The Hero's Walk

An important theme for many of the novel’s characters is having to learn to forgive. This takes the form of learning to forgive others, but also learning to forgive themselves. Most notably is the character Sripathi Rao, who must learn to forgive himself for having not forgiven his daughter, Maya, when she decided to marry Alan Baker for love rather than for tradition and the man her father wanted her to marry, Prakash Baht. Sripathi never forgave her for nine whole years, and it may have gone on even longer if she hadn’t died in a car accident. Her death released a tumult of emotions and complications in Sripathi. For one, he no longer had the chance to ever forgive his daughter, something he took for granted, thinking he could chose to forgive her whenever he wanted. Furthermore, her death forced him to realize how petty his feud was. Following her death, not only did Sripathi no longer have the chance to forgive her but now he must learn to forgive himself. This becomes Sripathi’s core antagonism and adversity in the book. It takes him a long time to learn to forgive and move on, but fortunately, Maya’s death wasn’t bereft of a chance for Sripathi to redeem himself.

Juxtaposed to Sripathi’s need to forgive is Ammayya’s need, and consequently, her inability, to forgive. Ammayya acts as an object lesson for Sripathi, and anyone, who cannot forgive others and take control of themselves, their emotions, and learn to be happy despite past offenses. Ammayya constantly holds a grudge against her husband for having a mistress, for not leaving her money after his death, with Sripathi for not having become a physician, etc. Her anger has led her to an extreme form of egotism that prevents her from being able to care for her daughter’s well-being or that of her granddaughter. However, much like Sripathi, Ammayya receives several chances at redemption, an aspect of the process of forgiveness.

Sripathi mostly acquires redemption by learning to be a loving and caring grandfather to Maya’s daughter, Nandana, who desperately needs all the love and support she can get now that she must live with her grandparents in a foreign country. However, Sripathi can also redeem himself by becoming a more loving, caring, and supportive husband as well. Contrary to Sripathi, Ammayya never forgives, and therefore, never takes the opportunity to redeem herself. Ammayya doesn’t draw close to Nandana, rather she steals from her (Maya’s coat that acts as a security blanket for her), she consistently belittles Nirmala and Sripathi, always reminding Sripathi of how disappointed she is with him, and most notoriously, Ammayya, with her last, dying breath, curses her daughter Putti.