surface textures

Question 1

Themes: family and duty

Answer 1

“How am i to go to market and buy vegetables for dinner?…What am i to feed the boys tonight?… The washerwoman is asking for her bills to be paid. Do you hear?… He listened— or didn’t…”

Question 2

Themes: pressure of modern living / work and marriage

Answer 2

“What is my shame to you?”
->due to harish disinterest in his job, he got fired. he is drawn to surfaces, textures and the unimportant.

“i will have to hang my head and crawl home and beg my father to look after us since you wont”

Question 3

Theme: escapism

Answer 3

“amongst such things, his eyes rove and hunted… his eyes continued to slide about”
he is distracted. uninterested and wants to escape from his normal life

Question 4

Literary device: use of symbolism

Answer 4

“apple of knowledge for harish… look had been enough.”
the apple symbolises the temptation and sins. Harish’s awakening realisation of burdens of duty, obligation and expectations of everyday life. The melon gives him the ability to escape from the pressures from everyday living. he develops epiphany that transforms his life forever

Question 5

Literary device: tactile imagery

Answer 5

“Fingering the small silver box.”
emphasises the lack of attention to his wife’s ranting. Insensitive and uncaring husband and father. Instead he is focused on the kumkum box

Question 6

Literary devices: divine imagery of the swami

Answer 6

“Nor had they seen a swami who looked holier, more inhuman than Harish”