foreigners+of+India+are+both+destroyed+by+its+culture,+either+by+religion+or+other+values+and+norms.

 //Overall, lots of information (ideas and text references). Be sure to dig into literary features. Consider sequence and structure: Harry came first (1920s), and, since they are parallel characters, format could be based on similarities (connections) rather than characters. //

Intro: In Ruth Jhabvala's Heat and Dust, both Harry and Chid, foreigners of India are destroyed by its either culture, or other values and norms and by its environment. Although Harry and Chid are trying to live in India, their physical and mental weaknesses and their lack of tolerance overwhelm their desire to stay, and eventually both depart India in the end.

Quick speech about Chid and Harry. Harry and Chid are often said as parrallel characters. They both came to India for a particular reason (chid and his religion, harry and the nawab).

1. At first he is shown as a young boy from England who has renounced his personal characteristics and possessions. Although trying to follow the path of an Indian Ascetic, He is unable to cope with the day to day life of an Indian holy man. **WHY?** He is not mentally strong enough and he is not physically strong enough. Cultural displacement led him to disaster. pg 20 “He had often to write home for money to be sent by telegraphic order.” foreshadowing of him eventually failing in India pg 20 “He found it impossible to live simply under trees as instructed by his guru but had to seek shelter at night in cheap hotel rooms” This show he is not mentally strong enough because the word impossible in this sentence is a hyperbole. It is not actually impossible, he is just not mentally strong enough to sleep under a tree, and is unable to handle the guru’s expectations. His weakness is already shown early in the book, which foreshadows his failure later on. Already unable to handle the beginning of his journey, his destruction has already been decided.
 * Chid** (a foreigner who tried to become a religious man in India )
 * HOW**

2. More Weaknesses shown throughout the book, his physical state is worsened while on his journey to reach a higher mental state. **WHY?** His body cannot handle the heat, hence the fever and lack of food weakens his body as well. pg 54”he was looking at me with pleading, fevered eyes. ‘Do you live near?’ he asked me. ‘I could walk if it’s //very// near’” The “near” is italicized, which emphasises how weak Chid really was. Either that or he is mentally weak and has nearly given up. pg 54”Chid couldn’t continue on his pilgrimage; “patting his stomach hard like an Indian beggar so one could hear the hollow sound” His incessant begging towards Anne foreshadows that he is unable to cope independently.

3. Chid’s dependence on other’s charity is overwhelming. He cannot live by himself, or feed himself. He has strayed from the actual path of an Indian mystic by depending on Anne. He seems to be coping better with Anne nourishing him. **WHY?** Now that he has a proper place to live in, and proper food, he has a healthier body and has a place to concentrate. **HOW?** Pg 69 “Chid doesn’t seem to be affected by the weather.” This shows how much Anne is helping him because the weather in India is quite intense. (the intense heat can cause fever) Ironically, Although Chid has renounced his possessions, he still needs Anne to take care of him with her possessions ( shelter, food) “I threw him out. I just bundled up his belongings and flung them down the stairs….Chid gathered up his things and, following her back upstairs, laid them out again in their former place.” Ironically, Although Chid has renounced his possessions, he still needs Anne to take care of him with her possessions ( shelter, food). Also he is unable to be independent, even though he Is supposed to, he doesn’t show it through words, but through actions.

4. Chid on his pilgrimage has met a lot of misadventures, and is ultimately unable to cope financially and mentally. **WHY?** He is being robbed constantly on his pilgrimage and unable to stand the smell, food, heat of India. His weaknesses seem to crush his determination. **HOW?** Pg 82, Even on his pilgrimage, Chid still requires Anne to send him money and all sorts of other thing, which shows just how dependent he is. Anne described his letters crumpled, perhaps representing Chid’s crumpled spirit, foreshadowing that his destruction is nigh. Pg 121 “Chid has come back. He is so changed that at first I could not recognize him. He no longer wears his orange robe but has acquired a pair of khaki pants and a shirt and a pair of shoes.” Finally Chid has given by the end of the novel. He is destroyed and have given up on trying to become a religious man. He still won’t explain his destructions through words (pg 121 “He doesn’t want to talk about it”), but his actions show that he is a man with a battered spirit. Although already destroyed, India is merciless and overkills Chid. He develops dysentery before he eventually returns to England. This shows that India is an unforgiving opponent and is constantly fought from without and within (pg 149). His weak mentality and weak physical state made him weak against India’s expectations (lifestyle, food, environment, religion).

