Ramesh

Ramesh is the main character and the narrator of the story “English Babu” by Vijay Medtia.

Outer characterisation

His outer characterisation reveals that Ramesh is an Indian man who immigrated to the UK in 1965 and has been living in England for 40 years: “I first left for Manchester in the autumn of 1965. (...) Well, five years have become forty.” (ll. 8-10).

Ramesh came from “a prosperous family in the north of India” (l. 21) and “graduated in Commerce” (l. 21). However, when he moved to England, he struggled to find a job. Eventually, he got a position “fixing valves on an industrial machine” (l. 23) in a mill.

Furthermore, he lived in difficult conditions in England at first: “I wonder now how I survived those cold winters with nothing but old blankets and hot water bottles.” (ll. 19-20).

In time, Ramesh managed to buy his own house and got promoted at his factory, managing to secure a decent living for himself and his family: “The first house I owned was a terrace…” (l. 65); “I had also been made Supervising Manager.” (l. 89).

Ramesh’s outer characterisation also reveals that he is married to another Indian woman named Anita. They have three children all born in England: “When we returned to India with our first-born son…” (l. 47); “In the next few years we had another son and a daughter.” (l. 64).

Inner characterisation

Ramesh’s inner characterisation focuses on the character’s development, on his relationships with his family, and on his attitude towards his home country and his new country.

From the character’s memories of his first years in England, we find out he was “full of youth and vigour” (l. 11). He had high expectations about prospering in England and returning to India after five years:

I thought five years was all l needed to strike it rich. But when the five years had passed and nothing out of the ordinary had been achieved, it dawned on me that this England enterprise might not be so easy. (ll. 11-13)

Ramesh’s memories reveal that although he came from a wealthy family in India, he had to adjust to harsh living conditions in England: “The rooms were barely furnished and the walls covered with old patterned paper. Most rooms had no carpets. It was cold, damp and miserable; when I wasn’t freezing.” (ll. 16-18). Furthermore, Ramesh had to accept a low-paid job, although he had a higher education: “My high hopes of finding a good job over here were met with one rejection after anot...