CHAPTER 42

Summary

• The chapter opens on a train journey, as a man named Philipose boards and his porters shuffle around other passengers' luggage to make space for his own belongings.
• The train ride is used as a metaphor to depict friendly bonds formed between strangers, irregardless of their wide-ranging backgrounds and different religions.
• During the journey, Philipose converses with his fellow passengers, including a woman named Arjun, an enthusiastic talker who shares an interest in snuff Snuffboxes; a woman called Mrs. Yellow Sari, who shares her love story; different caste members, who have varying points of view.
• Philipose reads and writes down thoughts in his notebook, one of them being from Gurumurthy who advises that writing helps one understand their own musings.
• Philipose ends up forming a special connection with a woman named Young Miss who is also escaping her circumstances by leaving college. Together, they discuss their shared love for literature and optimism despite their personal setbacks.
• Young Miss reveals her unconventional beauty to Philipose, which he is immediately drawn to and he realises his increasing affection for Young Miss, he adoring her mannerisms and her attentiveness.
• Once arrived at their destination, they part ways with Young Miss handing Philipose a portrait she had drawn of him during the journey, initiating their further connection in the next chapters of the story, and laying the foundation for a romantic subplot.
• At the end of the journey, Philipose muses over his ancestry and attachment to the geographical location he was born in, reminiscing about the cultural imprints of the shared human experience. This elicits a profound awakening within him and a determination to return to greatness.