Road Engine (Symbol)
In the story "Engine Trouble," the road engine that the Talkative Man receives in a contest functions as a symbol of bureaucratic hassle. Immediately after "winning" the engine, he is ensnared in a series of mounting issues. He is required to take the engine, but cannot transport it. He is unable to move it, which results in him having to pay fees. He tries to move the engine and breaks a neighbor's wall, resulting in additional fines. The problem is only resolved when the engine gets stuck in the well of the man's neighbor. The neighbor agrees to drop the matter, as the well was unclean and he was going to be charged a number of fees for it. From the beginning, the engine represents the way in which small rules and regulations prey on the vulnerable, as the man has no way to resolve the issue and is only saved by random chance.
Dog (Symbol)
In "Blind Dog," Narayan describes the plight of a maltreated dog at the hands of his master, a blind beggar. The beggar uses the dog to guide himself around the city and gets a surprising amount of money. He is frequently cruel to the dog. Some vendors try to help the dog by cutting him loose from his leash, but after a few days, the dog returns to the blind man who promptly ties him up with a metal leash. One of the vendors asks, “what can we do with a creature who returns to his doom with such a free heart?” He means that they cannot help something that won't act in its own best interest. The dog is representative of the way people, especially those shown in the book, return to situations that are harmful to them. It is a symbol for acting against one's own best interests.
Marriage (Motif)
The motif of marriage appears in multiple stories. In the story "Mother and Son," a mother quarrels with her son about getting married, expressing her displeasure that he remains unmarried. He is displeased by her insistence on the matter, and storms out of the house. In "Second Opinion," the narrator also fights with his mother about wanting to focus on his studies instead of marrying the daughter of one of her friends. He goes through several reversals of opinion, but ultimately does not want to go through with it. These stories explore the way that marriage can be a familial and financial obligation.
Film (Symbol)
In the story "The Shadow," the film that Sambu's father stars in represents the memory of a loved one. Sambu attends the movie to momentarily reunite with his father. His mother, however, does not want to see the movie as she is afraid it will be too upsetting. She ends up fainting when she does see the movie. Their varied responses show the different reactions people have to loss. Sambu finds some solace in memory, but his mother is tortured by it.
Obligation (Motif)
Obligation is a major motif throughout the collection. In the story "The Doctor's Word," the main character Dr. Raman weighs whether or not he should tell his friend the truth about his condition. Going against his normal code of ethics, he chooses not to, feeling that his obligation as a friend seemingly outweighs that of his responsibilities as a doctor. When his friend miraculously recovers, he is left unsure of what the right thing is to do, as he did not technically lie, because his prediction came true.
