Summary
Act I
In the first act, British poetess Flora Crewe arrives in Jummapur, India, in 1930. She is welcomed at the train station by Coomaraswami, the president of the local Theosophical Society. Flora is taken to a guesthouse complete with a veranda and an Indian servant named Nazrul. Flora’s experiences in India are conveyed through a series of letters she writes to her sister, Eleanor Swan, in England. In the mid-1980s, Mrs. Swan sits in her garden enjoying tea and cake with Eldon Pike, a scholar of Flora Crewe’s poetry and the editor of the Collected Letters of Flora Crewe. Pike is collecting information for a biography. After giving a talk and answering questions for the Theosophical Society, Flora meets Nirad Das, an amateur artist who requests to paint her portrait while she writes. As Das paints, Flora writes poetry and letters, and they discuss India's struggle for independence from British colonial rule. In the 1980s in England, Das’s son, Anish Das, visits Mrs. Swan in her garden over tea and cake to talk about his father’s portrait of Flora, which he recognized from the book cover of the Collected Letters of Flora Crewe. Mrs. Swan and Anish engage in a polite but tense discussion about their differing views on British colonization of India. In the 1930s setting in India, David Durance, a British official, arrives at Flora’s guesthouse on horseback and invites her to join him at his Club. In the 1980s, Pike visits the hotel where Flora had stayed to gather more information for his biography. Back in the 1930s, Flora and Das continue to explore topics of art, politics, and culture while she sits for her portrait. One day, overwhelmed by the heat, Flora retreats to her bedroom, undresses, and lies in bed covered only by a sheet. She asks an embarrassed Das to sit by her in a chair in her bedroom.
Act II
In Act II, set in 1930s India, Flora attends a dance at the Jummapur Cricket Club with Durance. They engage in a conversation about the politics of British colonial rule in India. Their discussion continues as they go horseback riding together, during which Durance proposes to Flora, but she declines. In the same 1930s setting, the Rajah invites Flora to view his extensive collection of automobiles and offers her a painting as a gift. Meanwhile, in the 1980s, an Indian man named Dilip helps Pike by providing him with information about Flora from various sources. Still in the 1980s setting, Pike meets the Rajah's grandson, who is also referred to as Rajah. The Rajah presents Pike with a thank-you note from Flora to his grandfather for gifting her a classic Indian nude painting. In Mrs. Swan's garden in the 1980s, Anish examines the watercolor nude painting from the Rajah that Mrs. Swan has shown him. At the same time, Mrs. Swan looks at a watercolor nude of Flora, painted by Das, which Anish has brought to her. Returning to the 1930s in India, Flora comes back from the dance with Durance and learns from Das that the Theosophical Society has been suspended due to political unrest and riots. Before parting, Das shows Flora a miniature watercolor nude he has painted of her. In 1980s England, Mrs. Swan bids farewell to Anish, and they agree not to inform Pike about the nude portrait of Flora painted by Das. In another flashback to India, Mrs. Swan, also known as Nell, arrives at Flora’s graveside with the help of Eric, an Englishman whom Nell later marries.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.