“By Any Other Name” is an excerpt taken from Santha Rama Rau’s memoir Gifts of Passage. The story follows the experiences of two young Indian sisters, Santha and Premila, who started attending a British-run school in the 1920s, during the time of British colonial rule in India, facing discrimination and prejudice at their school.
Santha Rama Rau was an Indian-American author, journalist, and playwright. Born in Madras, India, Rama Rau spent much of her childhood and early adulthood traveling and living in various countries due to her father’s diplomatic postings. This exposure to diverse cultures and societies greatly influenced her writing and perspective on the world. In 1950, she gained international recognition with her best-selling book Home to India, which chronicled her return to her homeland after living abroad for many years. Santha Rama Rau was also involved in theater and wrote several successful plays. Notably, Rama Rau also adapted E.M. Forster’s novel, A Passage to India in a play that premiered in London’s West End in 1960. Some of her other works include East of Home, Remember the House, and Gifts of Passage.
By Any Other Name | Summary
On the first day of school in the small town of Zorinabad in northern India, five-and-a-half-year-old Santha and her eight-year-old sister, Premila stand in their Anglo-Indian school’s headmistress’s study to introduce themselves. However, the headmistress finds their Indian names too challenging to pronounce and suggests giving them British names instead. As a result, Premila becomes Pamela, and Santha is now called Cynthia.
The school is situated in the town where they reside, and their father works as an official of the civil service, often traveling throughout the surrounding countryside. Before attending school, the girls had been home-schooled by their mother, who taught them to read books in Hindi. Unfortunately, their mother’s illness prevents her from continuing the lessons.
Santha narrates that the first day of school had a profound impact on her, making her feel as if she had a split identity with her new name, Cynthia. Adjusting to this change was challenging, and she struggled to feel a sense of responsibility for her actions under this unfamiliar identity. Walking to class, she could not shake the feeling of detachment and wondered how life would unfold in this strange new school environment.
Santha notices that most of her classmates are British, and she ends up sitting at the back of the classroom with a few other Indian students. The girl she sits next to wears Indian jewelry but is dressed differently from traditional Indian attire. This observation leads Santha to contemplate wearing a dress herself.
During class, when the teacher asks Santha to introduce herself, she feels torn between saying her real name, Santha, or her new given name, Cynthia. Feeling confused, she hesitates and says that she does not know her name, which evokes laughter from the British children, leaving her feeling embarrassed and uneasy. The day’s lessons are mostly repetitive of what her mother had already taught her, making it challenging for her to stay engaged in class.
During lunch, Santha seeks out her sister, Premila, to share the Indian food they have brought from home. Although Premila shares food with her, she encourages Santha to join the girls from her class. Feeling left out, Santha complies in spite of feeling a sense of separation.
After lunch, Santha has a short rest and participates in games, but she misses the comforting siesta she was used to having at home. She finds it difficult to comprehend the competitive nature of the games at school, not understanding the purpose of winning or losing. When their Ayah arrives to take them home, Santha’s exuberance at being allowed to leave embarrasses Premila, who warns her not to behave the same way in front of the other pupils again.
Back at home, the girls have tea with their mother, and Premila excitedly shares her school experiences. She suggests that they should bring sandwiches for lunch like the other students, instead of Indian food. Santha, however, is relieved to be home and does not want to discuss her experiences as Cynthia, feeling disconnected from the new persona. Instead, she enjoys playing in the garden that evening.
As the next week at school goes by, Santha befriends an Indian girl, Nalini (Nancy) in her class but notices a divide between the Indian and British children, who do not seem to mix much. Santha continues to pay little attention to the class lessons, seemingly uninterested.
One day, during class, Premila unexpectedly enters and instructs Santha to gather her things because they are leaving the school. The walk back home is long and tiring in the heat. When they reach home, their mother is surprised to see them early. Premila explains that her teacher unfairly separated the Indian students during a test, accusing them of cheating based on their ethnicity. Outraged by this unjust treatment, Premila believes they should stop attending school, and their mother agrees with her decision.
During lunchtime, Santha leaves the room to take her afternoon nap. From her bedroom, she overhears her mother and Premila discussing the incident at school. They wonder if Santha understood what happened, and Premila thinks she is too young to grasp the situation. However, Santha does understand and remembers the events clearly. Yet, she chooses to push those memories aside since they pertain to her alter ego, Cynthia, whom she does not feel connected to or concerned about.
By Any Other Name | Analysis
Santha Rama Rau’s short story “By Any Other Name” is set during a time when India was under British colonial rule, and it was common for educated Indians to learn English alongside their native languages. India gained her Independence only in 1947. Under colonial rule, Indian schools adopted the British curriculum, conducting lessons in English. This led to significant objections from many Indians who felt that their own culture was neglected and marginalized in their country’s educational system.
The story is narrated from the perspective of the younger of the two sisters, Santha, who is renamed “Cynthia” by the school headmistress, owing to her difficulty in pronouncing Indian names. This change of identity causes Santha to feel detached and uncertain, leading her to navigate a complex journey of self-discovery and acceptance in her new environment.
