The Inscrutable Americans
| File:The Inscrutable Americans.jpg | |
| Author | Anurag Mathur |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | |
| Country | India |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Rupa Publications New World Library |
Publication date | July 1991 |
| Pages | 250 |
| ISBN | 81-7167-040-7 Search this book on  . |
| OCLC | 24448226 |
| LC Class | MLCS 90/04767 (P) |
The Inscrutable Americans is a 1991 novel by Anurag Mathur.[1] Tri-Color Communications adapted the book into a film in 2001.
Plot[edit]
Gopal Kumar, a student from Madhya Pradesh, arrives in America to study chemical engineering at a university in Eversville. As he reaches New York, he is received by Sunil and Sushant, and his comic discovery of America starts. He stays with them for one night and takes a flight to Eversville the next day. During his journey to the airport, he discovers a part of New York from where his bewilderment starts, right from the American girls, new gadgets, the naked billboards, and vegetarian cats, and continues with the telephone and multi-channeled color TV. He meets Randy, who welcomes him at the airport and tries to introduce him to American society and culture. In all the letters to his brother, he complains about the language and his inability to understand it. Gopal said, “I am only going to classes, library and home” but goes with Randy to see a real bar. He meets Anand (the only other Indian on campus) and dislikes him as he portrays America in a superior class and thinks, “India has a lot of growing up to do, and America will show the way”. He makes the decision to continue his study and goes with Randy to Springfield (Randy’s hometown). He begins to learn the joy of analysis and finds that American students are unable to utilize the opportunities provided by their institutions at a higher level. One day, while returning from the library, he meets Sue and gets touched. But his heart breaks when he finds another man with Sue and spends the next few hours drinking and vomiting. One day, while coming out of the library, he meets Tom (the head waiter) and gets to know about his poverty, but he is exposed to the actual reality of America when he goes with Peacock to the junkyard and the ghost town. He is shaken by seeing the poverty and by the notion that white Americans separate black people from them and do not care for them. He feels lonely and depressed and starts missing his parents and friends in India, as well as Randy. He tries to overcome this by spending time in malls, where he comes across a leaflet about a massage center. He goes to the center in order to fulfill his fantasy, but returns unsuccessfully. Even after vacations, he gets chances to see and meet naked women of America and to fulfill his fantasy, first at a girl's dormitory, then at an ice show and at a lake party, respectively, but fails to score. Finally, his one year comes to an end, and he departs from his campus. Gopal meets a woman on the plane. He begins discussing with her his adventures with women in America, his fears of a boring future in India, and an unknown wife. They eventually start kissing while talking. Gopal reflects on his growth and experiences. The novel ends.
References[edit]
- ↑ "The Inscrutable Americans". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
This article "The Inscrutable Americans" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:The Inscrutable Americans. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
