What does the Assamese short story 'As Days Roll On' by Anima Dutta d…

The correct answer is Option (4) → A mother's sense that her westernised children have become strangers to her

Option (1) A grandfather's hope that education will help his children get ahead in life — Incorrect. A grandfather pinning his hopes on education for his children's progress is a different theme, about schooling as a way up in life. This story is told by a mother and is about the gap between her and her grown children.

Option (2) An English-educated son's return to pride in traditional learning and scholarship — Incorrect. The story moves the other way, since the children turn to western dress, music and manners. No son comes back to take pride in traditional learning.

Option (3) A family's adoption of upper-caste rituals to claim a higher social status — Incorrect. Taking up upper-caste rituals to claim a higher status is Sanskritisation. The family in this story moves toward western ways, and caste status plays no part in it.

Option (4) A mother's sense that her westernised children have become strangers to her — Correct. The narrator, a mother, feels her children have become total strangers to her though they are her own flesh and blood. Their western dress, music and manners leave her with nothing in common with them, so the story is used to show Westernisation.