Santha’s experiences at school are challenging from the beginning. She sits with the few Indian students in her class and notices the divide between the Indian and British children. Feeling uncomfortable with her new name, she struggles to introduce herself when the teacher asks, leading to embarrassment in front of the English children. The headmistress of the school and many of the students are British, as they are the children of the British civil servants stationed in India as colonial rulers.
The cultural conflict becomes apparent during lunchtime when Santha offers to share lunch with her classmate, who looks at her Indian food longingly but refuses the offer, feeling compelled to conform to the British students’ preference for sandwiches. Furthermore, Santha finds it difficult to relate to the competitive nature of games and the classroom lessons, which seem redundant due to her mother’s teachings. Having never been taught the Western competitive concepts of “winning” and “losing,” Santa allows her younger classmates to “win,” intentionally and is surprised to find that the others never return the favor. When it is her turn to tag, she chases for hours without catching anyone, only to find her attitude labeled as “not being a good sport.” She is unable to grasp Western culture, having been taught Indian courtesy and manners.
Despite her struggles, Santha finds solace when she befriends an Indian classmate, Nalini (who has been renamed Nancy) in her class. However, the dichotomy between the Indian and British children remains, deepening her sense of identity crisis. Her indifference towards school grows, and she becomes disengaged from the classroom.
A significant turning point occurs when Premila abruptly pulls Santha out of school one day. They return home, and Premila explains that the teacher unfairly separated the Indian students during a test, accusing them of cheating based on their ethnicity. This incident sparks a climax to the conflict in the story, as Premila makes a decision to stop attending the school, and is supported by their mother. At the closing of the story, Santha listens to her mother and Premila discuss the events, overhearing their doubts about her understanding of the situation. Although Santha indeed understands, she remains emotionally distant from the events surrounding her alter ego, Cynthia, whom she sees as a separate persona she does not care much about.
By Any Other Name | Themes
Santha’s struggle with her identity is central to the plot. The clash between her Indian heritage and the imposed British names and cultural norms creates internal conflict and alienation that she fails to come to terms with. Santha completely dissociates between these two personas: “Cynthia” becomes an individual completely separate from her, one that she is unconcerned about.
The headmistress’s inability and disinterest to pronounce or acknowledge the real names of the Indian students highlights the detachment with which Indians were treated by the British, even at the level of a primary school. The teacher’s unfair treatment of the Indian students based on stereotypes of cheating reveals the prejudice and discrimination present in the school setting. Santha notes the segregation that persists even within the children as the whites treat the Indians and Anglo-Indians as inferior.
Premila’s protective stance towards her sister and their mother’s agreement to stop attending the school demonstrates the strength of family bonds and support in times of adversity.
By Any Other Name | Title of the Story
Santha Rama Rau’s short memoir “By Any Other Name” explores the challenges and complexities of cultural identity, particularly in the context of colonial India. The title alludes to William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. In Shakespeare’s play, Juliet famously says, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Here, Juliet suggests that the essence of something or someone remains the same, regardless of the name given to it. However, Rama Rau refutes this idea, suggesting that one’s name is one’s cultural identity. Santha is renamed by the headmistress of her school owing to her inability to pronounce an Indian name. The title solidifies the idea that changing a person’s name does in fact alter their true essence or cultural heritage. Santha and Premila’s Indian names represent their identity and connection to their roots, while the British names symbolize the attempt to assimilate them into the British culture and educational system.
The names of the characters themselves serve as symbols in the story. Santha and Premila’s Indian names represent their cultural identity, heritage, and connection to their roots. In contrast, the British names “Cynthia” and “Pamela” symbolize the colonizer’s attempt to assimilate them into British culture and the overall impact of colonialism. Santha’s initial struggle with her new name, Cynthia, and her attachment to her Indian identity highlights the significance of names in shaping one’s sense of self. Throughout the story, Santha and Premila face challenges in reconciling their Indian heritage with the British education they receive, reflecting the broader tensions between traditional Indian culture and the influence of British colonialism.
By Any Other Name | Character Sketch
Santha is the protagonist of the story, who is initially given the British name “Cynthia” by the headmistress when she starts attending the British-run school. Santha is perceptive to the racial discrimination that surrounds her at school, aware of the prejudices that both teachers and students regard the Indian students with. She is attached to her Indian identity and struggles to accept her new name and the cultural assimilation imposed upon her.
Santha’s older sister is Premila. Like Santha, she is given the British name “Pamela” at the school. Premila is more pragmatic and adaptable to the changes, yet she still feels a connection to her Indian heritage. She looks after her younger sister and tries to help her navigate the challenges they face. Despite being more accepting, it is Premila who decides to take her sister away from the school when she realizes how deeply damaging and disrespectful discrimination on the basis of cultural heritage can be.
The Headmistress of the British-run school that Santha and Premila attend finds the Indian names of the sisters too difficult to pronounce and gives them British names, believing it will make it easier for them to assimilate into the British culture. She is the typical example of a colonial representative. Although in charge of young students, she is disinterested and detached from the identities and interests of her pupils.
