The Wog

By Khuswant Singh
What
is a
WOG?
WOG
any nonwhite,
especially a dark-
skinned native of the
Middle East or
Southeast Asia.

KHUSHWANT SINGH
one of the best -known Indian writers of all times
was born in 1915 in Hadali (now in Pakistan)
He was educated at:
o the Government College
o Lahore and at King's College
o Cambridge University
o Inner Temple in London.
He practiced law at the Lahore High Court for
several years before joining the Indian Ministry of
External Affairs in 1947.
He began a distinguished career as a journalist with
the All India Radio in 1951.
Since then he has been:
o founder-editor ofYojana (1951-1953)
o editor of the Illustrated weekly of
India (1979-1980)
o chief editor of New Delhi (1979-1980)
o Editor of the Hindustan times (1980-1983).
His Saturday column "With Malice
Towards One and All" in the Hindustan
times is by far one of the most popular
columns of the day.

Indo-Anglian (writers in India who write in the
English language and whose native or co-native
language could be one of the
numerous languages of India.) novelist
Singh is best known for his trenchant
secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of
poetry.
His comparisons of social and behavioral
characteristics of Westerners and Indians are
laced with acid wit.

KHUSHWANT
SINGH

Indian Literature is one of the types; which contains stories with themes that have
a strong cultural base, a high place for class/background and a place in which
marriages are arranged and enforced.
"The Wog" contain the themes of gender roles and a strong cultural base
In analyzing these themes and the stories, one can see how they are very
important to the lives of Indians; given the fact that at the time and even now,
they all exist strongly in certain parts of India.
Women
o dominate the home
o known to be the ones who do absolutely everything for the men
The Indian culture is strong and class is put on a pedestal where then marriages
are also enforced.
Women
o dominate the home
o known to be the ones who do absolutely
everything for the men
The Indian culture is strong and class is put on a
pedestal where then marriages are also enforced.
WOMEN IN INDIA
Discrimination against Women: After
Marriage
Bias towards men and their superiority
in marital relationships:
while women ought to be
respected, protected and kept
happy by their husbands
their happiness being vital for the
prosperity, peace and happiness
of the whole family they should
also be kept under constant
vigilance, since they cannot be
completely trusted or left to
themselves.
After marriage she becomes the
property and responsibility of her
husband, who is supposed to take care
of her and keep her in his custody.
WOMEN IN INDIA
married girl / woman
no longer considered to be part of the
family of her birth
she has become part of the family of
the groom.

After marriage the woman leaves her
parental home and lives with her husband's
family, where she is required to assume all
household labor and domestic
responsibilities.

In certain parts of Indian society, women
are conditioned from birth to be
subservient not only to their future
husbands, but also to the females in their
husband's family especially, their mother-
in-law.

ostracized and neglected by her very own
family and in her own home.
WOMEN IN INDIA
Accordingly, the surrounding
society mandates a woman's
obedience to her husband and
her in-laws.

Any disobedience would bring
disgrace to both, the wife
herself and her originating
family, and might lead to the
woman being ostracized and
neglected by her very own
family and in her own home.

ARRANGED
MARRIAGE
part of the Indian culture since the fourth
century
any consider the practice a central fabric of
Indian society, reinforcing the social, economic,
geographic, and the historic significance of
India
THE
WOG





Women play the boss, the big
roles and it is something that
has been the same way since
day one, women are known to
do everything for me no matter
how young or old.

It is expected and necessary, for
those who brought up the men
in the house were the mothers,
only creating a chain where
then the wife must do the same.




One sees this in Santosh's mother who always babied her only son, doing
absolutely everything for him.
Her power showed when she "wanted to see him properly settled, and wanted
to fondle a grandson just once before she died" (Singh 294).
She insists on his getting married and wanting a grandson, therefore making
spoiled Santosh to agree, "all right Ma, you find me a wife. I'll marry anyone
you want me to marry" (294).
The power has always been put on the women because they run the home and
it is not questioned because it is part of their strong cultural base.
Women are the bosses and therefore Santosh agrees.
The only difference in this story is the fact that Santosh had been the son of a
Brisitsh gentleman, making him a Wog (westernized oriental gentleman).
Means he had been brought up in an English way, so marriage was not
arranged from early age.
Santosh always got along with his mother and anything she said went. She got
him to marry someone she preferred and life went on. But this high importance
for gender role plays a big part in everyday life in India.
Marriage in the Indian culture is the
most valued and important practice
among parents and others excluding the
children; for it is the base of what is to
be of that future child's life.
Marriage is enforced by the
parents and it is done very
carefully choosing only from one's
caste, and it is forbidden to marry
outside one's caste or mingle with
others from outside it.
In "The Wog", our main protagonist
Santosh aka Sunny is an Indian but
brought up as an American who
tries to inherit the Indian lifestyle
once moving in with mom but
struggles, for mom tries to
enforce him to marry someone.
Although it is regular practice in India
Sunny was not comfortable, and had
never even heard of matrimonial
advertisements and soon becomes
"very angry and acutely embarrased"
(295 Singh) by the idea.
Marriage is the foundation of
something bigger, a home a family
but in this case Santosh is not taking
it, and although he goes through
with it; it leads to the suicide of his
wife who is unhappy and confused
all along.
If it was not for such a high place
for class/background there would
be no place for anything else; but it
is this country's strong cultural base
which leads everything to work how
it does.












Strong gender roles, strong
cultural base, arranged marriages
and a high place for
class/background in India are the
themes high on list for what is
necessary. Without these, the
country would not function
because it is the normal and the
unquestionable.
There is this belief of one caste
being better than another and
people not being able to get out
or move up onto another caste;
arranged marriages being forced
by the parents, and the need
for strong cultural base and
separation that makes India India.
























It is exactly that, which
makes Indian literature
unique and one of its
own. The different things
that go on in this type of
literature captivate many
for its approach and
development on each
theme.
One can view this way of
life and one's own and
learn to appreciate the
benefits and freedom we
have when compared to
other countries and
cultures.












The Wog by Khushwant Singh is that people are victimized by the
conflict created by wanting to remain loyal to ones culture yet
respecting or appreciating a different culture more. The main
character, Srijut Santosh Sen may be viewed as a snob for rejecting
his Hindu heritage and embracing British culture. However, some view
Sen as a victim of colonialism.
Theme