LS.9. RESIGNATION – PREMCHAND SUMMARY

LS.9. RESIGNATION – PREMCHAND

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

‘The Resignation’ by Premchand is a real extension of the theme, ‘dignity in work place’. It tells us about the employer-employee relationship and how far the employee is bound to the employer.

CONTENT:

“The Resignation” is a very entertaining story that begins with these lines: “An office clerk is a dumb creature”. The narrator tells us that if you insult a coolie he will throw off his load and walk away, reprimand a beggar and he will walk away, and even an abused donkey will kick back. An office clerk, however, will take any form of abuse from his master and smile through it.

“The Resignation” The story revolves around the life of a clerk named Lala Fatechand, he was a failure at everything, he had only 2 daughters. At age 32 his health was already ruined. He goes to work at 9:00 AM and returns at 6:00 PM and he lacks the courage to go out at night. His livelihood is depended upon his office work. He was constantly in fear of losing his job. He has no interest in religion, the poor, the arts, literature, sports, or movies. One night something very unusual happens. A messenger shows up from his office telling him to come into work to take care of an urgent matter. His wife tells him not to go as they ask too much from him. They fight over it and he goes in telling her his job could be at stake.

The office peon tells him to hurry into the boss’s house. The boss demands to know why they took so long to get there. When the clerk tries to explain, the boss says he was lying and threatens to box his ears. When the clerk argues, the boss threatens to flog him and ask him to get the file from the office. Fatechand will get back to home instead of the office to get the file thinking that the Saheb was drunk and even didn’t tell him the name of the file to be bought. After going home Fatechand tells how he was humiliated at Saheb’s house to his wife. Wife ask Fatechand to quit the job saying that honour is man’s greatest possession. Fatechand realizes that it is stupid to raise the family at the cost of self-respect and walks towards Saheb’s house by fetching a cane from his friend’s house.

Fatechand lifts the stick at Saheb and orders him to hold his hand on his ear and apologize and say that he would never abuse anyone again. When Saheb apologize,  Fatechand leaves by handing over the resignation to him. Thus Fatechand had tested the pleasure of true victory. This was the first triumph of his life.

 

CONCLUSION

In this story ‘Resignation’ Premchand describes how a dumb clerk will react when his employer will abuse him. Though the employee is bound to the employer to safeguard his job, he rebels when something goes beyond his tolerance. “Never test the patience of any human”