Analysis of the spy's role and function in The Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard

Spy in Hullabaloo in Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai

Kiran Desai's Hullabaloo in Guava Orchard is an interesting story that doesn't truly signify anything except presenting an entertaining tale of a man who seeks refuge from expectations of the society in a guava tree. The novel is an amalgamation of very interesting characters including the spy, who is a member of the Atheistic society and has come to the orchard to uncover the truth about Sampath Chawla, the protagonist of the novel. His purpose in the novel is to expose Sampath for what he is, or what spy believes him to be i.e. An idiot who is pretending to be a holy man.

Sampath Chalwa is a young man whose otherworldliness may appear fake to people like the spy but in fact he has a holy soul as he can actually look into people's problems and offer them advice. He can read their thoughts, understanding their feelings and truly connect with them. He is not interested in social and financial achievements and instead tries to stay close to nature. It is in the guava orchard that he finds his peace. His grandmother believes in his greatness: "Even if it appears that he is going downhill, he will come up on the other side. Yes on the top of the world. He is just taking the longer route." (p. 26) Little does she know that the top of the world would be top of a guava tree. As his father learns of his talent to read people's thoughts and offer advice, he tries to capitalize on that by declaring him a holy man and this is where the spy enters.

The spy wants to uncover the truth. He wants to know if Sampath is really a holy man or just a sham. The spy is the member of (BUFHM) Branch to uncover fraudulent Holy men. He believes him to be a charlatan who has a talent for sure but this talent, the spy feels, is due to the concoctions that his mother makes for him. His mother on the other hand is a simpleton who takes pleasure in cooking for her son. The spy's character itself has great entertainment value as he has become a member of this "distinguished" society only to escape the ordinariness of his life. he is unmarried and hates his job as a public school teacher and thus is looking for his chance to be famous and distinguished. Exposing Sampath is his first major mission and he is determined to use this opportunity to achieve his purpose of becoming "something."

The spy's purpose in the novel is not only to expose Sampath but on a more general level, he symbolizes someone who believes in progress and feels that fake people like Sampth are the reason his country lags far behind even the most "miniscule" of countries like Taiwan and Philippines. (p. 120) He considers himself an intelligent man who cannot be fooled and wonders how Sampath can fool so many people. "what was it about him? He sniffed the air. The scent of cardamom and cloves wreathed up into the leaves from a cooking pot somewhere…. He made some more notes in his book." (p. 98)

The spy represents the section of Indian society that is scientifically inclined and doesn't necessarily subscribe to myths based on faith. He is a skeptic who wants a scientific reason for Sampath's great connection with human belongs as well as beasts. When he learns of his interaction with monkeys, he wants a scientific explanation for it: "No doubt it is just well developed human-monkey interaction," he said." (p. 109)

The spy is determined to prove that Sampath is a fake Baba but the longer he stays under the tree, the more he starts repeating what the Baba says. It is like this man has a strange effect on this non-believer too. It is this that makes him take a review of his own life and ask why he is so determined to expose the Baba. "What did he want in his life? The emptiness that stretched like the black night about him made him all the more determined to expose Sampath as a fraud." (p. 121)