Pather Panchali

Pather Panchali Imagery

Candy man

As the candy man comes by the house, we see Durga look through a hole in the wall at the man. This imagery helps us to understand her desire for the sweets and that it is a long shot that she will have any; it stages the childlike desire that Apu and Durga have for sweets and their playful anticipation.

Indir sewing by candlelight

At one point, Indir sews her clothes by the light of a candle and she can barely see or perform the task, since her fingers are so stiff. The imagery shows just how poor the family is, and how even the elder in the family must do her own work in less-than-ideal conditions.

Separation

After Sarbajaya throws Durga out, we see Sarbajaya close the door and begin to cry. On the other side of the wall we can see Durga crying as well. The composition of the shot shows the separation between the two women, the ways that poverty has driven them apart, even though they are having the same emotional experience of despair and could be connecting through that feeling.

Necklace in the pond

After he finds the necklace that Durga stole, Apu's eyes widen and he throws it into the pond outside their house. After he throws it he watches it get submerged in the water, surrounded by pond weeds and floating down to the bottom. The camera stays on the water, showing the necklace as it gets further and further below the surface. This image represents Apu saying goodbye to his sister before their trip, her memory and identity slipping away into the water near the ancestral home.

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