Genre
Indian Literature, Short Stories
Language
English
Setting and Context
The setting is the fictional town of Malgudi, India.
Narrator and Point of View
The stories are mostly told from a third-person perspective, although a first-person narrator appears in two stories and the Talkative Man is the narrator of multiple stories.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the stories is often sympathetic and lighthearted. The mood overall is hopeful and circumspect.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The Talkative Man is the protagonist of multiple stories. There are few obvious antagonists, as the character most often struggle with conflicts they themselves set in motion some way.
Major Conflict
Many of the conflicts in the collection derive from the accumulation of financial issues. In "Engine Trouble," for instance, the Talkative Man wins a road engine that ends up costing him a series of increasingly steep fees and fines.
Climax
The climax of many of the stories occurs at the very end, usually featuring some kind of dramatic twist. The climax of the story "Cat Within" occurs when the shop owner nearly confesses to committing several crimes.
Foreshadowing
The family choosing to name their dog Atilla, in the story "Attila," suggests that he will likely not actually be a good guard dog.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
Many of the stories allude to Indian historical events and people including Indira Gandhi and the Indian independence movement.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
N/A
Personification
N/A
Use of Dramatic Devices
N/A
