games at twilight

Question 1

themes: childhood and the loss of innocence

Answer 1

“smiles to himself almost shyly at the thought of so much victory, such laurels.”
- desires for glory -> exaggerated what the achievement means. Ravi still has innocence of believing that a simple achievement will make him launder by others.

“silenced by a terrible sense of his insignificance”
Ravi lies face down on the grass. Desai illustrates how this journey mirror loss of innocence or coming of age as Ravi’s childhood fantasies are curtailed by mature recognition of reality of a person’s insignificance in the world.

Question 2

Themes: social hierarchy

Answer 2

“he hadn’t had much faith in his short legs when matched against Raghu’s long, hefty, hairy footballer legs.”
desai writes that the other children are no match against Raghu, the oldest, and he intimidates and catches the other other children.

Question 3

theme: alienation

Answer 3

“i won, i won, i won,” he bawled
“he wanted victory and triumph-not a funeral”
Ravi insecurity and inferiority is also evident because he feels that the children are celebrating his funeral. Ravi feels forgotten and left out. Instead of being comforted, he is scolded by his mother and other children for being a baby, adding to his humiliation. He feels so passionately wrong that he makes the situation worse by alienating himself from others in protest.

Question 4

literary device: twilight as a symbol

Answer 4

“lost its live duty, hung in dark bundles”

twilight can be seen as a extended metaphor, used to represent Ravi’s state of mind.

Question 5

Literary device: irony

Answer 5

“they had quite forgotten him”
From mother’s unwillingness to let he children out for fear they would leave the verandah and porch, to Ravi’s brave decision to confine himself in the dark and discomfiting shed, right to the end of the story. It is this last instances of irony that bests shows the essence of the story. In his obsession for victory and significance, Ravi had forgotten the rules if the game, in return, he was forgotten. There is no longer the celebration of anticipated victory and fame but only a funeral of his innocence, a celebration of his defeat and ignominy.