Assignment of The New Literature : Themes in One Night at the call center

Assignment of The New Literature :Themes in ,

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Paper : 13:  The New Literature

Prepared by : Gohil Jyotiba M.

Roll No : 16

Assignment  Topic :  Themes in One Night at the call center 

M.A (English) : Semester  -4

Enrolment No: 2069108420180016

Batch : 2017-19

Email  ID: jyotibagohil96@gmail.com

Submitted to : Smt .S. B Gardi , Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University.

Themes in One Night at the call center:

● Introduction :

One night at the call center is novel written by Chetan Bhagat. He is the most popular writer in India. He wrote the novel about the problems of Youth. Youth is at the center in his all the novels. This can be seen as a reason behind his popularity among the youth.

His Works:

1. Five point some one
2.  The 3 mistakes of my life
3.  2 states
4.  One Night @ the Call Center
5.  Revolution 2020
6.  What young India Wants
7.  Half girlfriend

One Night at The Call Center is a novel  which focuses on  the lives of six call center employees working for Connections a call center located in the Gurgaon. In the beginning of the story the readers are presented with a frame story describing a train journey during which the author meets a girl who desires to tell him a story. However she put  one condition that he had to write a book on it if he wanted to hear the story. This condition stated that he had to base his second book on the story.

                     The novel talks about how the employees receive a phone call from God during their work timings in the call center. The characters in this novel  Radhika, Esha, Shyam, Priyanka, Varun, and Military Uncle. These six characters are deeply disturbed in the events taking place in their own lives and choose to focus on their problems rather than trying to find a way out of them.

                      In this book, chetan Bhagat trying to throw the light on the lives of the individuals in present day India.who are consist in the metro cities. The language utilized by the author is simple and contains witty remarks on civil culture and relationships. The author makes use of words that are combine with that region in the country thereby increasing the readability of this book.

Major Themes in One Night at the call center:

1) God’s Call :

                     

The call from  God is one of the major theme  in the novel. In this novel writer has presented God as a friendly figure rather than a boss. God is presented in a modern way and shown as freely figure  rather than the stereo‐typical pure English or the Latin that one commonly encounter.

The call from the God can be considered as plot mover.In the novel each characters  frustrated  from their personal problems. when they are in difficult situation they get phone call from God. When they all go outside from call center at the night go get fresh air.  After that when  they are coming back to the call center at that time their car Qualis crashes into a construction site hanging over a mesh of iron construction road.

 They are unable to phone call for anyone because there is no mobile network at that place. At that time suddenly  shyam’s mobile phone starts up ringing. All are Surprised at that time because  The phone call is from God. God talks with everyone and listen their problems and gives them suggestions to improve in their life. The conversation with God motivates all  the characters to such an extent that they get ready to face their problems with almost determination and motivation. The story takes a dramatic and critical turn through a deux ex machina when the characters receive a phone call from God.

2) Deux ex machina :

                                    

Deux ex machina is claque from Greek meaning “God from the machina”

It  is the term which has evolved to mean a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and all of sudden resolved by the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new subject, ability, characters and event . It can be intended to move the story forward when the writer has “painted himself into a corner” and sees no other way out to surprise the audience.

Chetan Bhagat also use God as plot mover. It can be considered as plot resolveance.  Deus Ex Machina is used in this novel by Chetan Bhagat when all characters met an accident and no any source are there to save their lives. So at that time God’s phone call become the plot mover.  The call from the God changed the life of all six people. The  God call save them with many messages for life. After that they all restart their lives from God's advice of living life happily and They all tried a lot of solve their problems from their lives. So the happy ending is here from God’s call. Chetan Bhagat used call of God when  characters are in trouble situation at that time he uses a call from God to resolve a plot.

3) Nationalism :

“Nationalism involves national identity, by contrast with the related construct of patriotism, which involves the social conditioning and personal behaviours that support a state’s decisions and actions”(Nationalism)

One night at the call center is also about Nationalism. The character of Vroom is Anti – American. He always criticise Americans. In the Novel Vroom insulted by Americans. He is anti -American. He says ,

“Americans suck the life blood out of our country’s most productive generation”

There is motif behind to  give jobs to Young people because Young people Waste their life to give information or solve the problems of Americans. It destroying the future of Individual. 

