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American comic strips appear in the Hindi papers. But instead of substituting Hindi for the English in the balloons emitted from the characters' mouths, the balloons are left empty and Hindi is printed below the pictures in paragraph form. The effect is like gases or clouds of smoke being given off instead of speech. Those blank white bubble conjured masses float suffocatingly close he black line heads almost engulfing them in innocent looking white fallout.

Aug 20, 70

Rereading parts of N.C. Chaudhuri, now that I have some experience in India. Confirms some of my views.

Continent of Circe: p 273

"In homes, too, the quarrelsomeness is universal and persistent. The general atmosphere of a Hindu home is one of heavy and listless dullness, which drives the inmates out into the streets at all times of the day."

p 274

"When there is any conversation in the family beyond the routine exchange of words necessary for living together, it is normally either an arid discussion of money matters, or a peevish airing of grievances against relatives, or - if the family is exceptionally united - a wailing chorus about wants which can not be removed."

p 275

"Most Hindu families, especially the joint, develop and retain chronic maladjustments, which are of three kinds: monetary clashes which take place between father and son, brothers and brothers, mothers and sons and of course between uncles and nephews and

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cousins and cousins; clashes of power are mostly between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law but also between the wives of two brothers; the emotional stresses and explosions, on the other hand, are confined to mothers and sons, and husbands and wives. In these quarrels all the parties get equally mauled.

Even after such abnormal mutual relations have become permanent, the relatives live together, always treading on smouldering volcanoes . . . In the course of the quarrels all reticence and reserve is thrown to the winds and the grossest abuse and even blows are exchanged."

p 276

"Such unrestricted outbursts would certainly have led to a total disruption of family and social life if the environment which was responsible for them had not also generated another faculty of the mind which could neutralize their affect. Somehow an alkali is always present with the acid of Hindu life: it is a marvellous and boundless tolerance of bad language and blows, which is some sort of a conditioned reflex of forgiveness. The Hindus possess a faculty of callous charity."

p 277

"But the more serious permanent effect is the settling down of an unbroken pall of gloom and dejection on personal life, which is like the gray mists on a marsh."

He lists three features of this gloom: p 277

1.) "gloating on troubles of a personal character and on sorrow - Everybody is therefore ready to dispute everybody else's title to be miserable." p 278

2.) craving for sympathy, especially from strangers