James Matthews' short story “The Park” (1962) takes a closer look at a young black boy's life during the South African Apartheid. The Kabuliwala Summary | Rabindranath Tagore. “Kabuliwala” by Tagore is a tale of heart-rending friendship between a 5-year-old Bengali girl Minnie and an Afghan moneylender, Abdur Rahman or Rahamat.

1. ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT- TRACES OF ETHNOCENTRISM
Submitted by- iram anwar

2. Rabindranath Tagore’s story Kabuliwala
The Kabuliwala well built and strong,
His clothes were baggy and soiled,
The Kabuliwala was very funny,
The thing was he didn’t mind money.
He was sensitive and caring though miles away from home.
Kabuliwala is a short story written by an eminent writer Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath
Tagore who portrays women characters in such a way that it seems he was a man far ahead of his
times.
In this story he has depicted love, passion, happiness, sadness between Mini and Kabuliwala,
named Rahamat. He was a middle-aged Pathan trader, a dry fruit seller from Afghanistan, who
came to Kolkata, leaving his loved ones behind. Mini was a little girl with bundles of questions.
Mini was afraid of Rahmat initially, but later enjoyed the time that she spent with him.
Mini’s father gesture is noticeable because the story is set up around 1920-30. He is so soft with
her daughter despite the fact that at times by being inquisitive she can be a handful. Most times
Mini’s father plays along with Mini when she is asking questions he knows all that Mini is doing
is trying to learn. Mini’s mother on the other hand has less patience and she does not encourage
her questions. There is also an element of trust in the story as Mini’s father let her talk and play
with Rahmat. It suggests that Mini’s father considers Rahmat as a good person without judging his
religion, cast, class and region. Mini’s mother on the other does not appreciate this idea.
It is also noticeable when Rahman has been sentenced to jail for eight years. Mini after a period of
time forgets all about her friendship with Rahmat and it shows that how girls of that time were
raised such a way that they were allowed to do everything at a certain age and then brought up
differently, once they reached their pubic age. However, the passing of time Rahmat has never

3. forgotten Mini. When he gets bail he arrives at Mini's home on the night of her wedding but Mini
does not recognise Rahmat. However, here Rahmat has agony and sadness after seeing her because
he knows that he has a young daughter the same age as Mini in his village and she too most likely
will not recognize him.
Mini’s mother is also an interesting character from a woman's perspective. Though she has little
patience for Mini’s habits. But she knows what can happen on the streets of Calcutta and that Mini
could easily be kidnapped. Mini’s father on the other hand believes that Mini should be allowed
to explore the world around her. To live her life to the best of her ability. Though Rahmat was very
much a man of mystery with his stories. He thinks that he can help enlighten Mini’s inquisitive
mind. Particularly when it comes to Rahmat who has something that he can teach Mini and Mini’s
father once he notices her doing dua the way Rahmat does. Mini father did not object.
However, Rahmat has attacked a man with a knife over an unpaid debt and cheating by another
man but he never brought any danger to Mini or her family. He at all times has been polite and
good-natured when it comes to his engagement with Mini and her family. The end of the story
there is an interesting turn as Mini’s father feels empathy for Rahman. He knows that Rahmat has
a daughter and it is better for him to visit his daughter. In the end, the writer has brought two
points, one that Rahmat not only sees his daughter again after such a long time but he may go back
to his trade and earn his bread and butter for her family. Here the writer tries to bring a ray of hope
that though he spent eight years in jail and he did not realise how time flies all these years still he
can start fresh life. Mini’s father too was a good man who dont not judge him by their past.

4. THE PARK by James Mathew
James Matthews’ short story “The Park” (1962) takes a closer look at a young black boy’s life
during the South African Apartheid.
The story is also convenient for related topics like ‘living in a multicultural (multi ethnic)
society’ or ‘religions and communities’. Further it could be used as introduction for topics like
‘poverty and hard work’ or ‘relations and emotions’. His family is poor and reliant on the mother
who earns money by ironing clothes. The little boys only thought is “The Park” with its swings,
see-saws, merry-go-rounds and chutes. He wants to play there but is not allowed to because he’s
black. As he tries to play in the park an black attendant is sending him away. Even though many
things happen and friends try to detract him from his aim, he can’t forget it and finally decides to
go alone to the park in the dark. In the following night he makes his dreams come true. He
swings, sets the merry-go-round in action, chutes and seesaws. Suddenly a light switched on and
once again the black attendant appears. He asks the boy why he came back. The boy simply
answers that he came back for the swings.
The park serves as a symbol for felicity and freedom. Not only for the little boy but also for the
whole black society during the Apartheid. A dream of free life that was apparently far away.
The little black boy is the main character and symbolizes the part of the black society that was
not willing to accept the suppressed position Blacks had during the Apartheid. National heroes,
pioneers, freedom fighter, people who fought and resisted. He also symbolizes the hope and
aspiration that dreams come true and that nothing is for good not even the Apartheid.
The attendant represents all ordinary black people living in South Africa during the Apartheid in
an almost unbearable dilemma. If they conform to the Whites’ rules on the one hand they would
save their own life but maybe endanger some lives of their compatriots and harden the situation
(Apartheid) more and more. On the other hand they could defy the rules to help their compatriots
but then they would endanger their own lives.