CHAPTER 39

Summary

• Chapter 39 titled “Geography and Marital Destiny” starts in Cochin, India, in 1943 where Philipose and Uplift Master are shopping for Philipose’s departure for college. They end up in Jew Town where they find the items they need.
• Philipose chose to study literature, departing from his mother’s wishes, and was accepted to Madras Christian College, which led to an immense sense of pride among his family and friends.
• Despite the initial excitement, Philipose appears increasingly apprehensive about leaving for college.
• Philipose and Uplift Master experience the impact of the war firsthand as they witness the departure of Indian soldiers at the train station. There, Uplift Master is struck by the changes in his life — his decision to leave a good job in Madras and settle in Parambil, and his feelings of regret and loneliness.
• When Philipose leaves, Uplift Master is left with mixed emotions. Part of him yearns for his old life in Madras while the other half feels a sense of loss.
• Uplift Master reflects on how his life changed after moving from Madras to Parambil. He realizes how his wife’s personality and their intimate life also changed after the shift.
• When an argument leads to a vow not to initiate intimacy ever again, Uplift Master finds himself in marital celibacy. His insistence on the vow, and his wife’s refusal to initiate intimacy, leaves him frustrated and lonely.
• The chapter ends with Uplift Master finding solace in toddy (alcoholic beverage derived from the sap of palm trees). He falls into the habit of drinking alone, finding a strange but comforting companionship in the process.