Analysis

The analysis of the short story “The Boss Came to Dinner” by Bhisham Sahni shows that it follows a linear plot structure. The plot centers around the preparations for the visit of Shamnath’s boss, the party, and its aftermath. 

The main characters in the story are Shamnath and his mother. Shamnath treats his mother badly and uses her to gain advantages from his boss. His mother feels humiliated, but obeys Shamnath.

The physical setting reveals the clash between Eastern and Western values. An important element of the setting is Shamnath’s house and how he transforms it to prepare for his boss’ arrival. .

The story is told from the point of view of a third-person narrator. The narrator has access to Shamnath’s thoughts and feelings, as well as to those of the mother.

The language is conversational, often using common words and phrases. Hindi words and phrases are also used. This contributes to the realistic feel of the story. 

You can read a more detailed analysis in the following pages. 

The short story “The Boss Came to Dinner” by Bhisham Sahni is told by a third-person narrator. The point of view alternates between Shamnath’s and his mother’s. We see things from both their perspectives. For instance, the beginning of the story is told from Shamnath’s point of view:

Mr Shamnath held his peace. This was no time for bandying words, but for cool thinking. He turned around and looked at mother’s room. Her room opened onto the verandah. As his gaze swept over the verandah, a thought flashed through his mind, ‘I’ve got it!’ he said.

This paragraph gives us access to Shamnath’s thoughts and feelings. He seems to be trying to control his anger as he believes he is pressed for time and does not want to waste it arguing . He tries to find a solution to what he perceives to be a problem: his mother’s presence in the house during the visit of his American boss.

At times, the point of view switches briefly to his mother: 

As time passed, mother’s heart started pounding heavily. If the boss came to her and asked her some question, what would she say? She was scared of English Sahibs even from a distance, and this one, they said, was an American. God only knew what sort of questions American Sahibs asked. She felt like going away to her widow-friend, but she lacked the courage to defy her son’s orders.