Godaan - Premchand had it planned in advance
Godaan
Godaan the last novel by Munshi Premchand, one of the most famous novels of all languages the world over considered an all time great in contemporary literary circle. However, there were certain facts, which were not given their due weightage according to the merits of Munshi Premchand or his novel in question; there are certain facts, which needed to be discovered based on outlines he used to make during his novel writing process. Incidentally, Munshi Premchand used to write his manuscript in English to be translated in Hindi or Urdu later. He was master of all three languages, English, Hindi and Urdu to use all three with equal command over these. He was a writer of Hindi-Urdu literary world, who used English for manuscript or outline purpose for his initial work before giving it a final shape.
Munshi Premchand used to do most of his planning regarding his novels and stories in English before giving them a proper shape but his manuscripts were in English only. This is a fact, which has brought another rare fact into the knowledge of literary world per chance about his world-renowned novel ‘Godaan’. The outline of Godaan has been found with twelve points planned to be written in this novel but due to unavailability of first page first two the most crucial points, which could have thrown a better light on the ‘going on’ in the writer’s mind at the time of planning this novel. However, there are points #3 to #12 available in two pages, which are available for your ready reference. Let me try to put them here in my own version as using his version in original may not be considered right for copyright reasons.
This is photocopy of his original outline how he had his book planned and his drawing available- created by a Japanese artist
I shall try to discuss those points in a proper serial as available in the two papers
NOTE- Do not read it in form of proper sentences as the outline is written in short sentences therefore some of these may not have a proper construction please.
Point section #3- (Remember first two points are missing) Hori buys a cow and the whole village comes to see it. Shobha is worried but Hira is jealous. Hira poisons the cow, Hori sees him doing so but does not report the matter to the police.
Point section #4- To celebrate Dushehra the entire villagers gather at the house of head of the village who wants to increase revenue on crops of Hori. Hori sells his barley crop. Hori wants to keep his face hidden because he wants to avoid village head but cannot do it. To impress village head is mandatory. Otherwise, the village head and party are kind and giving type. He narrates his version. Village head is also member of district board and wants to apply for nomination of head of the board’s election of the district board (This part is showing a cut mark with ink) The village head makes donations to the party funds and offer big feasts to the officers concerned to gain their favor. Farmers come satisfied after the function Gobar who is unmarried also goes to the function seeing Jhuniya there proposes to marry her. Jhuniya has no money - she surrenders.
Point section #5- Jhuniya has a son (daughter) local governing body, Gobar runs off to Calcutta. Local body fines him heavily. Hori must go to pilgrimage to make good of his son’s fault, expiation. He lends money from the local moneylender against his land, he is unable to pay the interest. Gobar does not come back. There is no money or property, he is a daily wages labor now. His daughters accompany him for the labor job the whole mentality is changed.
Point section #6- He is trying to get back the mortgaged property, daughter (sold- this portion is cut by the pencil mark) married, property released, property increased. Quarrel in between brothers, Hori gets a thrashing, court cases with brothers. Brothers imprisoned. Hori (to bring-cut) finds all this pleasant but takes care of his family in the end.
Point section #7- sons of Bhola separated. Jhuniya died, his only daughter. Bhola looks after her child. (One of them becomes saint, gives property to sons) Village head takes care of girl- this part is cut with pen)
Point section #8- The son of the village head an advocate is member of council. His family removes him from the family. Farmers pay respect to him, he is a social worker.
Point # section 9- The younger daughter of Hori sold, Limited crop enough to pay for revenue only. To feed cattle, arrange for family meals, how to manage, physically weak, Jhinky doing lot of labor for livelihood. The old man sells his daughter unable to keep with the situation without telling to his wife about it and fabricates a story to keep his honor.
Point section # 10- Gober returns home with sober habits, explains his experiences. He has forgotten Jhuniya but after earning money with dubious means he finds himself on a sober point and comes back home soon. His father is on deathbed but does not allow him to stay Gober to enter house and Gobar goes back to old ways.
Point section #11- Bhola brings a very young widow as his wife. He comes to stay with Hori. A hut is made ready to accommodate him. He does not get a proper job so he begins stealing in the neighborhood. Jangi attracted to this woman, they meet occasionally, the woman leaves him and goes with Jangi one day, Bhola (dies due to shock- this line is cut) She lives with Bhola for years. His wife scolds him one day and beats with broom, end of Bhola.
Point section #12- Hori tries to carry on his life with difficulty, Gobar helps him indirectly through his mother who serves her husband with total care. Hori comes to end of his life and dies. Gobar donates cow for him, xxx , agriculture, exhibitions, development, literature, agitation, sugar mills, cooperative to be detailed.
