Gandhi Fighter Essay, Research Paper

Without a Sword Gandhi, one of the world?s greatest figures, has already

become a legend. In this book Jeanette Eaton shows him as a human being. While

still a young man, Gandhi adopted the austere way of living that was until the

day he died. He did not want comforts and luxuries when so many of his

countrymen lived in terrible poverty. He ate only the most frugal diet and in

his later years wore a peasant?s costume. But he himself was anything but

austere. Laughter was to him life?s most healing gift, even when it was

directed against himself. When young Indian children become a certain age and

their body is mature enough they are allowed to get married. Gandhi was

described very short and skinny with his dark eyes. He had noticed everything in

his path and along the way. It was very hard for the people in the village to do

anything near early dawn because only oil lamps gave off light. Gandhi had a

younger brother. Before Gandhi had gone to high school he had been used to

putting the jasmine wreaths on the images of Shiva and Krishna and Radha. Now

every day that he has gone to school he snatch?s his breakfast and leaves.

Everyday before he enters the temple him and his brother slip their slippers of

before they enter the temple. In this way the day began in a small town in

western India. Although it was many years ago, the majority of Indian people

live in much the same way now. The climate is so warm that as much work as

possible is done in the early hours. Therefore many schools open soon after

daybreak and, like shops and offices, close in the heat of the day. Gandhi, like

any other Indian boys took being married, and going to school for granted

because education was very hard for people to learn and to get a good job to not

work on the fields day and night. Gandhi was very happy for that he was married

to Kasturbai (his wife) because she had changed his life in both work wise and

study wise. Whenever Kasturbai is along she goes to Gandhi?s mother for advice

how to live her life and how she can improve her marriage with Gandhi. The

family would have meetings ever night to discuss how work, and school was. When

Gandhi became the main leader of his land everybody came to him for advice and

leadership to fight many laws. Gandhi was fighting to reduce the taxes on the

families and for men to earn an equal amount as people in America. Gandhi

intended to form an ambulance corps for service in the British army. This was

the announcement that so stunned his followers. He made it in a speech to the

natal Indian congress soon after the outbreak of war. Two sentences explained

his attitude. ?Our one hope of freedom as a people? he said ?is through

development within the British Empire. Therefore we must help defend it?. Some

listeners were convinced by his argument. Others were willing to follow him

blindly. Soon eight hundred indentured workers and three hundred free Indians

were serving under the British flag in camps and hospitals. When Japan conquered

Burma and threatened India on the hand and china on the other, inaction became

intolerable. Even Gandhi began to feel that his pacifism might stand in the way

of India?s future position among the nation?s fighting for freedom. Gandhi

lived happy and comfortable with his wife and 2 kids. My opinion of the book is

that is was exciting in most parts. It covered the details of Gandhi?s life

and how he lived it with his family.