisu’s son. Like his father, he is poor and prefers not to work. He married his wife, Budhiya, a year ago. With his
father, he begs for money after his wife dies. Budhiya : Budhiya is Madhav’s wife. After marrying him a year ago, she
fed Madhav and Ghisu and they only grew lazier. She worked grinding grain in the village. Budhiya dies in childbirth,
as does the unborn child. After her death, the men beg for money for her funeral rites. Sahib: Sahib is the village
landlord. He detests Ghisu and Madhav and has even beaten them with his own hands for theft or for not showing
up to work. After Budhiya’s death, the father and son beg Sahib for money for her funeral rites. Sahib would like to
send them away but he coldly gives them two rupees.

Themes

The story explores themes of class stratification, social injustice, gender dynamics, materialism, and moral decay,
offering a nuanced critique of societal norms and values.

Class stratification : In “The Shroud”, class stratification is a dominant theme that highlights the vast economic and
social disparities between the rich and the poor. The story showcases the struggles of the poor father-son duo, Ghisu
and Madhav, who beg for money to buy a shroud for Madhav’s wife, Budhiya. The narrative exposes the harsh
realities of poverty, where the marginalized are forced to beg for basic necessities.

The wealthy landlord and priest, who exploit the poor family, represent the oppressive nature of the wealthy elite.
The story critiques the system that perpetuates poverty and inequality, highlighting the powerlessness of the poor
against the powerful and privileged. Through the characters’ struggles, Premchand emphasizes the need for social
and economic change to address the stark class divisions.

Social Injustice: Social injustice is a pervasive theme in “The Shroud”, as the poor family faces exploitation and
neglect at the hands of the wealthy and powerful. The story showcases the unfair treatment of women like Budhiya,
who dies in childbirth due to lack of medical care. The family’s inability to afford a shroud for her highlights the cruel
treatment of the poor.

The narrative critiques the systemic injustices that perpetuate social inequality, exposing the hypocrisy of the wealthy
and the religious elite. The characters’ powerlessness against the landlord and the priest underscores the need for
social change to address the deep-seated injustices. Through the story, Premchand urges readers to acknowledge
and address the social injustices that perpetuate human suffering.

Gender : In this short story, Premchand explores gender roles through the main characters’ treatment of Budhiya.
After Madhav and Budhiya marry, Budhiya works very hard grinding grain and cutting grass in the village. In this way,
she is able to feed Madhav and Ghisu. Traditional gender roles dictate that she must feed the men. Yet she also takes
on the responsibility of providing for the household financially. In response, Ghisu and Madhav only grow lazier.
Budhiya’s suffering reaches a high point as she struggles to give birth. The men leave her alone to moan with pain
and die.

Materialism and Relationship : The themes of materialism and relationship are presented in the context of poverty,
ignorance, and the social system of India at the time.

Materialism: Materialism is presented as a means of survival in story, as the characters of Ghisu and Madhav beg for
money to survive.The characters are more concerned with material possessions than with the well-being of
others.The author presents a critique of the social system that perpetuates poverty and ignorance.

The pursuit of material possessions and wealth is a dominant theme in the story. Ghisu and Madhav’s desire for food,
drink, and money drives their actions, leading them to prioritize their own interests over the well-being of others,
including their deceased family member, Budhiya.

Relationship : The relationship between Ghisu and Madhav is portrayed as selfish and heartless.The characters are
unable to bond with anyone but each other.The story highlights the effects of poverty and ignorance on human
relationships.The author critiques the social system that perpetuates these conditions.

The story examines the dynamics of family relationships, particularly the bond between Ghisu, Madhav, and Budhiya.
Their selfishness and lack of empathy lead to the neglect and eventual death of Budhiya, highlighting the
consequences of prioritizing material possessions over human connections.

Satire and Social Commentary: Premchand employs satire in “The Shroud” to ridicule the social and religious
hypocrisies of his time. The narrative critiques the excesses of the wealthy and the powerful, who prioritize material
possessions over human life. The characters’ obsession with food and alcohol, despite their wife/mother’s death, is
a scathing critique of materialism.

The story offers a social commentary on the moral decay and materialism that afflicts individuals and society as a
whole. Premchand uses irony and sarcasm to expose the flaws in the social and religious systems, urging readers to
reflect on the human condition and the need for change. Through the characters’ struggles and the narrative’s satire,
the story critiques the societal norms and values that perpetuate human suffering.