Tara: Character Mind Map & Summary
The key characters of Mahesh Dattani's Tara (1990), 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
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Tara & Chandan
Conjoined twins who are separated by surgery. Their mother and grandfather favour the boy, giving him the third leg that would have suited the girl better; Tara dies.
Ending: Chandan, now Dan, writes the story with guilt👑 Family
The PatelsBharatiThe mother
Role: Favoured her son; guilt-ridden.
PatelThe father
Role: Reveals the truth.
Dan (Chandan)The brother
Role: A writer in London.
🏠 Others
Doctor & friendDr ThakkarThe surgeon
Role: Agreed to the unfair surgery.
RoopaA neighbour
Role: Tara's friend.
Key Episodes
The turning points examiners love to ask about.
Quick Summary
The story, stage by stage.
Stage 1London
- Dan's memory.
Stage 2The Family
- Twins and parents.
Stage 3The Secret
- The surgery.
Stage 4Guilt
- Tara dies.
Must-Know Exam Facts
Quick points for UGC NET, SET and PGT.
Theme
Gender discrimination, family, guilt.
Symbol
Twins = two halves of one self.
Narrator
Dan, from London.
Title
Earlier called Twinkle Tara.
Additional Revision Notes
Further plot, character and exam-focused literary insights.
Tara and Chandan
The twins Tara and Chandan survive separation surgery but face unequal treatment shaped by family expectations about gender.
The Unequal Choice
The decision concerning a shared third leg becomes a disturbing symbol of preference for the male child and the lasting cost imposed on Tara.
Dramatic Technique
Mahesh Dattani uses revelations about the twins' childhood and adult memory to explore guilt, discrimination and the concealed decisions of a seemingly respectable family.
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