Class Tasks In groups teach the rest of the class about ONE
aspect of the text. ASPECTS: 1. Plot 2. Structure 3. Narrative
point of view 4. Setting 5. Character/s 6. Language techniques 7.
Symbolism and Motifs 8. Themes Describe and explain the aspect you
are studying. Explain the significance of this aspect in the story.
Provide plenty of evidence in form of quotes / page numbers /
references to the text Discuss what the authors message / themes
are. How does your aspect relate to the others?
Slide 3
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
Slide 4
Themes Aging Death Old world / new world Disappointment
Nostalgia
Slide 5
Plot Recalling all the events in the story So, what? What is
the relevance of these episodes? They relate to many readers,
typical day to day experiences of childhood? Atypical what is
unusual here closely bonded family.. Etc? What does the plot allow
readers to understand? Family relationships Friendship Aging /
decay / death
Slide 6
Structure Process of growing up and realisation of time / death
is unstoppable Structure gives readers idea that narrator wanted to
initially be able to stop time but cant in the end. Begins with
white hairs being picked out / concludes with death of Virafs
father. So, what? What does this structure allow readers to get
about the story? Themes become apparent to readers as they become
apparent to the narrator.
Slide 7
Narrative pov Perspective of narrator, a young boy,
first-person After his epiphany he realises and learns to
appreciate his family Relationship with Mamaji looks to her for
guidance, but later realises the value in his parents, they too are
aging and wont be around forever So, what? Allows readers to see
into narrators character and this reflects on ourselves.
Slide 8
Setting India, house well passed their time decay live in an
apartment. Sunday he used to play cricket but now he plucks the
white hairs out of his fathers head. Bed he eats rice luxury, but
then he goes to his bed to be sorrowful. So, what? The luxuries of
youth are ephemeral. Happiness can be found even in a poor
setting
Slide 9
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, dreams big (resembles the authors own emigration to
Canada Mamajis generation has different ideas Virafs life contrasts
narrators somewhat the repulsive act of plucking out hairs becomes
a nice act in light of his friends fathers death.
Slide 10
Slide 11
Biography Rohinton Mistry was born in Bombay (now Mumbai),
India in 1952. He graduated with a degree in Mathematics from the
University of Bombay in 1974, and emigrated to Canada with his wife
the following year, settling in Toronto, where he worked as a bank
clerk, studying English and Philosophy part-time at the University
of Toronto and completing his second degree in 1982. Mistry wrote
his first short story, 'One Sunday', in 1983, winning First Prize
in the Canadian Hart House Literary Contest (an award he also won
the following year for his short story 'Auspicious Occasion'). It
was followed in 1985 by the Annual Contributors' Award from the
Canadian Fiction Magazine, and afterwards, with the aid of a Canada
Council grant, he left his job to become a full- time writer.
Slide 12
Biography continued His early stories were published in a
number of Canadian magazines, and his short-story collection, Tales
from Firozsha Baag, was first published in Canada in 1987 (later
published in the UK in 1992). He is the author of three novels:
Such a Long Journey (1991), the story of a Bombay bank clerk who
unwittingly becomes involved in a fraud committed by the
government, which won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall
Winner, Best Book), A Fine Balance (1996), set during the State of
Emergency in India in the 1970s, and Family Matters (2002), which
tells the story of an elderly Parsi widower living in Bombay with
his step-children. Such a Long Journey and A Fine Balance were both
shortlisted in previous years for the Booker Prize for Fiction, and
Family Matters was shortlisted for the 2002 Man Booker Prize for
Fiction. His latest book is a story, The Scream, illustrated by
Tony Urquhart (2008).
Slide 13
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.
Slide 14
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.
Slide 15
Imagery
Slide 16
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
Slide 17
Narrative Style Who is the narrator? 14 year old boy perhaps
the author? Perhaps inspired by a boyhood memory? What is the
narrative style? 1 st person point of view, through a childs eyes
how does this affect the perspective of the story? And perspective
of aging and mortality? What tense is the story written in? Past
tense a memory is the narrator himself old now? Aging process is
inevitable as is death. Why is it written like this and what effect
does this have? Emotive, factual, strong sense of being in India
Indian identity, personal. Readers looking in on someone elses
memory sense of isolation from the narrators experience.
Slide 18
Characters Describe the characters of.. a) Boy b) Dad c) Mum d)
Mamaji
Slide 19
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.
Slide 20
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.
Slide 21
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