The Narrator’s Application for a ‘Humble position’
The narrator reports, “To the great surprise of my colleagues, I applied for the humble position of the Narmada rest house. At first they tried to dissuade me convinced that grief over my wife’s death had led to my aberrant request. Senior bureaucrats, they argued, should apply for higher office. Finding adamant, they finally recommended me for the post and then forgot me.” The narrator’s application is ironic in view of his grade as a ‘senior bureaucrat.’ Nevertheless, the ironic application is a depiction of the narrator’s unconscious longing for meditation which would only flourish in the select setting on the ‘rest house’. Although he has the prospect of securing other high-ranking roles, the roles would not be causative to the indulgence of his unconscious intent.
The Irony of the Jain Monk’s Resolution
The monk forfeits astonishing affluence to be a monk: “Everyone in the stadium knows I am heir to an empire that stretches from the diamond mines of Africa and the diamond cutters of India to the diamond auctions of Honk Kong, Tel Aviv, Moscow, the trading house of Antwerp; the banking establishments of Zurich. My father owns one of the largest diamond companies.” Plainly, the monk sacrifices colossal wealth to be a deprived monk. The diamonds are illustrative affluence which would warranty the monk a relaxed life henceforth. His resolution to give up all the wealth is ironic because customarily; individuals yearn to move from deficiency and to prosperity. The irony underlines the mystic verdict that rises above the treasure which the diamonds embody.
