Education: Indian and American - Anurag Mathur

The essay, “Education:Indian and American” is an extract from ‘The Inscrutable American’. It essays the journey of a small town boy Gopal to the United States in persuading of further studies.
In India, Gopal had been subjected to the traditional method of education where everything had been drilled into his mind by the rote system of learning and where questioning was considered heresy by the teachers. Gopal felt that in America, he had blossomed out and had learnt the art of logical thinking, deductive reasoning and most important of all, an all-encompassing thirst for knowledge. At the same time, he appreciated the strong foundation of the basics laid down during the formative years, which helped him in his quest for knowledge. In retrospect, teachers whom he had held in high esteem now seemed old bigoted people.
Through the character of Gopal, the author forays into the Indian psyche of malice and jealousy; two qualities he did not notice in his American counter parts. Thus, he finds the reasons as to why Indians felt more at home in America than in their homeland.
The author reminiscences, through the character of Gopal, his first encounter with snow. It is a brand new experience for the small town boy. In an alien culture, Gopal could easily give vent to his emotions; something he would not have dared to do back home.
The essay critically analyses the difference in the ethos between the two cultures and the easy adaptability to better working conditions by the expatriates.