The Bath Complete Analysis

THE BATH by Aditi Prasad

Summary: the story’s about the tyranny of ageing and the terror that a failing body wrecks on the elderly. The loss of independence and her laborious journey to her late husband’s grave on his seventeenth death anniversary.

Sr no.	Points	Analysis Explanation	Evidence and Device
	Context (time and historic context)21st Century In New Zealand	-The story taking place in the modern world makes it more impactful on readers as it may resonate with them better. -In New Zealand the seasons are temporal and harsh thus the location allows the author to write the added difficulties of older people living alone.
	Setting Time settingFriday AfternoonBath in the eveningSame day (elongated time of bath – event of the day) Winter seasonPlace setting HomeBathroom CemeteryReported settingClothes hanging areaKitchen	–Afternoon she prepared ahead for the visit by going out and buying cut flowers. The use of o many commas, asyndeton highlights how labouring and tiring the task due to her old age.-Bath that evening was imperative, crucial, as many important events like this “demanded” it. Shows reluctance but begrudging acceptance of the fact.There is also an order, predictability thus of all preparations to events, which is constant and stable giving the old women a sense of control. -Same day this highlights the arduous nature of the bath and how just this simple act takes up a majority of her day.-Winter connotes that the chill adds an extra layer of challenge in the old lady’s visits to graveyard.  –Home; the place is manag-	-”daffodils, anemones, a few twigs of a red-leaved shrub, wrapped in mauvewaxed paper, for saturday was the seventeenth anniversary of her husbands death”-“visits to the century, the doctor, and to relatives, to stay, always demanded a bath.”
	CharactersOld woman  Reported minor characters:Deceased parentsDeceased husband Niece
	Relationships : with no living things then people. Highlights loneliness and isolation.Old woman  and her home Old woman  and the bathtubOld woman  and the cemetery/tombOld woman  and her familyOld woman  and death
	conflicts- Old woman  and her body. Old woman  and time. Old woman  and her desire to be respected/have her dignity. Old woman  and loneliness (wants companionship ironically brought out by her sense of piece being in the cemetry)Old women and her immediate family and her neighbours.Time VS Human Body/Strength Life VS Death. Old age VS Self respect
	Themes-Ravaging effects of time.Depreciation of human body with old age.Dependency in old age Loss of control in old age.Loss of identity and self respect.Loneliness in old age Mortality Trepidation that comes with overcoming obstacles in old age Calm in death VS worries in Life.Sympathy evoked towards old people.
	Techniques-Irony Death is more welcoming than life Finding peace in a cemetry than in her own home Fear of taking a bath(theme: old age)Dangers of a bathtub(hilarity)Symbols-Bath, Grave Motif- Bath Stream of consciousnesses (inner monologue technique)Brings out or heigtens her loneliness, as she has only herself to talk to.	The irony that death is more comforting than life is alarming and readers become sympathetic of the old women who is lonely and suffering.Same pointShe delays the moment she has to take a bath + she delays the moment to get out which was the hardest moment highlighting her fear of struggling and failing. Consequently remaining stuck in the bath.Ironically her worst fear is being stuck in the bath, the hilariously and ludicrously of this idea to a normal being in contrast to the old women magnify how physically weak she is becoming. And how terrifying the thought that her body had become an enemySymbols:the bath in this story is symbolic of death. Many times the old lady has had close calls being stuck or entrapped by death. She fears it and dreads every time she bathes as it symbolic of her struggle with life and against death.The grave is symbolic of	-“she longed to find a place beside the graves, in the soft grass, and fall asleep”