Novel: One Night @ the Call Center

Here are my views about the novel ON@TCC by Chetan Bhagat.

(1) Mennipean satire: How can we say that ON@TCC as a mennipean satire?If we read the novel we can find it. In the novel most powerful character is Bakshi, the boss. He is boss of American company and he do service in the call centre. But he always treated Vroom, Shyam, Radhika, Priyanka, Esha and Military Uncle as scapegoat. He always behaves as a very cruel way. Bossism presented by Bakshi through authoritative way. He believes in hierarchical way that his status is very higher than the other six characters. Second point is call from God in the novel that generally people believed that in this world there is no presence of God because we don’t see God anywhere, it is the reality of everyone’s life. But here in the novel why Chetan Bhagat puts this idea? Because the six characters are very near to the death and realize that our life is very unhappy to cover up with so many problems. So, some solution is necessary that’s he puts call from the God. But again this idea is very controversial that in real we have to believe or not. Because of this question of the reader Chetan Bhagat interpreted this idea as two ways. May be it is the voice of Military Uncle that he knows the reality of all the characters and to save from this situation and give positive energy to them he speaks and give solution. The third point is satire on work-culture because company can’t think about the employer because they have to increase their own profit. In this novel also Bakshi is very self-centered man and he whatever does for company because of the higher status. So, in these points we can say that writer used mooching satire here.

(2) Friedman’s notion of the Flat World is a reality.  In this book he is talking about liberation, career of information, individual power, collaboration and competition. Means knowledge society demands mind power. In the novel also six characters are very powerful in English accent and easily give answers to the American people. If we think about future projection of world is flat 3.0 already suggests shrinking the world from a size small to a size tiny. It means not only multinational companies but also transnational companies also requires. In the book also, six characters working in the call centers and connected with technology but they don’t so much knowledgeable towards it. So, now more powerful people requires for the call centers. For the sake of money they have to do work at the call centers, it is the one effect of globalization. All the six characters have their personal problems but they tried very well to do regularly this job.  In the novel call center itself used as a paradox. Because they have some need to do this job that’s why they stayed this place. In this Postmodernism: Sanjay Subramanium, he talks about that anonymous people are scream out and real people have the right to say nothing. Here we can compare the voice of God or it is the voice of Military Uncle but if we at the surface level may be it is the fake identity. That’s why interpretation opens for us. 

(3) In ON@TCC and Life of Pie (Martel) central idea is God. Means Pie narrates the story of his own living with so many animals and at last he has experience of tiger. But why he believes in this idea of God because from the very childhood her mother tells his story of religion may be he is thinking in this way. But in the novel of Chetan Bhagat all six characters are mature to understand this idea. Though they talk to God one by one with their different problems. Duex ex Machina used by Chetan Bhagat here that’s why it depends upon us that God is present or not, but if we look at the story by without God it’s open for another perspective. Narrative structure has also merits and demerits that narrator has experience of living a life and based on this he made story. But sometimes it’s so personal that his experience is not understandable by reader also. 

   Narrative structure of this book is very complex that reader can’t do any judgment on this. To the dream of narrator, to the young lady and through the perspective of Shyam story goes on. At the end reader also surprised when they go through car accident and suddenly voice of God come through the call. But reader here confused that we have to believe in God or Military Uncle. So, author is very mysteriously puts the things that reader cannot find any doubt in the story and it is the real charm of the story. 

(4) Self-help book means it gives some moral lesson, solution of problems and also helpful for build personal philosophy. In the novel call from God is center because when it happens at that time story change and all the perspectives of the characters and their life also. In their life so many problems like Priyanka has problem with her mother and Ganesh, Esha has also problem with her parents, Military Uncle has problem with his daughter-in-law, Vroom and Shyam have also problems, Radhika unhappy with Anuj and again she don’t want to see her mother-in-law’s face. But suddenly within a minute their problems solved to one call. That’s why it is necessary in the story. According to my point of view, I think everyone’s life it happens ones time, I can’t say that in our life also call from the God but some books, person or any other thing comes and our life totally changed. In our life self-help book played a very vital role. Some moral message changed our whole life and perspectives also.