hurt as a theme in clear light of day

The novel Clear Light of Day has several different themes with one of the underlying tones being hurt. The setting of the novel is in a time when India was going through a  time of change which caused rioting and the death of many young people. Because of this it can be said that the entire nation of India was in pain. This can again be seen when Gandhi was murdered. Raja, who was sick at the time, became so outraged that Bim has to tell him to calm down before his condition became worst.
The most obvious cases of hurt in the book however, focus on the main characters; Bim, Raja and Tara; the children of the Das family. As the book progresses one is able to see the ways in which the siblings hurt each other, whether on purpose or un-knowingly.

One of the most focused upon incedent of hurt in the book is what Raja did to bim and her persapective on it. Raja and Bim, as young children had always had a close relationship. As they got older however, Raja seeks "freedom" from the "dead house" which he has been confined to all his life. He eventually leaves Old Dehli in search of the Hider Ali's who had moved because of the rioting. Bim however, sees his decision as a direct insult to her and also sees it as him abandoning her after she had looked after him during his long sickness. After a while, Raja eventually marries Hider Ali's daughter and because of this he become Hider Ali's son. Raja then becomes Bim's land-lord and rather than telling her that she no longer has to pay rent because of their family bond, he tells her that the rent will remain the same. Bim is again insulted and hurt.

Another incident of hurt in the book involves Bim and Tara. When Tara was young, she had very low self esteem and confidence. She thought that if her long hair had a bit of curl to it she would be more beautiful. Bim, upon hearing Tara express her desire for curly hair to their aunt, then tells Tara that if she were to cut her hair it would grow back with curls. This  was of course a lie. Bim then takes her up to the roof and proceeded to cut all of Tara's long hair. Tara, after being informed that when her hair did grow back, it would be exactly the same, breaks down and cries realizing what a crule thing Bim had done to her. Tara decides that she would never forgive Bim.

Towords the end of the book, we are able to see once again that Bim feels hurt and abandoned. Both her siblings have long been married and moved out. She had been left in the "dead house" had not and was now left to take care of Baba the rest of her life. She feels betrayed at being left behind. Raja never visits and  the now refined and seemingly self confident Tara, only visits evry three years. Because of this, Bim may feel that she has been cheated and dealt an unfair hand by life.

We are able to see that all the siblings have in some way hirt each other; Raja, by "abandoning Bim, Bim by cutting Tara's hair, and Tara by abandoning Bim as well.