5 hrs ago
A Jobless Man’s Descent From Respectability Into Despair
Shyam is a young man who leaves his job after his boss insults him.
The insult seems small, but Shyam cannot stop thinking about it.
He becomes sad, tired, and unable to sleep.
He gives away some of his expensive belongings because he no longer has a salary.
He looks for another job but finds that people respect his former boss too much to hire him easily.
Shyam also starts seeing the insult as if it were a frightening ghost inside his mind.
He repeats the word without meaning to and worries that he is becoming mentally unwell.
He hurts his neck slightly with a razor but then treats the injury as if it were only a dramatic performance.
When Itu offers to marry him and build a life together, he quietly ends the call instead of accepting her help.
Shyam resigns from M/S Saint and Miller after his boss, Hari Majumder, calls him “bastard.”
Although he understands that Majumder uses obscenities casually, Shyam becomes increasingly depressed, exhausted, and sleepless.
After resigning, Shyam sells or returns belongings, cuts back on his lifestyle, and searches unsuccessfully for another job.
He repeatedly stares at his reflection and begins unconsciously repeating the insult, fearing that he is losing his mind.
Six months later, Shyam remains unemployed, attempts a theatrical act of self-harm, and avoids Itu’s offer of marriage and support.
- Who
- Shyam, a former employee of M/S Saint and Miller; his boss Hari Majumder; and Itu, a woman he knows socially.
- What
- Shyam resigns after being insulted by his boss and gradually descends into unemployment, isolation, depression, and despair.
- Where
- The story refers to Shyam’s room and several locations in Calcutta, including College Street, Sealdah, and South Calcutta.
- When
- He resigns in June and remains unemployed for six months afterward.
- Why
- He leaves because Hari Majumder calls him “bastard,” an insult that Shyam continues to brood over despite knowing his boss routinely uses obscenities.
Key facts
- Former employer
- M/S Saint and Miller
- Boss
- Hari Majumder
- Resignation
- Shyam resigns in June after being insulted by his boss.
- Unemployment
- He has been without a job for six months.
- Financial response
- He gives up or sells rented furnishings and relies on expected provident fund dues.
- Mental state
- He experiences depression, fatigue, headaches, sleeplessness, and fear that he is losing his mind.
- Relationship
- Itu offers marriage and practical support, but Shyam ends the telephone conversation without responding.
Quotes
Shyam
A draftsman who resigns after feeling humiliated by his boss’s insult.
“I’m thinking, what if I got married? It’s high time.”
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“That’s not right. It’s I who chucked the job.”
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Sources
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