The Story of My Experiments with Truth · Chapter
Simple Life explained
Gandhi describes his early experiments with self-help and simplicity in South Africa, including washing his own clothes and cutting his own hair to avoid dependence on service providers and reduce expenses.
What happens
Gandhi describes his early experiments with self-help and simplicity in South Africa, including washing his own clothes and cutting his own hair to avoid dependence on service providers and reduce expenses. He recounts a humorous incident with Gokhale's scarf and reflects on the racial discrimination he faced from a white barber, linking it to the broader system of untouchability in India.
Themes in this chapter
Self-Discipline and Simplicity
Gandhi actively reduces his dependence on external services, washing his own clothes and cutting his own hair, embracing a simple life despite societal ridicule.
Truth and Self-Experimentation
Gandhi's experiments with washing and haircutting are part of his broader quest for truth and self-reliance, learning from failures and persisting despite mockery.
Characters to notice
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Narrator and protagonist; practices self-help by washing his own collars and cutting his own hair, embracing simplicity and imperviousness to ridicule.
- Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Visits South Africa; entrusts Gandhi with ironing his treasured scarf, a gift from Mahadeo Govind Ranade, and later certifies Gandhi's skill.
- Kasturbai Gandhi
Mentioned as the one whom Gandhi taught the art of washing clothes.
Key passages
“I shall never forget the first collar that I washed myself. I had used more starch than necessary, the iron had not been made hot enough, and for fear of burning the collar I had not pressed it sufficiently. The result was that, though the collar was fairly stiff, the superfluous starch continually dropped off it.”
Gandhi recalls his first attempt at washing a collar, which turned out poorly due to too much starch and insufficient heat, causing starch to flake off.
Illustrates Gandhi's willingness to learn through trial and error, and his ability to laugh at himself.
“I once went to an English hair-cutter in Pretoria. He contemptuously refused to cut my hair. I certainly felt hurt, but immediately purchased a pair of clippers and cut my hair before the mirror.”
A white barber in Pretoria refused to cut Gandhi's hair because of his race, prompting Gandhi to buy clippers and cut his own hair.
Highlights the racial discrimination Gandhi faced and his response of self-reliance rather than anger.