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‘Glory at Twilight’ by Bhabani Bhattacharya is the seventh chapter of the NCERT Class 11 English Woven Words textbook. This short story explores the themes of pride and the burden of societal expectations. The narrative focuses on his internal conflict as he struggles with his lost status at a village wedding. In this blog, we will provide a summary, character sketches, themes, literary devices, and morals of the story. You can also download the free PDF for quick revision.
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Explore Notes of Class 11 English Woven Words
NCERT Notes Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 7: Glory at Twilight
Here we have provided the NCERT notes for Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 7: Glory at Twilight, including author highlights, synopsis, character sketches, themes, and a detailed summary.
About the Author and Key Highlights
Bhabani Bhattacharya, an Indian writer and scholar, is known for his socially conscious narratives that explore human struggles and societal issues, as seen in works like So Many Hungers! and Music for Mohini. Glory at Twilight portrays Satyajit, a former bank managing director who rises from humble beginnings but faces ruin after his bank’s collapse. Set against the backdrop of a slow Indian train journey and a village wedding, the story captures Satyajit’s emotional turmoil as he confronts his fall from grace. Welcomed as a hero in his native village, Shantipur, he struggles with the false perception of his wealth while facing a moral dilemma over a dowry demand. The narrative explores themes of pride, shame, societal pressure, and personal sacrifice, offering a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of success and the weight of honour.
Synopsis of the Story
Glory at Twilight follows Satyajit, a man in his late thirties who, after losing his wealth due to his bank’s collapse, travels by a slow train to his native village, Shantipur, to attend the wedding of his neighbour’s daughter, Beena. Once a clerk who rose to become a bank managing director through diligence and a pivotal act of catching a forger, Satyajit now faces financial ruin, having lost his house, cars, and assets. His wife, unaware of the full extent of their loss, is in Delhi with their newborn son. In Shantipur, villagers, unaware of his downfall, celebrate him as a successful son of the village, showering him with honours like garlands and foot-washing. Uncle Srinath, Beena’s father, expects Satyajit’s financial “benediction” for the wedding’s cash dowry of Rs 2001. Unable to confess his poverty, Satyajit suggests a loan, but the village moneylender, Harish, demands his ancestral house and fish pond as security. Torn between preserving his last assets for his wife and maintaining his false image, Satyajit agrees to the deal, sacrificing his property. The story ends with him alone under a fig tree, lighting his last cigarette, haunted by the question, “What now?” as he faces an uncertain future.
Main Characters in the Story
Understand the key characters who drive the narrative:
- Satyajit: A tall, thin man near forty, once a bank clerk who became a managing director through hard work and a key incident of catching a forger. Proud yet introspective, his financial ruin leaves him grappling with shame and the pressure to maintain his village’s perception of him as a successful figure. His sacrifice of his ancestral property reflects his internal conflict and sense of duty.
- Uncle Srinath: A village neighbour, not a blood relative, who relies on Satyajit’s financial help for his daughters’ weddings. Cheerful and reverent, he sees Satyajit as a village hero and expects his “benediction” (money) for Beena’s dowry, unaware of Satyajit’s ruin.
- Beena: Srinath’s fifth daughter, a shy, slender bride with large, pensive eyes. She washes Satyajit’s feet as a gesture of honour, symbolising the village’s reverence for him, though unaware of his struggles.
- Srinath’s Wife and Daughters (Kamini, Damini, Suhashi): The wife credits Satyajit for her daughters’ marriages, treating him like a father figure. The daughters, already married with Satyajit’s help, fan him devotedly, reflecting the family’s gratitude and the village’s idolisation.
- Harish: The village moneylender, pragmatic and distrustful, who demands Satyajit’s house and pond as security for the dowry loan. His insistence highlights the harsh realities of financial transactions, contrasting with the village’s blind faith in Satyajit.
- The Forger (minor, recalled character): A man whose attempted forgery Satyajit uncovered years ago, leading to his rise in the bank. His story of committing the crime to save his dying wife haunts Satyajit, reflecting parallels to his own moral dilemmas.
Themes in the Story
The story explores several significant themes, explained below in simple terms:
- Pride and Shame: Satyajit’s pride in his past success and the village’s adulation clash with the shame of his financial ruin, making it difficult for him to confess his true state and driving his decision to maintain a false image.
- Societal Expectations: The villagers’ reverence for Satyajit as a successful figure creates pressure to uphold his status, even at the cost of his last assets, highlighting how societal perceptions can trap individuals.
- Downfall and Resilience: Satyajit’s fall from wealth to ruin underscores the fragility of success, while his past rise from a clerk and his decision to face the future suggest resilience despite adversity.
- Sacrifice and Duty: Satyajit’s choice to pledge his house and pond for Beena’s dowry reflects his sense of duty to the village and his wife, even at great personal cost, showing the weight of responsibility.
- Illusion versus Reality: The village’s perception of Satyajit as a millionaire contrasts with his actual poverty, illustrating how illusions of status can obscure harsh realities and influence decisions.
