The Refugee

THE REFUGEE BY PEARL S. BUCK THEME  The fate of refugees in an alien land  The best in human nature emerges through suffering Relevance of the Title The story centres on the actions of a particular refugee so the title is self-explanatory Setting and Time  The city is probably Nanking in China  The refugees have probably come from a farming community near either the Yangtze or the Hwang Ho rivers  It probably took place either in the last quarter of the 19th or the first quarter of the 20th century Characters  An old man, a refugee  A passer-by in the city  A noodle seller  The old man’s grandson PLOT SUMMARY  General description of the refugees: their condition, the reasons for this  The attitude of the city-dwellers towards the refugees – their reasons  Description of the new band of refugees and their condition  Description of the old refugee  The refugee’s stop near the noodle seller  The money (a silver coin and a copper one) offered by the passer-by – his reason for it  The conversation between the old man and the noodle seller – its revelation  The grandfather feeds the grandson – his love and care for the child  The vendor’s astonishment at the old man’s decision not to buy food for himself but save the money for seed – his lack of understanding  The old man’s reasons for saving the money CHARACTER STUDY The Old Man  Physical description and condition  Has an indomitable spirit – he is old and weak yet he refuses to give up  He has an innate sense of dignity and pride – he refuses the money pointing out that he did not ask for it; neither does he ask for food for himself  He has a strong sense of family – he is trying to save not only his grandson but safeguard his future as well  He symbolises duty and the spirit of sacrifice that goes with it POINTS TO PONDER  How would you compare the grandmother in “Portrait of a Lady” with the grandfather in “The Refugee”?  How would you compare Rama’s attitude towards the boot polish boys in “The Martyr’s Corner” with that of the noodle seller towards the old man in “The Refugee”?

 The plight of refugees in this story is the plight of refugees everywhere, even today. Which organ/agency of the UNO looks after refugees?  What is the position of the Human Rights Commission on this issue?