Bim/Tara Relationship in Anita Desai's Clear Light of Day

 

BIM/TARA RELATIONSHIP IN ANITA DESAI’S CLEAR LIGHT OF DAY


With her sister Bim, Tara finds such security that allows her to travel with her past to rediscover her youth and her own forgotten identity, and can confront Bakul’s intimidating manners. Desai portrays Bim and Tara’s parents as individuals who are completely unconscious of their children. Tara suffers from feelings of loneliness and jealousy towards  her siblings as well as the tremendous lack of love from her parents. When she recalls her childhood, it is only painful. Bim and Tara realise the dullness of their household and the strong distance between the world of adults.

The fulcrum of the novel is the Bim/Tara relationship. Both have different personalities. The events in the novel are a result of Tara’s visit to Bim. Bim is academically oriented, being a lecturer at a college. She is not conscious of her demeanour. Tara’s childhood dream was to get married and knit for her babies, and Bim’s was to be a heroine, a Florence Nightingale. Both their dreams materialised. Tara is a die-hard romantic, and Bim believer in facts, chronology, and history. Tara is an escapist; she goes off to the United States with her husband. She was an escapist right from birth. When there was trouble at home, she used to run to the safe arms of Mira Masi.

Both Bim and Tara share an unfulfilled childhood and youth. Both are happy that their childhood and youth are over. Bim is an all-rounder in school, and Tara is asked to be like her sister. Bim used to dominate over her sister; once she tried to cut Tara’s hair, and forced her to smoke on another occasion. Tara was the victim of Bim’s fancies before marriage, and Bakul’s wishes after marriage. She escapes from one oppressor to another. Her escapist tendency is seen in the bee episode, where she leaves Bim amongst a swarm of bees. They discuss it after many years when Bim says that she doesn’t mind Tara’s running away. It shows her logical bent of mind.

Bim is the more giving of the two sisters. She was a surrogate mother to Raja during his sickness, and is a Florence Nightingale to Baba. As a student she used to help out in a clinic for women in Kingsway camp for refugees.

 Tara disliked any form of social work. “Charity had for her, the same reek of vomit”, But Tara acts as a mediator for Bim and Raja during a rent problem. Tara also notices that Bim is in a strange mood, and she tells her friend Jaya. But Jaya is indifferent saying that Bim can look after herself , she can take care of herself. But Tara is worried that Bim and Baba are getting older, and she stays so far away.

We can also conclude that Bim and Tara are complementary, each is what the other is not, and Tara has a lot of love for Bim which is echoed in her concern for Bim. But she is not bold enough to take radical decisions for fear of her husband and all she can do is escape from the current crisis only to think about it again and again. Bim and Tara’s relationship is the close relationship of two sisters which need not be verbally exhibited just to show how much they love each other. It is much deeper and is felt by both.

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