Chid can be said as a Dynamic Character, changing personality more than once in the book, which reflects the liberal age he lived in.

Consequently, Chid can be compared to the legend of Icarus. Like Icarus reaching for the sun, Chid tried to reach a higher level of mental state. Because of “flying too high” Chid has attempted to go beyond what he is capable of and is punished for it, ultimately destroying him and sending him back to England like Icarus plunging to his death in the Aegean Sea. 1. Harry, a parallel character to Chid, also suffers in India from his weaknesses. Though he is a jolly man in the beginning of the book, he isn’t quite fully adapted to environment. As the book progresses, it is revealed that Harry is actually rotting and his personality seems to be corrupt, in the Nawab’s palace, rather than living comfortably. pg 16 “He flopped into an armchair and, panting like a man in exhaustion, pretended he had crossed a desert and had at last reached an oasis.” This foreshadows that Harry is not fully used to the environment (the word desert implies heat). Comparing to Chid, Harry is also dependent, he depends on Nawab’s wealth and calls Olivia’s home an “oasis”. It’s ironic because it’s not even his own home, and that’s the only place he feels better. 2. Like Chid, Harry’s weaknesses are primarily physical and mental weaknesses. He is unable to cope as the book progresses and the heat is starting to build up. pg 64 “If you can bear it –‘, “who said I could.’” Shows that Harry, although appearing jolly he is actually suffering inside. Unlike Chid, who shows his pain throughout the book by speaking, Harry’s suffering is described through his complaints and talks with Olivia. Again another hyperpbole, he said he couldn't stand it, but he actually can, since the rest of the people in India can, its not his body but his mentality is at fault. pg 67 “Harry took a deep breath and told Douglas: “thanks awfully for having me. It’s true, you know – I do want to go back to the Palace.” Although he says it’s true, he doesn’t mean it. He takes a deep breath, to show that he is reluctant and it is ironic that Harry himself always complain, but cannot actually leave the Palace. It seems that he is being held back. pg 89 “A lot of things go on and I’d just as soon not know about them. Gosh but I feel ill. Awful.” As the story progresses and the heat builds up, Harry’s health declines in an accelerating rate. He becomes more ill, angrier and is becoming more of an introvert person. Although he wants to live with the Nawab, insisting that he wants to accompany the Nawab, he still doesn’t move. This shows that to the Nawab, Harry is not just another object but a person he keeps in mind and heart. Because of this Harry seems to be enjoying the advantages the Nawab gives him, but ironically Harry’s health is deteriorating more than the luxury and nourishments he receives. His weaknesses start to affect him more and more as the story progresses because as the heat build up, its taking a heavier toll on Harry. Although many other foreigners seem to be able to live in India, due to Harry’s weak physical state (unable to handle the food, heat) and also his complaints, play a psychological role in destroying his health and mind. At some points, he seems to be angrier with people, such as Olivia who was a person he always talked to. By the end, as the dust and heat has built up completely, the spirit is of Harry is crushed and overwhelmed. The landscape was described as “hazy” has matched Harry’s mood by then. By the end, Harry gone back to England feeling bad.
 * HARRY**

Harry can be said as a static character, his personality did not change much relatively, compared to Chid which reflects on the strict, traditional colonial era in India in 1923.

As a result, Harry can be compared to a piano. Used as an instrument of joy and pleasure in India, it wasn’t in the right place. A piano cannot handle the humidity and the heat of India, making the India rusty, and out of tune, as described by Olivia, just like how Harry could not handle it himself. Also like a piano, which receives great care, it ultimately cannot handle the environment like Harry who even received the best of everything from the Nawab, but was destroyed because of where he was.

Because of their weaknesses and their desire to stay although they cannot handle it, India has taken advantage of Chids and Harry’s weaknesses by attacking them with heat and other physical diseases. Although their will to stay in India was relatively strong, their intolerance and their inability to cope ultimately destroyed their chance since the beginning.  
 * Conclusion**