Thinking activity : One night at the call center by Chetan Bhagat

This blog is part of my academic activity. To open task link click here 

1.  Comment on Narrative structure of the novel. Compare with that of Life of Pi.

In both, the novels narrative structures are the same and the element of God is also there. In one night @ call center prologue and epilogue are a very interesting one. In pie’s story pie has faith in God during his journey but then this idea deconstructs also. When we camper both novel at that time Life of pie considered classic novel rather then On@cc. Yan Martel had a deep observation of India and he presented well even he is not Indian like places, animal world, religions, schools, etc. so on the other side, we can find shallowness in ON@CC. ON@CC is known as ‘Dramedy’. Martel express the process of paradox well in his novel. Pie explained that ‘Maturity doesn’t come with age, it comes with experience’. When we look towards the end of the novels at that time we find that in Life of pie’s end is well projected with deep philosophy and in ON@CC the end is not much attractive and good.

2) What is popular literature? Is on@tcc popular literature? Illustrate.

Popular literature means those writings intended for them. Masses and favor with large audiences. It is different from artistic literature. It only designed for entertainment. Popular literature has, Lack of deep philosophy, Lack of deep spirituality, Not deals with abstract problems, Lack of morality/humanity, Not challenges the belief of people, unacceptable solutions, Lack of intellectualism. So popular literature has this kind of structure of the works. In the one night at the call center shows the solutions of the problems through the character of God. It has not an intellectual solution to problems. The call from God is not deeply connected anywhere. The solution to problems not acceptable in social formation. It does not challenge people to think about their beliefs. The solution of problems goes like drama. It did not give deep philosophy and intellectual solution. Virginia Woolf's novel has deep intellectual and philosophical ideas. It shows the intellectual growth of the writer while here writer still not go deeply in the novel. The solution of problems is like makeover not real intellectual growth of people.  Chetan Bhagat considers as the popular writer because he deals with problems of common people. He uses very simple English language because of it many people can start reading English novels. It makes him a popular writer. 


 3. Self-help book and on@tcc:

   Nowadays ‘Self-help’ book is the trend of literary writing. Self-help books have written with the intention to instruct the readers on a numbers of personal problems. Self-help books often focus on popular psychology such as a romantic relationship. Author provokes that his book has the answers of their questions. And it will help you to improve your present condition. ‘ One night @ the call center’ is a kind of Self-help book. In the prologue writer asks three questions to the readers,
   (1)    you fear, 
   (2)    makes you angry 
   (3)    you don’t like about yourself.

It will help readers to know and improve themselves.  God answers also can be consider as Self-help equipment.


4. Does the novel have social realism?

In the Novel, Human relations, love, sex, marriage and sociable characters all represent the reality of society. Anxiety and reflection of rising Indian middle class, the question about career, marriage, family conflicts and relationships aspirations and the problem of a young generation all represents social reality.  Shyam, Priyanka, Esha and their love, Radhika married, her mother-in-law, military uncle his love for grandsons all things present social realism. 

 5. How far can this novel be categorized as cyberpunk?



Cyberpunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that features advanced science and technology in an urban, dystopian future.  We can find the features of Cyberpunk in the novel ‘One Night at the call center’. When Shyam and Vroom blackmail Subhash Bakshi with the help of Mail of Isha.  Another example is the  “Operation Yankee Fear” in which they planned to spread fear among American people through Ms word. Because they believe that all traffic goes up or American must call Indians every day for daily affairs. Thus, they spread the rumor that computers have a virus.  So they will call them for a solution because Indians are the masters of computers. In this way, this novel can be categorized as cyberpunk.