Summary and Theme #1- Climbing the Stairs

Recently I just finished reading a book called Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman. It was an intriguing novel set during of the time of World War II in India where many political and social tensions were arising between the British and the Indians, mostly including discrimination. The main character of this book is 15 year old Vidya who's main goal and dream in life is to go study at college, which was highly unlikely at that time period since women had to quit school after high school. On evening as Vidya, her father and her older brother are talking, her father makes a surprising comment- that he is part of a freedom struggle. This shocks Vidya who still was happy that her father was taking a stand. However in the next couple of days her life takes a drastic turn when her father and Vidya are out and suddenly find themselves in the midst of a violent protest march. As her father goes and helps their fellow neighbors who got hurt, a British officer hits him in the head with a big wooden stick causing her dad to become unconscious. After regaining consciousness, the doctors concluded that their father could hear everything but could not move or talk- just process the information said to him. 

Thats when Vidya's grandfather comes and tells their family that should come and stay with them and her three aunts, uncles, and cousins. As they pack up and move to Madras leaving their old life behind they have to conform to the rules of a house under the rule of her strict orthodox grandfather, difficult to follow customs and traditions. In that house of hers her mother and her are treated differently and are separated from the men of the house unless its a festival or meal time. Soon enough Vidya discovers a place that is the center of her happiness, and a place no women has ever dared to step foot in- the library upstairs. Once she asks her grandfathers permission she goes there everday after being teased at school because of her father's condition (which was told to everyone by her cousin)  and finishing her chores. It was also the place where she meets her uncle's friend's son who she starts to fall in love with. The boy, whose name is Raman, start talking everyday and become very close friends who she tells all of her secrets, and problems to. She finds Raman intriguing because of his sensitive yet confident personality which makes her "melt."

After her cousins wedding, Vidya's brother shocks the family by telling everyone he wants to enlist in the army and leaves the following day, leaving the entire family unhappy with his decision especially Vidya who trusted him the most to stay back and take care of her parents.  Vidya goes and tries to stop him but his mind was already made so she wishes him the best of luck and tells him that she loves him. Seeing that without her brother Vidya is lonely Raman proposes to her in front of the family after asking permission of her grandfather. Even though she loves him and he loves her back, she wasn't ready to take on the responsibility of being a wife as well as fulfilling her dream of going to college which she was now allowed to do. So instead she asks that she gets her degree and so does Raman, who will have to go to America to do so,  and until then they would be close friends who would get married afterwards. Everyone agrees to that and the book ends with Vidya writing a long letter to Raman about how in some time they would be united as one but right now they must finish what they both were meant to do.

This book addresses many themes such as politics, war, peace, Hinduism, power of women(feminism), and prejudice. However, the most common one I found was about the sense of equality. It would be: Equality is not only important between two different people of different backgrounds, but also in one's family. There shouldn't be a difference in how a man or a woman is raised because both have the potential to do so much and rise to great heights. Equality is something that Vidya fights for throughout the novel because she doesn't want to conform to the traditions that hold a woman to achieve her potential. The first way she tries to achieve equaltiy is by asking her grandfather if she is allowed to go to college.

"Tell me, as you don't want to marry yet, what would you do if you were given more time?"

"Go to college."

"What would you do in college?" he asked.

"Study. Acquire knowledge"(224).

Another example of Vidya searching for equality is when she must ask permission by her grandfather in front of all the men, to go upstairs and use the library.

"May I use the library upstairs?" I couldn't hide the slight tremor in my voice. It was unusually high-pitched."

"What?" Thatha looked up, his hand halfway to his mouth."

"I want to go to the library every evening after school," I said clearly.

"Somehow every man who was still sitting at his plate had just heard what I'd said." (110-111)

The conversation continued by everyone making a big fuss about how she couldn't go there, but after a lot of pleading her grandfather finally agreed to let her do so. These were just two examples of how Vidya fought for some equality for herself but she demonstrated many great qualities every girl should be equipped with to win her battle.