Summary

When Mr. Biswas starts going to school, it is discovered that there is no official record of his birth, and he has to get an affidavit for a birth certificate based on Bipti’s approximation of his date of birth. In school, he becomes friends with a boy named Alec, who helps him discover that he has a gift for lettering. At home, his mother remains remote, and is subject to moodiness. Mr. Biswas feels helpless to help her and spends time with Alec to avoid the uselessness he feels around his mother. After six years, Tara decides that he should be trained as a pundit, and he goes to live with Pundit Jairam. Under Jairam’s supervision, he is introduced to important Hindu scripture, learns Hindi, and is trained in the duties of the ritual of puja. After eight months, Mr. Biswas insults Jairam by...