Arun Joshi’s The Apprentice: “Penance as a condition for atonement”
Dr. Sopan S. Bonde
Assistant Professor (Eng.)
Late Nirdhan Patil waghaye College, Ekodi.
Tah. Sakoli Dist. Bhandara
Abstract–
In The Apprentice (1974), Arun Joshi depicts the protagonist, Ratan Rathor, as alienated from his authentic self and victimized by a corrupt, money-driven society. Arun Joshi has addressed society’s materialistic perspective on life since the publication of his initial novel, The Foreigner. In The Apprentice, Ratan Rathor is torn between his father’s philosophy of Pariotism and his mother’s attitude towards worldly wisdom. His father used to say that we should work for the welfare of our country whereas his mother imposed upon him the importance of money. She says to him nothing is more superior than money in this world. In The Apprentice, he prominently money minded nature of society, disregarding moral values. He took bribes in war material. But when Brigadier’s death his eyes were opened. He is pondering on the death of Brigadier. He supposed that he was responsible for Brigadier’s death. So he seeks atonement through humility and penance by daily cleaning the shoes of temple visitors.
Keywords– Alienated, Corrupt, Materialistic Perspective, Worldly Wisdom, Money Minded, Moral Values, Atonement, Penance.
DOI link – https://doi.org/10.69758/GIMRJ/2511S01V13P005
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