question_answer 11)

How do these lines capture the essence of the story: 'Glory was all overlaid with dark shame. Glory was dead.'    

Answer:

The line 'Glory was all overlaid with dark shame' very well exemplifies the state of mind of the narrator. He seems to be a kind of person who is unable to accept defeat or failure. He has broken down completely and yet is not in favour of revealing his loss of wealth and position publicly. He had enjoyed his status as the superior being in the concerned society for a very long time and had always been glorified by all, especially his uncle. His uncle's daughters got married well because of the 'benediction' by Satyajit. Hence, it was impossible for the author to digest the fact that now the tables had turned and he owned nothing. Thus, he makes failure sound synonymous to shame. He thinks that the opposite of being glorious at one point of time is utter shame in public. 'Glory is dead' is the final statement which reveals the author's complete helplessness and vulnerability to the situation.