Let me give you an introduction of characters of the novel to understand you the above-mentioned description of the outline with somewhat easier way, although some of the characters you may not come across in this article. ‘Godaan’ means the gift of a cow to a Brahmin according to Hindu rituals, after the death of a person. Godaan was published originally in Hindi language as the last novel of Munshi Premchand in 1936 and later translated in English in the year 1987 in hardback and paperback both editions to keep cost as per the need of the reader.
- Hori a farmer who is married to Dhaniya has two daughters and a son. Dhaniya is wife of Hori and is devoted to her husband who always supports her husband even in worst of conditions - Gobar is their only son. Dattadin is typical village priest a greedy one who lends money to the needy on high interest rates. Matadin is his son . Bhola is a cow owner from the village nearby. Bhola a widower who has two sons both married and a widowed daughter, her name is Jhunia. Rai sahib a rich man the village head who has won the local elections twice. Miss Malati is a beautiful, intelligent young lady, also a doctor brought up and educated in Europe. She is one of the three daughters of Mr.Kaul. She is a popular figure in the parties around and does not mind flirting with influential people around her. Mr. Mehtais is a scholar and lecturar of philosophy in a college who is writing a book on Philosophy, which he dedicates to Malati. Mr. Khanna is a big industrialist and owns a big sugar industry - Govindi is his wife.- The description of outline above is a clear mirror of thoughts of Munshi Premchand and details about the way he planned his manuscript in simple sentences with simple thinking. If you go through points mentioned in section 3, you can clearly see that he has kept all his points intact in the novel as per his original plans. He has mentioned some of the points mentioned in section 4 but left some of these as he did not fit them in the manuscript or did not find them suitable, maybe he changed his mind at the time of writing. In the novel, the money offered by Hori comes from sale of bamboo but you can see them coming as sale of barley in outline of the book. In the novel the village head talks to Hori and there is no place, where Hori found hiding his face. Gober and Jhuniya meet for the first time while bringing the cow and not as per described in outline where they meet in a function.
- There are many points which are missing from section 5 like there is no birth of daughter for Jhuniya but son and thee is no Gobar running off to Calcutta neither there is any village court. Hori is removed from his cast but did not go to pilgrimage neither he has to mortgage his property as described in outline. Most of the points mentioned in section 6 are also not there as well as the points are either not worth at the time of actual writing or the author changed his mind. It is not same with section 7 where Jhuniya does not have to die neither her child adopted by village head as mentioned in outlines. In section, # 8 there are many changes compared to outlines, son of the village head is entirely different from the character shown in outlines. He goes to England after marrying Saroj the younger sister of Malti and later claims for Rs one million from his father. Section 10, has some points in the novel as well as references of Gober coming back sober as mentioned originally but not as a sober person, he is shown as an over smart instead and even Hori is not on deathbed but normal.
- For section # 11, there are references of Bhola as mentioned in the outlines but entirely different way. Bhola remarries but he does neither stay with his father as shown stealing neither illicit relation in between mother and the stepson as described in the outlines. In section 12 where the hero of the novel, Hori dies of heat stoke while out for labor’s job, not as per out line where he dies of illness. Finally, the Godaan the donation of cow is performed by Dhaniya and not by Gobar as found in outlines.
The outlines found clearly display the mentality of the writer at the planning stage although some of that differs in the outcome in shape of the novel. The outlines also indicate the flexibility of the famous writer who could change his mind according to need of the time or according to time of actual creation of a character.
This is Munshi Premchand for you
Munshi Premchand was born on 31July 1880 in Samahi village near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. His father was serving at lower level in postal department. Premchand who was Dhanpat Rai then, passed high school with great difficulty but he always wanted to become a lawyer therefore decided to work as a tutor and stayed at the residence of an advocate. He was fond of reading novels and fulfilled his desire of reading novels sitting at the bookseller. His love for reading and simplicity toward life turned him into a prominent writer, which shows clearly in his writing style. Munshi Premchand is one of the greatest writers this country has ever had, a well-known figure all over the world.
Munshi Premchand, who was a victim of poverty and abuses due to second marriage of his father had many problems to face during his childhood therefore could relate to such problems with realistic point of view as a one who had gone through these and his self experience.
List of some of his popular books - Seva Sadan, Nirmala, Pratigya, Kaayakalp, Gaban, Karmabhoomi
He was working on ‘Mangalsootra’ at the time of his death therefore could not complete it. He is no more in this world today but his books will keep him alive foe ever.
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