The Crematorium

Description:

Quotations:

Page	Quotation	Explanation
	"Neighbours, relations and friends arrive, tears and lamentations, more tears and lamentations, and more and more of it."	This quotation shows how much people are affected by Susila’s death and not just Krishna. The triad - neighbors, relations and friends - also helps to emphasize how important this part of the novel is to them as is concerns a whole community of people.
	“I am blind, dumb, and dazed”	Another triad which illustrates the result of Susila’s death to Krishna. Narayan uses simple but strong words to bring out his point towards his readers.
	“I’m an imbecile, incapable of doing anything or answering any questions”	This quotation suggests the same message as the quotation ‘I am blind, dumb and dazed’. It demonstrates to the reader how much Susila’s death has impacted on Krishna and that he is incapable of executing even the smallest of tasks.
	“Every face looks blurred to me”	This shows how numb he has become due to the death of his wife. It also tells us that he’s characteristic and beliefs have changed throughout the novel and that Susila has taught him how to love someone.
	“I feel nothing and see nothing"	This brings out the same message as the other quotations. It shows how numb Krishna has become and is insensitive to his surrounding. Narayan uses many repetitions like this to emphasize how much Krishna loved and cared about Susila to be left at this state when she died.

Role in the Novel:

The Crematorium is the place where Krishna initially starts to believe in spiritual ways. When he looses Susila, he transforms from a very westernized man who follows the set rules to someone who is more open minded and spiritual. This shows that he has been inspired by his wife’s beliefs and changes his orderly routine lifestyle. At the Crematorium, Krishna truly shows how much Susila means to him as he feels like ‘the days had acquired a peculiar blankness and emptiness’ without her but eventually when he starts to successfully communicate with her, ‘the day seemed full of possibilities and surprise and joy’.

A Crematorium is where people lose their loved ones. Krishna loosing Susila was what encouraged him to change his ways and this started at the Crematorium. It shows that Krishna grew to love Susila in the time that they had together and that he really loves and respects her to try so hard to keep in touch with her even after she passes away. This proves how Krishna has gained a lot of respect for his wife, which he did not have a lot of at the beginning of the novel.