Themes

Mistreatment of the elderly

The main theme of the short story “The Boss Came to Dinner” by Bhisham Sahni is mistreatment of the elderly. 

Shamnath mistreats and disrespects his mother. He sees her as a “problem” that might ruin his plans for a perfect dinner with his boss. He speaks to her as if she were a child or also orders her around as if she were a servant.

Shamnath tells his mother how to dress, how to sit, and what to say. He even forbids her to go to sleep. He expects her to do everything he asks, without question or protest. It does not even occur to him to ask if any of the things he demands are an inconvenience to her. This shows that he takes her for granted and thinks that he can treat her as rudely as he wants.

The mother obeys without question. She realizes that her son is ashamed of her when he asks her to stay out of sight when the guests arrive. However, she agrees with Shamnath. She never raises her voice at him or reproaches him for his bad behavior.

Whenever Shamnath is rude to her and twists her words for his own benefit, the mother always apologizes for the misunderstanding. This highlights the power imbalance between the two characters. Shamnath’s mother puts up...