THIS NOVEL WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR 1938. THE FIRST THREEFOUR DECADES OF THE 20TH CENTURY WERE SEEING A NEW ERA. INDIAN CULTURE WAS TRANSFORMING DRAMATICALLY. COMMUNISM, SOCIALISM, GANDHISM WERE THE PHILOSOPHIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AWAKENING. THESE PHILOSOPHIES ALSO OPENED THE DOORS TO EDUCATION FOR WOMEN. OVERALL, THE SOCIETY WAS UNDERGOING A SLOW BUT STEADY CHANGE. THIS ERA GAVE ACCESS TO WOMEN IN EACH AND EVERY AREA. THE RESTRICTIONS ON LIVING WERE LOOSENED. THE TRADITIONS AND MORAL PHILOSOPHIES WERE BEGINNING TO SHATTER. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN RICH AND POOR WIDENED IMMENSLY. EVERYONE COULD NOT ACCEPT THESE DRASTIC CHANGES. SOME ACCEPTED GRACEFULLY AND WILLINGLY, SOME ACCEPTED THE CHANGES IN BITS AND PIECES AND SOME REMAINED ALOOF NOT ACCEPTING A SINGLE NEW IDEA, PRAISING THEIR OLD VIRTUES AND VALUES. THIS NOVEL PICTURES ALL THESE CHANGES. MUKUND AND SULBHA ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF NEW GENERATION. MUKUND IS FULL OF REVOLUTIONARY THOUGHTS, SULABHA IS INCITED ONLY WITH HER AIM. TATYASAHEB SYMBOLIZES THE OLD GENERATION WHO BELIEVES IN OLD IS GOLD. VIJAY IS THE ODD MAN OUT DISPLAYING THOSE WHO CANNOT ACCEPT THE NEW CONCEPTS WHOLLY AND CANNOT REJECT THE OLD CONCEPTS TOTALLY.