Such a Long Journey: Character Mind Map & Summary
The key characters of Rohinton Mistry's Such a Long Journey (1991), grouped into branches, with the key episodes, a quick summary and the exam facts that come up again and again in UGC NET.
The Character Mind Map
Tap any name to open the details.
Gustad Noble
A decent, hard-working Parsi bank clerk in Bombay. In 1971, during the war with Pakistan, an old friend involves him in a secret money deal that puts his family and his honesty in danger.
Ending: survives loss; the wall is demolished👑 Family
Khodadad BuildingDilnavazGustad's wife
Role: Turns to the neighbour's black magic to save her son.
SohrabTheir elder son
Role: Refuses to go to the IIT, breaking his father's heart.
RoshanTheir daughter
Role: Falls ill.
🏠 Friends
Bank & buildingMajor Jimmy BilimoriaAn old friend
Role: Asks Gustad to deposit secret money for RAW; he is jailed.
DinshawjiA colleague
Role: A cheerful joker at the bank.
Outcome: DiesTehmul-LungraaA disabled neighbour
Role: Killed in the riot at the end.
Miss KutpitiaA neighbour
Role: Practises black magic.
Key Episodes
The turning points examiners love to ask about.
Quick Summary
The story, stage by stage.
Stage 1Family
- Gustad's hopes.
Stage 2The Parcel
- Jimmy's request.
Stage 3Trouble
- Illness and fear.
Stage 4Loss
- Dinshawji and Tehmul die.
Must-Know Exam Facts
Quick points for UGC NET, SET and PGT.
Awards
Commonwealth Writers' Prize; Booker shortlist (1991).
History
Based on the Nagarwala case (1971).
Controversy
Removed from the Mumbai University syllabus in 2010 after protests.
Theme
Parsi identity, friendship, betrayal, faith.
Additional Revision Notes
Extra character, historical and literary details for exam preparation.
Gustad Noble
The Parsi bank clerk Gustad Noble attempts to protect family life while being drawn into an unsettling chain of events involving a former friend.
Political Background
Set against the 1971 India–Pakistan conflict, the novel links household anxieties in Bombay with wider political uncertainty and questions of trust.
Community and Detail
Rohinton Mistry uses ordinary routines, neighbours and religious practices to construct a densely observed picture of Parsi life. The large historical setting remains grounded in individual experience.
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