Long Answer
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Question 1
Long FormHow does Dilip Chitre use the banyan tree as a symbol for tradition and the family's roots in the poem?
In 'Felling of the Banyan Tree,' the banyan tree serves as a powerful symbol of deep-rooted tradition and the family’s ancestral heritage. Its physical attributes—a trunk fifty feet wide and roots reaching deeper than 'all our lives'—suggest a connection to the past that spans generations. By describing the tree as having 'rings of two hundred years,' Chitre elevates it from a mere plant to a living history book or 'raw mythology.' This symbolises the stability and cultural richness of the life the family is leaving behind in Baroda. When the tree is finally felled, it represents the violent severing of these traditional ties. The destruction signifies how modern progress and urban migration force individuals to abandon their roots. Just as the tree is uprooted, the family is displaced to the concrete landscape of Bombay, losing their spiritual and biological anchor. This transition shows that when we destroy nature, we also destroy the cultural memories and stability it provides to human lives.