Heat & Dust

The book ends with Olivia being alone most of the time.The Nawab is fat and no longer the good looking guy he was in the beginning. That is very frustrating, and so here is my new end:

In the last minute, Olivia realized that she was about to kill her own baby. What would the Nawab say? And would Douglas still want to be with her?  Olivia suddenly knew that she could lose both men when she kills this baby, and so she stopped the procedure. For one minute she was not shure where she should go now, but then she saw it very clear. As fast as possible she made her way to the Nawab’s palace. As she arrived the Nawab was very happy to see her. She didn’t tell him what had happend, but she said that she wants to go away from the palace, away from all the stories the people tell and away from Douglas, because he couldn’t give her the love she needed. And that’s what they did. Olivia wrote a short letter to Douglas just so he knew that she will never return to him. The Nawab and Olivia moved to a house in the mountains where Olivia got her baby. At the same time Douglas was all alone and could not believe what had happend. That was not the Olivia he used to know. In his desperation he stayed at home for more than a month and got out of his bed only to eat. One morning he decided that there is no  way for him to stay in India any longer, and so he packed his things and left the same day. He found a new job in England and a new wife. They had three children and finally lead the life Douglas had always wished for.

Already the beginning of the film is different from the book. The film starts with a scene where Douglas comes to the hospital and finds out that Olivia isn’t there any longer. The doctor tells him that she had left the hospital and that he does not know where she might be now. So Douglas goes back home and searches for Olivia but he can not find her. Than the movie switches over o the narrator.

In course of the film are a lot of other meanderings. But I think that is often the case when a film is based on a book.

At first it is a bit difficult to understand the different scenes, because there are so many switches between Olivia’s story and the narrator’s story. For someone who read the book it’s easier because then you already know the story

what makes it also easier to follow the actions in the film. Before the film actually starts all the characters are introduced so when one person appears in the film you immediately know who it is which is very positive. But I still think that some people who have read the book are disappointed when they watch the movie, because for example Harry does not look like he is described in the film and some important scenes are left out.

After her abortion Olivia went to the Palace. Harry left India and met the Nawab again fifteen years later. Olivia and the Nawab live in a house in the mountains he had bought for her. Olivia never came to England again. As Harry and the Nawab meet again, the nawab is fifty years old and very fat. (p 160, ll 12,13) Harry is schocked by his appearance because he had changed so much. He is not the handsome man he used to be and has amany of troubles of a domestic nature. HIs wife Sandy needs treatment for her mental troubles and he has to keep up three seperate establishment for her, Olivia and his mother. Fifteen years after this meeting the Nawab died in New York in the Park Avenue apartment of the Begum.

The narrator has changes because:

• she does not recoil at the sight of misery and disease any longer
• she has lost her curiosity about the sick and maimed people eho live in Satipur
• a sense of fatalism has deadened her to the sufferings of other people
• making love to Inder Lal shows that she is no longer keeping her distance
• becoming emotionally involved with Inder Lal means that she deviates from her intention “to do some research into the history of Khatm” (p. 96)

The narrator has not changed because:

• ever since she arrived in India, she has been a neutral observer of the miserable conditions people live in
• she has never shown signs of bewilderment or dismay
• she still has not given up her hope of being able to help people by taking a common sense approach to their problems
• even making love to Inder Lal does not mean that she has become emotionally involved; the matter-of-fact analysis of her conversations with Inder Lal reveals her to be still reserved
• making love to Inder Lal may be part of her research work

Conclusion: I think in the end the narrator is still the same. She seems to be unable to get emotionally involved, and does not learn from the mistakes Olivia had made. The only thing that is different to Olivia’s story is that the narrator decides to have keep the baby.

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Olivia has the wish to get pregnant. She thinks it would solve her problems with Douglas and the time without him wouldn’t be that boring anymore. She could take care of the baby and there would be a stonger connection between her and Douglas. But now she is pregnant, and there are two men who are looking forward to get a child. By now I don’t know how the story ends, and so I can only guess what will happen. Olivia is definetely in a difficult situation, because there is the possibility that the Nawab is the father of her unborn child. But that would have a negative effect on her marriage with Douglas. But- and I think Olivia knows that too- it is just a question of time when Olivia has to pick one of the two men in her life and dismiss the other one.

Inder Lal and the narrator spent time at Baba Firdaus’ grove, and so do Olivia and the Nawab.

What happend?

Inder Lal & Narrator:

On a Sunday Inder Lal and the narrator went to Baba Firdaus’ grove. It is a beautiful landscape and discribed almost like Paradise. Everything seems to be very idyllic and so they both sit down and have a picnic. Inder Lal brought two pieces of red string with him and they tie them to the lattice in the shrine and make a wish. The narrator has a desire to get close to Inder Lal, and because they are alone she laid her hand on his. I think there is defenitely an atraction between them, but becuase it is not normal for Indians to be so open and to have such a close contact to a women the narrator is the activ person in this scene. Because they are alone and nobody can see them he tolerates the bodycontact. More and more he rejoins this close contact, maybe because he feels free when he is with the narrator and he can talk about things he can not discuss with his wife. Later on the narrator and Inder Lal start spending the nights togehter. The narrator is pregnant, but she decides not to tell Inder Lal to avoid problems.

Olivia & the Nawab:

One day Olivia and the Nawab leave Harry and do a trip togehther to see baba Firdaus’ grove. At the grove they both make a wish, and Olivia tells the Nawab that her wish is to get pregnant. Soon there is bodycontact between them, and after the trip Olivia is pregnant. She decides not to tell Douglas.

The only differece between the two stories is that in one story the female person plays the active part-the narrator, and in the other version it is the Nawab who has the control- like always. While reading the two stories it semms to me like olivias story in 1923 is repeated by the narrator. Both women now seem to be in a very similar position, what must be strange for the narraor because she read Olivias letters and already knows about problems the pregnancy might bring with it.

Olivia mentions some reasons why she does not tell Douglas about her day with the Nawab. But they all seem to be feeble excuses. Douglas has no time, comes home too late from work and is too tired to talk to her. I think she simply knows that probably no husband is thinking positivly about his wife “dating” another man. Telling the truth could lead to problems their marriage, and Olivia wants to avoid that. In some way she also might think it is justified to meet another man because she is bored and Douglas does not give her the attention she needs. Another reason for not telling Douglas could be that she is confused by her feelings for the Nawab and yet not shure to whatt they might lead.

Olivia is married with Douglas, but it seems like this “role” is not enough for her. Olivia and the Nawab first meet at a dinner party in the Nawab’s palace at Khatm (p.19). Olivia seems to feel very comfortable (p. 19 l. 29) and she enjoys having the Nawab’s attention (p. 21 ll. 25-30). A few days after the party the Nawab visits Olivia at her house and Olivia is very exited. Her heart seems to beat fast, maybe already a hint for a “secret love”?! The Nawab invites Olivia and Douglas, but in the end Douglas decides not to accept the invitation, because his “boss” is not invited and so it would be disrespecting to go (p.24). Olivia is very unhappy about Douglas decision. When she meets the other women in the palace (p. 33 ll. 17-27) all she thinks about is the Nawab. As soon as possible she starts a conversation about him trying to get as much information as possible. The Nawab seems to be interested in Olivia, too. That’s why he takes her to a “very special place” (p.45 l. 19) to join him at a wonderful picnic. After this picnic Olivias letters get more detailed, as if it were a relief to have someone to confide in (p. 49 ll 13-16).