Justice
Justice is a prevalent theme in the story "Trail of the Green Blazer." The story recounts a moment in which Raju, a pickpocket, steals a man's purse. He then discovers a small balloon inside and feels remorse for his theft, vividly imagining the child he is hurting by robbing this man. He attempts to put the purse back but is apprehended and struck, as the man believes he is trying to rob him. In this story, and others like it, Narayan reveals how doing the "right" thing is not always rewarded. The thief would have been better off keeping the purse, but is instead punished for trying to correct his wrongdoing.
Involvement
Entanglement is a major theme in the story "The Missing Mail." A postman named Thannappa becomes very involved in the lives of the people to whom he delivers mail. In particular, he takes note of the approaching wedding of the daughter of one of his friends, Ramanujam. He observes that it has been a bumpy road leading up to the actual day of the wedding. As a result, he chooses to withhold a letter informing this friend that his father has died, as he believes it would only hurt him and distract from the joy of the ceremony. His friend is initially angry, but ultimately decides not to issue a complaint. This story reveals the problems that arise when people decide to insert themselves into other people's lives, as Thannappa chooses to break from his job protocol to delay his friend's sorrow.
Bluntness
In the story "A Doctor's World," the main character, Dr. Raman, is known for always being straightforward with his patients, never sugarcoating his observations. He firmly believes that his patients don't benefit from him mincing words. However, when he discovers his friend is very ill, he struggles with whether or not he should report how dire his condition is. In this instance, he realizes the drawbacks to his approach, as he does not want to be cruel to his friend. He ultimately decides to soften the blow by lying, telling his family that he will live for many years. When his friend miraculously recovers, he is shocked. This moment makes him reconsider his harsh bedside manner and question the value of his bluntness.
Grief
Grief is a key theme in "A Shadow." The story describes how a young boy named Sambu keeps going to the cinema to see a movie his recently deceased father is in. He enjoys these screenings immensely, but feels sorrowful every time they end. He tries to get his mother to go, but she refuses, as she expects it to be too upsetting to see her dead husband onscreen. Eventually, she relents and joins him, but is so overwhelmed that she faints. He sadly notes that this is the last time the movie will be shown. This story engages with the idea of grief, but shows how both Sambu and his mother are contending with the absence of a loved one, finding the movie to only offer a "shadow" of the person they have lost.
Bureaucracy
In the story "Road Engine," the Talkative Man contends with a struggle created by a series of legal issues. He wins a road engine (a steam-powered tractor) and immediately realizes he has no way of using it or transporting it. To make matters worse, he then learns that since he cannot move it, the city will require him to pay rent on the place where he is storing it. This puts him in an increasingly difficult position, as he then tries to move the engine and destroys the wall of one of his neighbors. The matter is only resolved after an earthquake lodges the tractor in a well of dirty water, and the man whose wall he destroyed decides to call it even. This particular story explores the way in which bureaucratic issues place the main character in a serious bind.
Money
Money is a major theme in multiple stories. Characters are often driven to the point of desperation by their poverty or their pursuit of financial gain. In "Wife's Holiday," Kannan steals from his family in an attempt to get money for gambling. In "Out of Business," Rama Rao is the owner of a gramophone business that is driven to financial ruin. After failing miserably at a series of word puzzles in a magazine, he nearly commits suicide on train tracks. After being inadvertently spared by a series of train delays, he feels incredibly lucky to be able to return to his life. In these stories and others, money is portrayed as both an essential need and the source of significant wrongdoing, leading people to commit acts that they later regret or feel ashamed of.
Chance
A number of the stories in the collection deal with the theme of chance. In "An Astrologer's Day," a man working as an astrologer encounters someone from his past who he nearly killed. He narrowly avoids being recognized by the man. In "Attila," a family purchases a dog to scare off burglars, giving him the name Attila in the hopes it will make him more aggressive. One night, the dog fails to frighten an actual burglar but accidentally trips him, alerting the family to his presence. In both of these stories, surprising coincidences set the plot in motion, revealing how chance can draw two seemingly separate characters together in a significant manner.
