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Rohinton Mistry
Class Tasks
In groups teach the rest
are studying.
Explain the significance of this
themes are.
How does your aspect relate to the
others?
Symbolism / Motifs
White hairs
symbolise time /
plucking of them
relates to
desperate attempt
to hold back time.
Re-occurence of
cricket longing to
be a child again
Terminal illness of
Virafs father /
death
Themes
Aging
Death
Old world / new
world
Disappointment
Nostalgia
Plot
Recalling all the
understand?
Family relationships
Friendship
Aging / decay / death
Structure
Process of growing up
So, what?
What does this structure allow
Narrative pov
Perspective of narrator,
So, what?
Allows readers to see into narrators
Setting
India, house well
So, what?
The luxuries of youth are
ephemeral.
Happiness can be found even in a
poor setting
Character
Narrator first
person pov,
readers identify
with him and his
realisations in the
story.
Father growing
older, strong
minded / defiant
person, constantly
looking for
something better,
determined,
ideas
Virafs life contrasts narrators
Biography
Rohinton Mistry was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India in
Biography continued
His early stories were published in a number of Canadian magazines,
Matters
Family
Overview
This storys concern with age and mortality is reflected in the structure,
beginning with the removal of the narrators fathers white hairs and
moving to his friends fathers terminal illness.
In the space of the story the narrator has his own recognition of mortality
and emerges from boyhood into the adult world. He moves from
considering distasteful his task of removing his fathers white hairs to a
full awareness of the process of ageing which he is powerless to stop. He
begs to keep pulling the white hairs in a desperate attempt to hold time
back: p358 last paragraph. He also senses the inevitability of his life
following his parents. The dream of going to America p353/354 will not
happen. He will see his lifes dreams extinguish and the pattern of life
continue see p359.
There are several signs of this awareness of growing up and death
throughout the story: the loss of the childhood cricket matches, p355 One
by one, the things I held dear were leaving my life.; the increasing frailty
of Mamaiji, the fathers vain hope of a new job p353. It is the encounter
with his friend Viraf and Dr Sidhwa p356 and the glimpse of Virafs father
p357 which gives the narrator his epiphanic moment ( epiphany: the
moment in time when a life-changing knowledge or understanding is
gained) of the inevitability of adulthood, routines in life and death.
PLOT
Make a flow diagram of the main events of the
plot.
1. He picks hairs off his Dads head.
2. Child remembers playing cricket.
3. Grandma spinning the thread.
4. His Nan buys him dodgy food.
5. Argument between Dad and Grandma.
6. Talk of getting money / a new job.
7. Thoughts of poverty.
8. Best friend was Viraf.
9. Scene of sick father and reaction to this.
Imagery
Language Techniques
Personification sleeping streets add drama, mood, interest
and helps readers relate to the object. white hair was trapped in
the tweezers, reader imagines white hair as a symbol of aging,
and being trapped reveals we do not have any control over this
process.
guilty conscience uncontrollably
Onomatopoeia rattle rumble creates a harsh tone, caused by
a disturbance, foreshadows the aging process and death of
Virafs father. OO ooo OO ooo like an animal call.
Alliteration spindle spin descended In a thin shaft of
sunlight which had suddenly shrunk wanted to weep
(reveals his urge to cry)
EG sleeping streets what is the effect?
the compound was too cramped for cricket what is the effect?
her silence was surprising what is the effect?
time after time week after week Sunday after Sunday
Narrative Style
Who is the narrator?
14 year old boy perhaps the author? Perhaps inspired by
a boyhood memory?
What is the narrative style? 1st person point of view,
have?
Characters
Describe the characters of..
a) Boy
b) Dad
c) Mum
d) Mamaji
SUMMARY
This storys concern with age and mortality is reflected in
the structure, beginning with the removal of the narrators
fathers white hairs and moving to what seems to be his
friends fathers terminal illness. In the space of the story
the narrator has his own recognition of mortality and
emerges from boyhood into the adult world. He moves
from considering distasteful his task of removing his
fathers white hairs to a full awareness of the process of
ageing which he is powerless to stop. There are other
signs of this process throughout the story: the loss of the
childhood cricket matches, the increasing frailty of
Mamaiji, the fathers vain hope of a new job. It is the
encounter with the friend Viraf, Dr Sidhwa and the glimpse
of Virafs father which gives the narrator his epiphanic
moment.
EXTENSION
Wider reading
This story is taken from the collection Swimming Lessons and Other
Stories. You could also try the novel Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry.
Malgudi Days by RK Narayan
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Compare with
A Horse and Two Goats by RK Narayan
To Da-duh, In Memoriam by Paule Marshall
The Enemy by VS Naipaul
Games at Twilight by Anita Desai
Online
Biographical material is available at:
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth73