The Bond of Love Summary Class 9 English

The Bond of Love summary provides a clear overview of this Kenneth Anderson novel. It centers on the tale of the romantic relationship between a human and an animal.

The author rescued a sloth bear named Bruno and gave him to his wife as a present. The wife also developed a strong attachment to Bruno over time and began to treat him as her kid. Students will learn about Bruno's life and how he came to be a part of the author's family through the overview of The Bond of Love. However, she must part ways with him to improve her family's situation due to inescapable circumstances. She realizes after they separate that they have a genuine love connection, so they get back together.

About Author

Indian author and explorer Kenneth Douglas Stewart Anderson, who lived from March 8, 1910, to August 30, 1974, published novels, based on his experiences in the South Indian forests. Though he was British, his immediate family had lived in India for six generations before India gained its independence. His father, Aryan Stewart, was in the British military and had a strong passion for hunting and animals, which he passed on to his son Kenneth. Because of the way his father affected him, Kenneth Anderson spent most of his time hunting. He finished his legal studies in Germany, moved back to India, and began working at the British Aircraft Factory in Bangalore.

Anderson writes in a bright tone as he discusses his encounters with wild creatures. He offers sentences on his first-hand experiences with elephants, bison, and bears in his books, yet most of his incidents are about hunting tigers and leopards, especially man-eaters. There are stories involving less "famous" animals, such as Indian wolves, hyenas, and reptiles. He describes the behaviors and temperaments of these animals.

According to Anderson, the Indian forests of his day were home to a variety of fauna, and the locals had to deal with inadequate roads, communications, and medical services. His writings explore the daily routines, survival techniques, and beliefs of the forest tribes.

Characters of The Bond of Love

In the story, there are three main characters around whom the story revolves: the author, his wife, and Bruno the bear.

1. The Author

The speaker of this story worked as a hunter. But he was a kind and decent human being. He also happens to be a devoted husband. He brings his wife to see Bruno at the zoo after seeing her anxiety at being apart from him. He even respects his wife's choice to bring Bruno back home.

2. Wife of the Narrator

We can see from afar that the narrator's wife has a unique connection with animals. She gives Bruno a warm welcome, showing him a lot of love. Because she views him as her newborn son, she even gives him the name Baba. When Bruno is transferred to the zoo, they both stress and struggle to eat due to their intense feeling of connection. Despite her best efforts, the author chooses to see Bruno in the zoo. She ultimately brings Bruno to her house with the superintendent's approval.

3. Baba the Sloth Bear/Bruno

Bruno is a very fun-loving and lively bear. He eats like an insane person as well. He has learned to obey orders, which indicates that he is a bright creature. He declines to eat anything when he is taken to the zoo. Even before the author's wife could enter the cage when she paid Bruno a visit at the zoo, Baba identified her. It is clear from this that he loves the author's wife just as much as she does.

Summary of the Bond of Love

The narrator of the story focuses on the close relationship between his wife and their pet bear, Bruno. He gave his wife the newborn bear that he had accidentally gotten. She gave the bear the name "Bruno" and gave it baby-like care. The bear was given milk via a bottle and eventually began consuming other foods. He liked to eat and drink everything. Everyone, even the kids and pet Alsatians of their renters, was connected to Bruno. Even when sleeping on their beds, they would play and run around the house.

One day, it accidentally consumed barium carbonate, a poison that was stored in the library for the killing of mice and rats. Bruno was brought to a veterinarian because he was having a paralytic episode. The second injection helped restore his life. Bruno eventually started eating properly again. In another story, the narrator saved a gallon of used motor oil to protect against a termite invasion, and the bruno drank it. Bruno was not negatively impacted by this.

Bruno increased in size throughout the day but kept his lovely and lively personality. His name was altered by the wife of the narrator to "Baba," which originates from the Hindustani phrase for "a small boy." He had also picked up a few techniques. When told to "wrestle" or "box," Baba would rush the target and overwhelm them. He would point a stick at the individual when told, "Baba, hold a gun." He would pull out the piece of wood and cuddle it lovingly in the manner of a baby when he was asked, "Baba, where's baby?" He had to be tied since, at this size, he might hurt the tenant's children.

Baba was too huge to be maintained as a pet, so the narrator, his son, and their friends recommended the narrator's wife send him to a zoo. She eventually caved in, and with the zoo director's approval, they put Baba in a cage and transported him to the Mysore Zoo. Everyone was happy to see him go since keeping him at home was uncomfortable, but they did miss him. The narrator's wife missed Baba. She sobbed and fretted about him. She sent letters to the zoo's manager, inquiring about Baba's health. They said that Baba was well, but that he didn't eat and was depressed like her. She would urge her friends who were traveling to Mysore to see Baba. Everyone noticed his sadness and lean appearance. Three months later, the narrator's wife persuaded him to accompany her to see Baba after three months had gone by. Even before she entered the cage, Baba acknowledged her, contrary to what everyone had thought would happen. He was overjoyed to see her and stood up straight on his two paws. While giving Baba his favorite meal, she also patted him. She stayed for three hours until the visiting hours were over before leaving with tears in her eyes. She asked the zoo manager to give them permission to return Baba, for which they needed to get approval from the superintendent in Bangalore. Baba was placed in a cage and transported back to their house once they obtained the necessary permits. The cage was stored on top of their vehicle.

Baba was given a private island to call home surrounded by a large dry pit around it. Baba was given his possessions, including his stick and a piece of wood to play with, as well as a box to sleep in and some straw to keep him warm.

Hanging on a rope attached to a mango tree, the narrator's wife would go to the island to see Baba. She would make the large bear spend hours on her lap while giving him tender pats.

Conclusion

It's an interesting story presented in "The Bond of Love" by Kenneth Anderson about how an author saved the life of a sloth bear and gifted it to his wife as a pet. Everyone was won over by the bear's intellect, playfulness, memory, and feeling of love, particularly the author's wife.

The story's themes center on the bond of affection between people and animals. The narrator shows that love has no bounds, even those of species, with the example of his wife and her pet sloth bear. When raised with genuine love and devotion, pets form an unshakable link with the people who look after them.

The topic of the author's writing is the connection we have with the wild and the connection it maintains with us. Animals have always been our buddies, dating back to the beginning of time. They have been harmed and destroyed by us humans and our evil ambitions. These silent species don't need to be divided into groups based on their habitat or nature. Animals are more lovable than any other human being on earth because of their connection to love.