Evolving into Adolescents: A Critical Study on Ruskin Bond’s The Room on the Roof

Abstract

Ruskin Bond, an eminent and versatile Indian English author of British lineage, is the author of the timeless coming-of-age story The Room on the Roof.  The novel is set in Dehradun, India, a picturesque town nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, and provides a vivid description of the natural beauty of the region.  The story also highlights the cultural differences and social norms prevalent in India during the 1950s.  This novel depicts the story of Rusty, a sixteen-year-old Anglo-Indian boy who rebels against his guardian's strict rules and finds solace in the company of local Indian boys.  As Rusty navigates his way through adolescence, he grapples with issues of identity, belonging, and cultural differences.  Bond has provided a detailed account of the experiences and obstacles that he faced during his journey to establish his own personality as an individual while he was a teenager. In this sense, the book is an autobiographical account of the author's life.  Rusty, the main character, has a disposition that mirrors that of Bond, the main character.  The author's own feelings and emotions are reflected in the main character’s actions and interactions. Through the portrayal of the character Rusty, the readers can see every facet of his existence as a young adult.  The protagonist decides to flee his house in order to find out who he really is because he is unable to put up with the frequent mistreatment he receives from his guardian. The focus of my research paper is on the protagonist development from a timid, submissive, and dependent child into an assertive, brave, and independent adolescent who possesses knowledge of the world.