Cast Of The Sleeping Dictionary Patched [VERIFIED]

Pom represents the subaltern voice—someone without caste privilege, education, or family. Her multiple names reflect her loss of identity and her strategic reinvention. She embodies the theme of survival through literacy and self-definition.

Hannah is raised by Pom with the help of a nanny. She becomes a point of tension: British society sees her as illegitimate, while Indian society sees her as foreign. Pom’s determination to raise her alone, without revealing the father’s identity, drives much of the plot’s second half.

Shrimati Dutt embodies internalized social prejudice. Her character shows that oppression is not only colonial but also patriarchal and caste-based within Indian society. 8. Mrs. Thorne (Caroline) – Captain Thorne’s Wife Role: Unwitting rival. Background: A British woman married to Thorne, unable to have children. cast of the sleeping dictionary

She represents the evangelical colonial impulse—saving bodies and souls while reinforcing hierarchy. Pom learns to play along but never internalizes the subservience. 7. Shrimati Dutt – Pod’s Mother Role: Traditionalist obstacle. Background: A high-caste Bengali widow, deeply concerned with family honor and reputation.

Fleming is not a villain but a realist. He shows how even “well-intentioned” colonials are complicit in systemic injustice. His character complicates any simple colonizer/colonized binary. 6. Mrs. Hamilton – Head of the Missionary School Role: Paternalistic reformer. Background: Runs a Christian missionary school for “fallen women” and orphans. Hannah is raised by Pom with the help of a nanny

Introduction The Sleeping Dictionary (2013) is a historical novel by Sujata Massey, set primarily in British-ruled India (Bengal) from the 1930s to the 1940s. The story follows a young woman named Pom, who navigates poverty, colonialism, and personal reinvention. The title refers to a "sleeping dictionary" — a colloquial term for an Indian mistress who teaches an Englishman the local language and customs, often through an intimate relationship. The novel’s cast is richly drawn, representing various strata of Indian society and the British Raj. Below is a detailed analysis of the main characters. 1. Pom (later Sarah, then Pamela) – The Protagonist Role: Central narrator and survivor. Aliases: Born Kamala (tribal name), renamed Pom by a madam, later becomes Sarah (in a missionary school), and finally Pamela (in her adult life as a writer and activist).

Caroline believes Hannah is an orphan and wants to adopt her. She is sympathetic as a woman but represents the British assumption of racial and class superiority—she never considers that Pom, as the biological mother, has rights. Shrimati Dutt embodies internalized social prejudice

Pod meets Pom when she is working in a library. He is initially drawn to her intellect and beauty, unaware of her past. Over time, he learns her history and accepts her fully, though the marriage faces severe social pressure. He eventually participates in the Quit India Movement.