The Role Of Memories In Mistry's A Fine Balance

In the novel A Fine Balance, many of the characters undergo massive changes in their lives, and all they have to show for it are their memories. Remembering past times was used as a way of coping, a way of overcoming fears, and a way for the characters to find themselves. The good memories, as well as the bad, played a huge role in the lives of the characters. Even though background knowledge about the characters wasn’t necessary, the characters’ memories add depth to the plot. Mistry uses memories in the novel to further develop characters like Dina, Maneck, Ibrahim, and Ishvar and Om. Memory is a very obvious motif in the novel. The stories of the characters are partly told through flashbacks, which allow the reader to have a better understanding of their past lives. Throughout the novel, characters remember the past, and yearn to go back to those days. When Ishvar and Om were first beginning their tailoring

Through the telling of his past with the folders, you learn about his conflicting feelings. “The plastic divisions inside were starting to tear, and the near compartments seemed ready to rebel; within bodily compartments the rebellion had already begun. Which one would win this ridiculous race between plastic and flesh, he wondered” (90). Ibrahim thought this as he examined his plastic folder. At this point in his life, he had already been a rent collector for years, and his past memories of yelling at people for money were bothering him. He felt like he was about to crack under the pressure, and eventually he did, when he brought the goondas to Dina’s flat. He stopped yelling, and became softhearted. After years of dwelling on his past and living with conflicted feelings, Ibrahim let go of the past and started over again. His past memories pushed him to become good, and stop living under the command of