Literary Devices in the Story
Bhabani Bhattacharya employs various literary devices to enhance the narrative’s emotional and thematic depth:
- Symbolism: The ancestral house and fish pond symbolise Satyajit’s last connection to his roots and security for his wife, their loss marking the final erosion of his past glory. The last cigarette represents his dwindling resources and fleeting moment of peace.
- Imagery: Vivid descriptions, such as the “slow, narrow-gauge Indian train” stopping amidst cornfields or Satyajit’s “tremulous deliberation” in lighting his cigarette, create a sensory backdrop to his emotional turmoil.
- Irony: It is ironic that the village hails Satyajit as a millionaire while he is penniless, and that his past act of catching a forger, which led to his rise, now haunts him as he faces his own moral compromise.
- Flashback: Satyajit’s journey of catching the forger and his rise from clerk to managing director provides context for his pride and the depth of his current fall, enriching the narrative.
- Metaphor: The “turning wheel of fortune” metaphor captures the unpredictable rise and fall of Satyajit’s life, emphasising fate’s role in his journey.
- Tone: The melancholic and introspective tone reflects Satyajit’s regret and resignation, balanced with moments of false pride as he basks in the village’s fleeting adoration.
Chapter 7: Glory at Twilight Summary
Glory at Twilight by Bhabani Bhattacharya is a poignant narrative about a man’s fall from prosperity and his struggle with pride and societal expectations. Below is a detailed summary of the key events in a clear and concise manner:
- Train Journey and Reflection: Satyajit, a former bank managing director, travels on a slow, narrow-gauge train to Shantipur, his native village, to escape the suffocating reality of his bank’s collapse. Once a clerk who rose to wealth by catching a forger, he has lost his assets, including his house and cars. His wife, in Delhi with their newborn son, is unaware of the ruin. Satyajit reflects on his past success, haunted by the forger’s tragic story and the question, “What now?”
- Village Welcome: In Shantipur, unaware of his downfall, the villagers, led by Uncle Srinath, welcome Satyajit as a hero with garlands and a flag, celebrating him as a successful son of Bengal. Beena, Srinath’s daughter, washes his feet, and her sisters fan him devotedly, while the schoolmaster recalls his potential, mistakenly elevating him to a near-mythical status.
- Wedding Expectations: Srinath, who relied on Satyajit’s financial help for his other daughters’ weddings, expects his “benediction” (money) for Beena’s dowry, fixed at Rs 2001. Satyajit, with only Rs 200, plans to give Rs 101, hoping to save for his son’s needs, but is shocked by the large sum demanded.
- Moral Dilemma: Unable to confess his poverty due to pride and the village’s reverence, Satyajit suggests a loan. The moneylender, Harish, refuses to trust his signature and demands his ancestral house and pond as security. Srinath is outraged, but Satyajit, torn between preserving his assets for his wife and maintaining his image, agrees to the deal.
- Sacrifice and Closure: The wedding proceeds with music and joy, funded by the loan against Satyajit’s property. Alone under a fig tree, he lights his last cigarette, grappling with his loss and uncertain future, murmuring, “What now?” The story ends with the lingering “twilight” of his past glory, overshadowed by shame and sacrifice.
Also Read: NCERT Notes Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 2 The Address (Free PDF)
Moral of the Story
Below are the key moral lessons from the story:
- Pride can lead to personal sacrifice: Satyajit’s inability to confess his ruin due to pride forces him to sacrifice his last assets, showing how ego can trap individuals in difficult choices.
- Societal expectations can burden individuals: The village’s idolisation of Satyajit pressures him to uphold a false image, highlighting the conflict between personal truth and public perception.
- Success is fleeting: Satyajit’s rise and fall illustrate that wealth and status are temporary, urging humility and preparedness for life’s uncertainties.
- Duty often demands personal cost: Satyajit’s decision to help Beena’s wedding, despite his poverty, reflects the importance of fulfilling responsibilities, even at great personal expense.
Download more NCERT Solutions of Class 11 English ‘Woven Words’ here!
| Chapter 1: The Lament Solution |
| Chapter 2: A Pair of Mustachios Solution |
| Chapter 3: The Rocking-horse Winner Solution |
| Chapter 4: The Adventure of the Three Garridebs Solution |
Explore Notes of Other NCERT Class 11 Subjects
| History | Geography | Political Science | Psychology | Sociology |
FAQs
The title reflects Satyajit’s past success (“glory”) now fading into a “twilight” of ruin and shame. It captures his lingering status in the village’s eyes, contrasted with his current poverty, symbolising the fleeting nature of fame.
Satyajit’s rise from a clerk by catching a forger fuels his pride, making it hard to admit his ruin. The forger’s tragic story haunts him, paralleling his own moral dilemma as he sacrifices his assets to maintain his image.
The village, unaware of Satyajit’s downfall, idolises him as a successful figure, creating pressure to uphold his false status. Their reverence amplifies his internal conflict and drives his decision to sacrifice his property.
Satyajit’s pride in his past achievements prevents him from confessing his poverty, leading him to agree to the moneylender’s terms to preserve his image, highlighting the destructive power of ego.
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