"India Through Traveller's Eyes," an excerpt from "My Several Worlds," by Pearl S. Buck

Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) was an American author who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938. She is best known for her novels of life in China, including The Good Earth (1931), which won the Pulitzer Prize. Buck was born in West Virginia to missionary parents, and she spent most of her childhood in China. She was fluent in Chinese, and she drew on her experiences in China to write her novels.

In "India Through Traveller's Eyes," an excerpt from "My Several Worlds,"  Pearl S. Buck shares her personal experiences and feelings about her visit to India. She expresses her profound fondness and admiration for the Indian people.

During her trip, the primary purpose for the author was not merely to visit famous historical landmarks like the Taj Mahal or Fatehpur Sikri, although she did see them. Instead, her main focus was to engage with two specific groups of people: the young intellectuals in cities and the peasants in villages.

In the cities, she met with young intellectuals in a small room and listened to their aspirations for freedom. However, she also noted their anger and disappointment because England had failed to fulfill its promise of restoring India after World War I. These intellectuals were restless and had plans to rebel against England during World War II.

When the author visited rural India, she was deeply disturbed by the pitiable condition of the peasants. She found their situation to be even worse than that of Chinese peasants, and the only comparable hardship she could recall was that of Russian peasants under the rule of the Czar.

Despite the challenging circumstances, the author was enamoured by Indian culture. She found the joint family life of villagers captivating, witnessing the deep respect everyone had for the head of the household, irrespective of his physical abilities.

According to the writer, true leaders for the Indian people should be selfless individuals, possessing honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness. The Indians held great respect for such leaders.

In this way, Buck paints a vivid picture of India as she perceived it, displaying her profound love and affection for the Indian people.

Buck was a complex and controversial figure. She was praised for her literary achievements, but she was also criticized for her views on race and adoption. However, there is no doubt that she was a significant figure in American literature and culture.