Sparrows
by
K. A. Abbas
(Summary
& Analysis)
K. A. Abbas, the writer of the story
‘Sparrows’ was one of the distinguished writers in English literature. He
exercised his versatile mind in diverse spheres of activities. As a journalist
he wrote on many burning problems of Indian social and political life and he
breathed a new life in Indian film world. He distinguished himself as a short
story writer. His stories give an insight into human character, specially the
poor and the downtrodden.
‘Sparrows’
reveals a young man who thwarted in his love and in his ambition becomes
hardened into a beast and is ultimately reformed by the action of two sparrows
and their young ones.
The
protagonist of the story is Rahim Khan. His reputation in the village is not
good. He makes himself the most hated person in family, society and village
that’s why the hilarious tones of gossip of villagers dies down into cautious
whispers when he approaches near chopal. The villagers do
not like Rahim Khan.
No one in the village understands or tries to understand the reason for the
strange transformation of the cheerful and kind young man into the beast. Their
attitude toward him is of astonished hostility but later it changed into
indifference mixed with fear of understanding and sympathy he receives from
none.
According
to the village patel Rahim Khan has compassion neither for children nor for his
helpless animals. The story tells us that he beats his oxen and sons severely.
His two sons have also run away from home because of his severe beating. At one
time a group of children playing on the road run away, leaving their shoes
behind in haste when they saw him coming. In our view his rude action can be
justified at least on some occasions. Some of the villagers, who do not
understand the cause of his second nature, mischievously tries to tease Rahim
Khan now and then. In the story, when Rahim Khan reaches his hut, he comes to
know about his wife’s absence. He decides to tidy his hut. While tidying the
hut he sees a nest in his thatched roof. He decides to wreck the sparrow’s nest
but something within him desist him to do so and he leaves the nest untouched.
The thing, which stops him to remove the nest, is his first nature, which is
still there in him.
Rahim
Khan feels a kind of satisfaction and comfort when he sees children running
away because he wants to make himself the most hated person in the society but
after his wife’s leaving him, he is surprised to see the children running away
because now he is a changed person. He is now again a kind hearted person. In
the second half of the story Rahim Khan’s behaviour towards the sparrows shows
that he is now changed and again a kind natured person.
This
transformation of Rahim Khan into a cruel man and then again into a kind man is
quite convincing. Rahim Khan in the story is portrayed as a likeable figure.
The story of his youth and the end of the story are very touching. When he was
young his both ambitions were not fulfilled and thus the young man had changed
into a hard-hearted beast and in the end of the story the beast again turns
into a loving creature. The author, thus, secure the readers’ sympathy for the
protagonist and he does so gradually and not suddenly.
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