Cast Of The Sleeping Dictionary ⟶ «Free»

Hannah is raised by Pom with the help of a nanny. She becomes a point of tension: British society sees her as illegitimate, while Indian society sees her as foreign. Pom’s determination to raise her alone, without revealing the father’s identity, drives much of the plot’s second half.

Caroline believes Hannah is an orphan and wants to adopt her. She is sympathetic as a woman but represents the British assumption of racial and class superiority—she never considers that Pom, as the biological mother, has rights. cast of the sleeping dictionary

Pom begins as a village girl from a tribal community in the Sundarbans, orphaned after a flood. She is sold into servitude and then into a brothel in Calcutta. Her intelligence and resilience allow her to escape, first to a missionary school, then into the world of publishing. She eventually becomes a secretary for a British publisher and later a novelist herself. Hannah is raised by Pom with the help of a nanny

Thorne represents the colonial system’s pattern of exploitation and abandonment. His reappearance is a legal and emotional crisis for Pom. 5. Mr. George Fleming – Employer and Mentor Role: Complex colonial figure. Background: A British publisher in Calcutta who runs a small press. He is cultured, relatively liberal, and appreciates Indian literature. Caroline believes Hannah is an orphan and wants to adopt her

Introduction The Sleeping Dictionary (2013) is a historical novel by Sujata Massey, set primarily in British-ruled India (Bengal) from the 1930s to the 1940s. The story follows a young woman named Pom, who navigates poverty, colonialism, and personal reinvention. The title refers to a "sleeping dictionary" — a colloquial term for an Indian mistress who teaches an Englishman the local language and customs, often through an intimate relationship. The novel’s cast is richly drawn, representing various strata of Indian society and the British Raj. Below is a detailed analysis of the main characters. 1. Pom (later Sarah, then Pamela) – The Protagonist Role: Central narrator and survivor. Aliases: Born Kamala (tribal name), renamed Pom by a madam, later becomes Sarah (in a missionary school), and finally Pamela (in her adult life as a writer and activist).

Hannah embodies the “Eurasian” dilemma in colonial India—neither fully British nor Indian. Her existence forces Pom to challenge both British moral hypocrisy and Indian social conservatism. 4. Captain James Thorne – Hannah’s Biological Father Role: Antagonist (by inaction) / Symbol of colonial predation. Background: A British army officer stationed in Calcutta. He has a brief, transactional relationship with Pom when she is a teenager in the brothel.

Shrimati Dutt embodies internalized social prejudice. Her character shows that oppression is not only colonial but also patriarchal and caste-based within Indian society. 8. Mrs. Thorne (Caroline) – Captain Thorne’s Wife Role: Unwitting rival. Background: A British woman married to Thorne, unable to have children.