Dharma And The Twenty-seventh Man: The Meaning Of ‘Journey’
The central theme of “Dharma”, written in the mid-1900s by Vikram Chaudra, and “The Twenty-Seventh Man”, penned by Nathan Englander is the idea of travel. The stories may be very different in context – “Dharma”, for example, is set during mid-1900s India and “The Twenty-Seventh Man”, in Stalinist Russia – but the similarities are insignificant as their thematic unity overcomes the differences. The similarities and differences between Chandra’s ‘Dharma’ and Englander’s ‘The Twenty-Seventh Man’ are not significant, as the thematic unity between the two overcomes any superficial differences.
In both stories there is a great deal of symbolism. Authors use the perceptions and experiences of readers to make meaning out things that would otherwise be unremarkable. JagoAntia’s “bottleful of yellow pill” that he “[feels] all day in his wallet, against [his] chest” is one such example. These yellow tablets are anti-inflammatory medication that Antia uses to treat the pain in his amputated left leg. It is “a constant buzz just below Antia’s attention” which keeps him from being able to perform his duties with the concentration and care he expects of himself. Antia feels ashamed of himself for relying on others, even if it is medically necessary. The yellow pills are a constant reminder. The “Twenty-Seventh Man”, despite not being relevant to the characters, also deals with reliance on an object of yellow. The yellow bulb is found in Englander’s story. It was placed inside the cell that Pinchas Pelovits, his literary associates and he are locked up. As Antia dislikes the pills that hold him captive, the men in this cell also “hate the light bulb because it controls them, such a weak thing”(Englander 257). The prisoners are relieved by the light, but they also despise themselves.
The symbolism used in both stories is used to illustrate the characters’ unwilling reliance on other things. Animal imagery, however, has a different meaning in each story. Chandra describes Jago Antia in “Dharma”, as “a beast, a low-growling animal…rushed out to worry about his flesh”. This quote implies that Antia’s pain is his fault, and that he has a weakness that is not revealed in the story. Animals have a unique ability to detect vulnerability. Antia’s attack by the animal is a metaphor that suggests the possibility of cracks in Antia’s armor. Englander’s imagery uses animals to describe body parts in “The Twenty-Seventh Man”, just like Chandra. Englander uses his imagery in a humorous and general way, with a focus on Moishe Bretzky, who is described as “huge, smelly, and slovenly” (Englander, 249). This comparison is primarily used to emphasize Bretzky’s physicality, he will later be called a “giant polar bear”, and to help the reader differentiate Bretzky from other authors.
In both stories, the meta element is present. This is the inclusion of story-telling within the narrative. In “Dharma”, the story of Jago is actually told by Subramaniam, in “a whispery, small voice” in front of a crowd of men. The true narrator is also present, and he sets the scene by introducing the first-person perspective of the tale. This gives the story a basis in reality but also makes it seem like a fable. Englander’s meta is derived from the short life span of Pinchas Pelovits story. Pelovits’s story is “a shooting-star …[one] and will die along with the teller” (Englander 256). It is beautiful and precious because of it.
Englander’s use in “The Twenty-Seventh Man”, “Dharma” and other stories of the path of a story from conception to brief life and death is a meta element, but it is also an aspect of journey concept that is evident. Both short stories are stories within stories. Instead of focusing on characters that come into their own, they show the journey a story takes from an idea to something that can move others. Both short stories end with characters experiencing a moment when they realize the significance of the conclusions reached by each story.
