Major Themes in The Short Stories of Ruskin Bond

Abstract

Ruskin Bond has been living in Mussorie for nearly forty years now and has made the Himalayas a part of his life. Ruskin Bond is inclined towards nature but since writing poetry is not lucrative, he continues to be a prolific writer of short- stories, essays, travel pieces, and novellas and he writes about people, places, animals and plants of Himalayas. He also acts as a historian of the region, writing a lot about the past of Mussorie and its surroundings, recording legends and anecdotes told to him by the hill folk and the old British residents. It was after coming to Mussorie that nature became the object of his attention, and his writing reflects the deep kinship and serenity that he experiences in the midst of the mountains. He admires the natural beauty of the source of Ganges River as it burst from its icy originating place, sounds of birds and mountains and rivers, the towering Deodar trees and flower strewn valleys. Ruskin's stories breathe his great love and sincere concern for nature which takes care of us like our mothers. Hence, we need to prove sincere, selfless, honest and loyal toward it by inculcating in us a true sense of environmental ethics and ecology.