The Story of My Experiments with Truth: An Analysis of the Selected Chapters of Part – I

Siddharth G. Desai

Roll no. - 12

SEM - I

Department of English

Paper no. – 2

Year – 2010-11

Topic:

The Story of My Experiments with Truth

An Analysis of the Selected Chapters of Part – I

                                                                    

                         

                                           Submitted to Mr. Devarshi Mehta

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University.

            

In “The Story of My Experiments with Truth”, Gandhiji has talked about all those experiences which he experienced in life. He has talked his experiences in chapters. Gandhiji has written about his birth, childhood and his education in London. During his education in London, he faces many difficulties. His living in London can teach the reader how to live life. How to save our time and money? How to be loyal towards our vows? The reader can get all the answers of these questions easily in this book.

          His all experiences in London were marvelous because these all experiences became a lesson for Gandhiji and gave a wonderful courage to him to fight against the difficulties. By these experiences the reader can also learn that “how to live among the unknown people.” These all things the reader can by reading this book.

          Before we see more about chapters, let’s see, first of all, what Gandhiji has written in the “Introduction” to this book.

         In the “Introduction”, Gandhiji has written that “If I had only to discuss academic principles, I should clearly not attempt an autobiography. But my purpose being to give an account of various practical applications of these principles, I have given the chapter I purpose to write the title of “The Story of My Experiments with Truth”. So this is the purpose of Gandhiji behind writing this book. He also wrote that “But I have all along believed that what is possible for one is possible for all…” By this he wants to suggest that what I have experimented with the truth or what I have felt while experimenting with the truth, you can also experiment or feel with the help of the truth. Further he has written that all those things will be included in this story by which children, youths and old people can comprehend or they can take decision. It means, I will write my all experiments with the truth and by all these experiments, the reader can gain the understanding which leads him to obey the truth and he adds that this thing will become possible for all.

         Gandhiji has written that I have never claimed that only my experiments are correct. This shows that Gandhiji’s humbleness. He has never said that all my experiments with truth are great. He has never boasted about his experiments with the truth in this story. All this shows his greatness.

He further writes that “at every step I have carried out the process of acceptance or rejection and acted accordingly.” This shows his way of thinking towards the things. By this, perhaps, he may want to suggest that every human being should follow this process in his life so that he can recognize what is good or what is bad. We have to accept good things and reject those things which are useless or spoil our life. He further writes that “My purpose is to describe experiments in the ‘science of Satyagraha’. This shows that the reader will prefer the truth to follow in his life.

1. Chapter XIII – IN LONDON AT LAST

        In this chapter, while discussing about meat, Gandhiji said that English passenger that “I thank you for your kind advice but I have solemnly promised to my mother not to touch meat, and therefore I cannot think of taking it, I will far rather go back to India than eat meat in order to remain there.” This was Gandhiji’s vow which shows his spirit that he sticks to his vow. We have to be loyal towards our vow. As Gandhiji said, “If it be found impossible to get on without meat, I will far rather go back to India than eat meat in order to remain there.” It suggests that if anything tries to break your vow or promise, it’s better to leave that thing to keep your vow or promise. So, here, we can see Gandhiji’s loyalty towards his vow. It also suggests not to break other’s faith or trust by breaking your promise.

      During first few months in London, Gandhiji feels loneliness in his room. He continuously thinks also about his country, his home, and also about his mother’s love. Because of these all memories, he couldn’t sleep and started crying. In spite of all these, he stayed there three years and learned how to live life among the unknown people. This shows his struggle in London. Though he was alone there, he stayed there and learned there despite of many difficulties. This suggests us that if you are alone at any stage of your life, make your loneliness as your weapon and fight against a difficulty, that’s the reality of life.

2. Chapter XIV – MY CHOICE

        

      In this chapter, when his friend tells to eat meat, he denied him by telling his promise to his mother. Gandhiji said that “the more he argued, the more uncompromising I became.” Here, Gandhiji has talked about his strong power of keeping his promise. It suggests that if you stick to anything for following it as Gandhiji does, no one can break your confidence towards your promise. Like this, if you want to get success in your life, you have to stick at your work then no one can stop your progress.

     Gandhiji Further says his friend that “I admit it is necessary to eat meat. But I cannot break my vow. I cannot argue about it. I am sure I cannot meet you in arguments. But please give me up as foolish or obstinate. I appreciate your love for me and I know you to be my well-wisher. I also know that you are telling me again and again about this because you feel for me. But I am helpless. A vow is a vow. It cannot be broken.” These all words show Gandhiji’s humbleness towards his friend. How he humbly tells his friend all things and then at last he remembers him his vow. If anyone force to do something to us for well future, if that thing damages our thought, how we have to explain that person who is worried about our life that thing we can learn from Gandhiji’s humbleness. After denying, Gandhiji’s relation with his friend doesn’t break. So this also teaches us how to keep our relationship healthy with others.

3. Chapter XV – PLAYING THE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN

           

      In this chapter, for being the English Gentleman, Gandhiji does all things like, he wears a new suit and also tries to learn dancing, violin and elocution but all in vain. After sometime, he feels that what I am doing? This is not way of life, he thinks, “I was student and ought to go on with my studies.” This statement shows Gandhiji’s awareness about why he has come to London. It means he is aware about his studies. He thinks that these all things can’t help him in his life. I should concentrate on my study. In our life, we also lost in some activities which are not related with our study and forget our way; it means we lost our goal by doing or involving in such activities. And that’s why we have to face difficulties and suffer a lot. Then we say that because of circumstances, we fail to achieve our goal. Whatever situation we have to try to go ahead and also we don’t have to forget our goal. We have to aware with ourselves what we are doing. We have to choose those things which are related with our job or goal.

4. Chapter XVI – CHANGES

          In this chapter, Gandhiji’s habit of keeping account of every farthing he spent, it shows his way of living life and also it specially indicates that how punctual Gandhiji was in his life. Hew said that every youth is sure to be gainer in the end like me. If we follow his way of keeping account of farthing, we can balance on our economical life. Gandhiji tell deliberately youth in the matter of keeping account of farthing which they spent because every youth has to do this so that they can understand the value of money and also they learn how to save our money? They can understand the way of spending money. If they do so, they can able to handle our economy system because the real wealth of our country is our youths. So intension to talk about this matter is to awake youths and also his intension to teach or tell this thing to them.

          Further, he writes, “he decided to take rooms on his own account in stead of living any longer in a family. The rooms were so selected as to enable to him to reach the place of business on foot in half an hour and so save fares.” Here, this thing suggests us that we have to arrange our life into sequences it means we have to put our life in away from which we can save our time and money both. We have to stop wasting our time in other activities and use that time into our work.

        Gandhiji sent fifteen pounds per month but he tried to purchase seven or eight pounds per month to decrease his spending. Gandhiji, then, says that I tried to live simple living and it helped me a lot. If we live our life in a way that we can save our money and time both and this propels us in our life for success.

         

> Conclusion:-

     All these chapters show Gandhiji’s efforts to become his life very punctual. If we follow Gandhi’s thoughts in our life, we can overcome all types of obstacles in our life which is written in these chapters.