up by those butchers instead of being burned in the flames of a funeral pyre?” lamented the rickshaw puller.”p.433
After discussing with his friend, Hasari agrees to sell his bones. He hopes the
gods will understand with his decision to complete his mission on earth. Sometimes, for poor people like Hasari, compromise is needed to make the ideals of faith and the
imperative of survival walk side by side. In the statement below Lapierre mentions that Hasari should accept the offer of sell his bone:
“A think you should take this opportunity to further the completion of your mission here below,” he declared reluctantly, drawing the rickshaw puller’s
attention to his daughter who was busy delousing her little brother at the other end of compound.”p.433
Hasari is certain that he will die peacefully after his daughter gets married. He has done his duties in this present life and he has tried to do all the best for his
family. Besides struggle for keeping his family alive, Hasari has also found a husband for his daughter. Although to complete his duties in earth, he must sacrifice
himself. Therefore, he does not have any regret if he passes away. Now he is waiting for his death while hoping to get a good karma in his future life. It is true that getting
a good karma needs suffering and sacrificing. Here is Hasari’s belief about his karma that is explained by Lapierre in the novel:
“I know that my chakra will soon cease to turn for this life,” he declared.” “I’ve had such a tough time since I left my village that I am almost sure…”
Again he hesitated, almost sure that today my karma is less heavy and will have me born again into a better incarnation.”p.426
4.2.3. The Influence of Karma on Family
Getting good karma does not only needs suffering and sacrificing, but also loyalty. Loyalty or devotion here is not only devotion to gods, but also to parents.
Faithfulness to parents is also incumbent on all moral beings 1993: 244. Thus, if
someone is loyal to his parents, he can get a good karma. In order to gain good karma, most children in India always try to obey their parents. For instance, Amrita,
Hasari’s daughter, does not dare to refuse his father getting married with someone who is chosen for her. She accepts her father decision to get married, although she
has not known the groom before. She also does all her household duties without protesting. When her father asks him and her brother to beg in station, she does not
refuse. Even though begging is such an embarrassing thing. This statement is the explanation of women’s duty in India:
“The role of a girl in Indian society is a thankless one. No domestic task, no drudgery is considered too much for her. Up before everyone else and at last
to go to bed, she leads the life of a slave. A mother before ever having children of her own, Amrita had brought up her brother. It was she who had
guided their first steps, foraged for their food in the hotel refuse, sewn together rags that served as their clothes, massaged their fleshless limbs,
organized their games, and deloused their heads.” p.427
Hasari shows his loyalty toward his parents by accepting his parents and his siblings included their wives and their children to live in his house after his father
loses his house and his farmland. He agrees to accept sixteen people of his whole family although he still has to look for his own wife and his three children. Accepting
sixteen people of his whole family under his own roof is a huge responsibility. His responsibility toward his family becomes bigger than before when the condition in
his village getting worse. Although his responsibility is bigger than that before, Hasari is pleased to accept it. Here Lapierre shows that Hasari is loyal to his family:
“Fortunately his eldest son had been able to rescue the whole family under his own roof. Hasari was a good son. He did utmost to convince his father that he
was still the head of the family.”p.7
Hasari’s faithfulness toward his parents is not only to be shown to his parents, but also to be shown to his brother. Every time his brothers need help, he often helps
without doubt. When one of them gets sick, Hasari tries to do something to cure his brother. Since he does not have much money to pay a doctor’s fee, Hasari brings his
brother to a Brahmin. He gives his saving to heal his brother. He asks a Brahmin to do special puja for his brother so that the puja can heal his brother. Here also the
evidence that Hasari is a loyal person: “Two further incidents were to aggravate the Pals’ financial difficulties.
Weakened by the lack of food, Hasari’s youngest brother fell ill. One day he began to cough blood. For such a poor people illness was more of a curse
even than death. A doctor’s fee and the cost of medicine could take several months’ income. And so, to save his brother, Hasari resorted to the only
remaining course of action: he broke open his baked day money box and ran to the village priest begging him to interfere with destiny, by celebrating a
special puja, a ceremony of offering to the gods.” p.10
Hasari’s loyalty is also proven when his father asks him to move to Calcutta. Prodip Pal realizes that they cannot live from agriculture anymore. His village has
run out of water. If they still want to survive, they have to find another job. As the oldest son, Hasari is asked by Prodip Pal to find a job in Calcutta and to send his
family in village money whatever he can. Hasari does not refuse his father’s request. Now, the whole family in the village is his responsibility. He is the one who can
make them survive. Thus, although he is afraid, he moves to the city with his wife and his children. He starts to struggle in order to search for food. Lapierre writes that
Hasari is willing to move to Calcutta in order to find a better life: “You my eldest son take this money and go with your wife and children to
Calcutta. In the big city you will find work. You will send us whatever you can. You are our only hope of not dying of starvation.” p.20
Ram Chandler, Hasari’s friend, shows his loyalty toward his parents by holding a proper funeral for his father. Although for holding it, he has to borrow
some money from mahajan. Besides, he also has to take his father’s responsibility to pay all the loan of his father and his grandfather. Then he still has to redeem the
family’s land which has been mortgaged by his father. Therefore, in order to pay all the loan, Ram Chandler moves to Calcutta. In Calcutta, he gets a job as a rickshaw
puller. He works every day not only to survive but also to pay his loan. When he has run out of time to pay his loan, he works everyday without stop until his condition
becomes worse. He even prefers to starve so that he can pay his loan and get his land back. All things that have been done by Ram Chandler make Hasari hopes that Ram
will get good karma in his future life. Hasari’s wish for Ram is stated below: “When the flames reached the body, I wished Ram a good journey. Above all,
I wished that he might be reborn with a better karma, in the body of a zamindar
, for example, or in that a rickshaw owner” p.176
4.2.4. The Influence of Karma on Social Life
