Summary

In “The Postmaster,” when a postmaster from Calcutta took a job in the remote “village of Ulapur,” he felt “like a fish out of water” (18). Because he knew no one, he spent his time writing poetry. He made little money, but shared his meals with Ratan, an orphan girl “who did odd jobs for him” (19). Each evening, he called Ratan to keep him company. Whenever he asked about her past, Ratan shared her memories with him. When he was alone, the postmaster was haunted by his own memories, which sometimes found himself recalling to Ratan (20).

Feeling lonely one evening, the postmaster decided to teach Ratan to read. Not long later, the rains came and the postmaster fell ill. His sickness and the floods amplified “the loneliness of his exile” (21). Ratan devoted herself to his care. Once he recovered, however, the postmaster announced he...