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Part 1, Chapter 5
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Fire on the Mountain, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Nature of Freedom
Honesty and Self-Reflection
Trauma and Suffering
Class and Privilege
Female Oppression
Summary
Analysis
Nanda Kaul returns to her cane chair on the verandah. The insistent, shrill cry of the telephone interrupts her peace. Against her better judgement, she answers it. On the other end of the line, she hears the “shrill and strident” voice of her childhood friend Ila Das. The sound is so “hideous” that it takes a few minutes for Nanda Kaul to understand what Ila Das is saying. She wants to come for a visit. Nanda Kaul tries to use Raka as an excuse but the prospect of meeting a great-granddaughter just excites Ila Das more. Reluctantly, Nanda Kaul promises to summon Ila Das after she gets Raka settled.
Nanda Kaul finds everything about the interaction—from the mere sound of Ila Das’s strident voice to what she actually says—annoying. It’s worth considering why this is the case, since Ila Das is allegedly her friend. In this moment, Ila Das shows more excitement and happiness about seeing a loved one than Nanda Kaul does, and this functions as a rebuke of Nanda Kaul’s coldness.
Themes