‘‘That I should not have taken up a job just for money. Call centers pay

more, but only because the exchange rate is in the favor of Americans. They

toss their loose change at us. It seems like a lot in rupees. But jobs that pay

less could be better. There could be jobs that define me, make me learn of

help my country. I justified it by saying money is progress. But it is not true.

Progress is building something lasting for the future.”

This lines spoken by Vroom during the conversation with God. He says that he wants to help country. He has not join call center for money. For him,  Progress is not all about money but it’s like building which is lasting for the future.

“A  thirty-five-year-old

American’s brain and IQ is the same as a ten-years-old Indian  brain.”

Vroom said this lines about Americans. They invented new things but many of are not able to know how to use that things. They need the help of Indians. In India this all inventions are not coming in use though they able to guide Americans. So from that Vroom says that thirty five year old American IQ is same as ten year old child in India. India is smarter in compare to America.

4) Globalization :

“Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology” (Globalization)

The effect of Globalization  also describe in the novel through  the struggle of each  character‘s life. The Globalization is an  economical movement. The title of the novel itself tells about the effect of globalization in call center. Thee Novel is based on the working people in Call Centre.

In the call center every workers name are changed Varun Malhotra called as Victor  , Shayam Mehra as Sam Mercy , Radhika as Ragima Jones, Esha Singh as Eliza.  These people have to change their names for American.

Through this  Bhagat wants to give message to the Indians that who working in call center they just get good salary but it not give the  opportunity to do something else or show  their skills and creativity into their work.  In the novel due to slack in software industry the call center wanted to cut down the number of employees. Its effects on the people who are working in the call center it brings all the people under burden. literally this novel  talks about the anxieties, fears, and stress of call center employees. So in the novel shows the positive and negative effects of Globalization on people’s life.

5) Modernization :

The Novel deals with the issues of young people. It is  including questions about career, inadequacy, marriage, family conflicts in a changing India. It talks about the  relationship of the young Indian middle class to both executive and ordinary clients whom they serve in the US.

In this novel chetan Bhagat’s main aim is to convey a message to the people of India through situation of the characters like the the situation of women in India. Esha  wants to become a model for that she forced to slept with forty years old designer and it represents the dark side of the India.The situation of working girl Radhika who always struggle for her identity. She is trying to justify her duty. She is faithful wife but later on betrayed by her husband who has affair with another girl. Also she is struggling with her Mother In law who never understands her. It shows the situation of Married working girl.

   In the novel Chetan Bhagat portrayed young people who drinks and smoke when they felt anxiety, suffering in their life. In the novel Chetan portrayed Women freely drinks wines and roaming outside at the night.

6) Marriage and Love :

 Marriage and love are important theme of the novel. The novel is all about young people and their sufferings. Like this Marriage and love plays vital role in changing the relationship of the character. The idea of marriage is highly criticised through the charter of Radhika. She faces many struggle in her marriage life . She manages everything her marriage life and professional life but somehow she fails into keep balance between this. Her husband has affair with another girl. It show the condition of married women struggling for her identify and love.

Chetan Bhagat portrayed the real situation of Young people. He shows the complexity in the relationship of Shyam and Priyanka and Vroom and Esha. He shows the break up of the relationship of young people. It shows the lack of understanding in the relationship which becomes the reason of broken relationship. Military uncle also loves his grandson but somehow the lack of understanding happens between Military uncle and his Son.

Conclusion :

Thus novel shows the different themes . It  shows the  different problems of the youth and gives the ideas  their solutions. Here Chetan Bhagat shows the reality of India. It shows the current problems of youth and Nation.  Through the characters it shows the problems in the relationship , Globalisation and it’s effect on the Nation , Condition of women in India. So it highlights the problems and trying to give the solution at the end of the novel.

Works Cited

http://parmarjinal161315.blogspot.com/2015/03/one-night-call-center.html?m=1