Swimming In The Monsoon Sea Analysis

Thematic Thinker

The novel Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai is about the journey of living and reveals that life is not fair not to mention, it will always continue to advance with no pauses regardless of the situation.

Early in the book, Amrith the main protagonist is introduced as a fourteen year old boy who lives without a mother and father due to a tragic incident. In regards to the father, Amrith dislikes his presence seeing as he is always drunk and arguing with Amrith’s mother. In relation to the theme, it already sounds anguishing, living alongside a man whom physically and verbally abuses others. From the text it seems he has lost his mother, Asha, since the age of six and continues to slowly grow apart from her. Life is continuing beyond the consideration of deaths, and Amrith must visit and pray to his mother annually, which surprisingly enough is aggravating to repeat. “[Amrith] was sick of it, sick of the whole thing. Today was the first day of his holidays. It was unfair, utterly unfair, that he had to get up so early and go to Mass then the graveyard” (Selvadurai 4). Not only is life unfair to the protagonist, but Amrith’s guardian, friends with Asha, “Aunty Bundle blamed herself, to this day, for his mother’s death”

(Selvadurai 6). Showing that life is insincere, it affects everyone and can cause people to blame one another or even themselves leading to emotional breakdowns. Aunty Bundle believes the death of her best friend was all her wrongdoing and therefore initiates an unsettling life for herself and Amrith who has to live with a guardian lacking confidence.

Prior to the death, Amrith and his mother was not filthy rich, nor were they financially broke. It was not recognized that they lived as a middle class or even lower until Aunty Bundle visit Asha. This displays how life is like a three-sided die in terms of wealth, having faces of poor, average, or rich and one can be born into either three options, almost at random. Upon meeting Aunty Bundle, Asha was suspicious to the point where he was fascinated by a friend of his mother. Amrith wanted to learn more about her, and “he could not have imagined how soon he would be a part of that world; how soon he would become a member of the Manuel-Pillai family” (Selvadurai 22). Again, acknowledging that life is full of luck, even one event can trigger a series of exhilaration or sorrow. At the time, Amrith did not realize he would lose his family to start a new one, though he is entering a house of wealth, it comes with the cost of his family. His Mother. His Best friend.

In terms of loss, losing such a close family member is a bombardment of emotions and memories no one wants to remember.

He lost his best friend, who he spends a great deal of time living alongside. It is unjustifiable to lose a friend, especially for no reason or due to an uncontrollable disease while having to watch in absolute terror not being able to help, but only wish and prey. Subsequently, simultaneous to losing a friend he is struggling to progress on in life during school and extracurricular activities, “none of the boys had ever made overtures of friendship towards him” (Selvadurai 26). Imagine not having any friends in addition to feeling a sense of isolation, only being able to rely on

yourself.

Life is a game of risks and chances, it is unfair to some, and worse to others. People take small benefits for granted and ignore the big picture, somewhere out there, there is someone enduring worse than you have ever faced. However, when the time comes, luck will strike, happiness will occur, embrace this moment, it may not happen again for quite some time, unless luck repeats. I cannot possibly imagine losing someone so dear to my heart, living everyday knowing there is a chance everything could perish and seize to exist, or not having friends to cherish. At the very least, life can be harsh nevertheless there is always a saving grace, and for Amrish it is acceptance, from Aunty Bundle and Uncle Lucky, “I want to make you a promise, son. You will never, ever, be a stranger in my house” (Selvadurai 31).