Character Sketch of the Narrator from Class 8 English Honeydew Book Chapter 8 – A Short Monsoon Diary
A character sketch defines what the character is like and how he/she evolves or develops throughout the story. In this post you can find the Character Sketch of the Narrator from Class 8 English Honeydew Book Chapter 8 – A Short Monsoon Diary.
Related:
- A Short Monsoon Diary Summary, Explanation
- A Short Monsoon Diary Question Answers
- A Short Monsoon Diary MCQs
Character Sketch of the Narrator
Ruskin Bond has a reflective personality; he is sensitive and very perceptive about human nature and is especially close to nature. Due to his environmental awareness, he paints a perfect picture of the monsoon mist, the silence of the forest. Still, he retains a poetic and philosophic nature considering even regular things like the monsoon rain, checking its rhythm, or difficult aspects, the leopards, for example.
Bond’s character shows obsession with the smallest detail as well as having an inner desire to know the environment. From the moment when he sees a beautiful cobra lily bloom right to when beautiful scarlet minivets fly past the trees, he paints the pictures with such intensity, that it shows how in tune he is with his surroundings. He also has flexibility, calmness and playfulness displayed by his thoughts that a leech cannot hurt him and a shrew will bring him good luck.
It appears that loneliness does not scare the narrator; in fact, it inspires him and helps to build his thoughts. He listens to the beat of monsoon rain, the twitter of birds, and sounds of silence in hills. His words enable the reader to see the land as a breathing canvas which can inspire and express optimism, sadness and happiness. Being in sync with his emotions and being highly introspective, Bond’s character answers the human desire to be one with the majestic cycles of the natural world.
Questions related to the Character of the Narrator
Q1. What does the narrator (Ruskin Bond) observe about the cobra lily?
Q2. Who are the seasonal visitors that accompany the monsoon, according to the narrator?
Q3. In what way does the monsoon rain impact the narrator at night?
Overview of the Story
As an extract from the diary of nature it offers a detailed description of Ruskin Bond’s interaction with monsoon and the passage to the winter season in the hills. The coming of monsoon mist strongly hushes the environment and the chirping birds are replaced by serene silence. The warm monsoon rain revives the vegetation; with this cobras’ lilies and wildflowers blooming in the park. This is a positive portrayal of nature while later, there emerges a problem through leeches and leopards that come for eating the livestock.
Bond watches the number of birds and is impressed with such birds as scarlet minivets, tree creepers, and whistling thrushes. He also assesses the inspirational feeling of monsoon rain, singing his poem with the steady rhythm of raindrops on the tin roof. These observations include the positive aspects of the beauty of the monsoon season and the challenging part of the difficult life during that period, okay with nature.
At this time of the year, the monsoon is over and the hills become a colourful canvas bedecked with wild dahlias, begonias and orchids. There are more and more signs of the fact that after monsoon it is autumn now –one can see the red seeds of cobra lilies and the gradual yellowing of ferns. The story continues from the winter downpour, the hills turn to a dull, gray colour. Glimmers of hope arrive as a ray of sunlight shines after the hailstorm, or the creation of a rainbow after a funeral.
Such a vivid portrayal of the hills, the challenges and various natural phenomena give the reader an idea of the depth with which Ruskin Bond is in touch with the hills he lives in.