Creating a devoted son: Reflecting Love and ‘devotion’ in A Devoted Son

Anita Desai’s A Devoted Son has led to several discourses in creating a stance on the faultlessness of the Father and Rakesh. Both are equally arguably right in their own judgment. However, the story delves into a much complex theme that is of familial relationships and cultural expectations. Rakesh is logically the perfect son in theoretical terms. This paper argues against this notion, Rakesh, was created to be a perfect son, and refuses to stray from that code. His performance is such that everything assigned to him was successful on his part. But on the whole, Rakesh lacks love. He is responsible and devoted but he lacks affection towards the need of his father. In this paper, one examines the tension between filial duty and Rakesh’s individual desire. The paper also dwells into the cultural expectations and representations of old age in India and how gerontology fits into this context. Theorizing ‘Personhood’, the paper will also try to analyse the failure of Rakesh in creating a recuperative space for his father and the inability of the others present in the text to support the father, especially Rakesh’s wife.

Keywords: Gerontology, love, devotion, affection, personhood, familial relationships, cultural expectations.