Tree Without Roots

Novel | Syed Waliullah

Justify the title of the novel Tree Without Roots. 

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Justify the title of the novel Tree Without Roots Or Comment on the significance of the title Tree Without Roots Justifying a literary title means explaining how the title fits the story s main idea characters or message The title Tree Without Roots perfectly captures the spirit of Syed Waliullah s - novel It symbolizes a man s search for identity belonging and survival Majeed the central character is a symbol of a rootless man He drifts from one place to another in search of stability When he arrives in Mahabbatpur he plants himself there like a tree but without real roots Rootlessness of Majeed Majeed is a man without a home family or purpose He comes from a barren overpopulated village where people suffer from hunger and poverty He works as a muezzin in the Garo Hills but finds no peace His rootless condition drives him to search for

a better life One night he leaves the hills with only a few belongings and a small Koran The narrator says He immediately struck root in the soil deeper than the roots of the largest tree in the village Majeed s journey from the hills to Mahabbatpur shows how poverty and hopelessness make him a tree without roots Creation of The False Mazar When Majeed reaches Mahabbatpur he finds an old neglected grave He fabricates a dream about a saint named Shah Sadeque and tells the villagers that the saint appeared to him The villagers believe his story and begin to visit the grave Majeed covers it with a red cloth and turns it into a mazar People start to pray there bringing coins and gifts Majeed s survival depends on this faith His false mazar becomes his root though it grows from deception Dependence on False Faith Majeed s power and identity come entirely from the mazar He knows that his existence depends on people s belief Once the people stop believing he will again become rootless He even says that man is both sinner and innocent Man is made both angels and devils sinners and innocents This dual nature reflects Majeed s own soul Outwardly he plays the saint but inwardly he fears exposure He is not a true spiritual man but a cunning survivor Majeed s Psychological Rootlessness Though Majeed gains wealth land and power he remains spiritually empty His conscience reminds him of his lies He feels lonely and restless even after his success His two marriages bring him no peace Rahima obeys him but cannot fill his emptiness Jamila rebels against him and destroys his illusion of control Majeed s fear of losing people s trust becomes his punishment His heart is dry like the barren land he once left His success is hollow because it stands on deceit Inside he knows that he is still the same poor wandering man Symbolic Meaning of the Title The title Tree Without Roots has deep symbolic value The tree represents human life and social existence The roots stand for truth morality and faith Majeed looks strong like a tree but his life lacks a real foundation He lives by falsehood and superstition not by honest work When his lies are questioned his fear grows The title also mirrors the social condition of Mahabbatpur The villagers too are rootless in faith and reason In summary the title Tree Without Roots is perfectly justified It sums up the life and struggle of Majeed who tries to grow in false soil His existence appears strong but is hollow within The mazar gives him a position but not peace Like a tree cut from its roots he finally faces emptiness

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Syed Waliullah
Literary Writer