The Mystic Masseur Literary Elements

Religious Satire, Comic Novel,.

The setting of the novel is the Colonial Trinidad during the second half of thr 20th century.

The narrator of the story is an unnamed person who is healed by Ganesh, and the novel has been narrated from first and third person points of view.

Ironical, Pensive, Ruminative, Satirical, Comic.

The protagonist of the novel is Ganesh Ramsumair, who was a poor massager but he ascended to affluence by using his extraordinary talent. Ramlogan is the antagonist of the novel, who was the father in law of Ganesh. Ramlogan always acts in his own interests.

The major conflict in the book is between Ganesh and his social class. He belongs to a poor class but he aspires to ascend higher and exploits religion for this purpose.

The climax in the story comes when Ganesh gets fame in the society and people start following him blindly.

When Ganesh asks for more dowry, it foreshadows that Ganesh is a greedy persons.

The understatement in the book is that politics halts a person from doing good for others. When a person gets obsessed with fame and money, he does not distinguish between right and wrong. Another understatement is that how religion is being exploited in the society. People are earning and fulfilling their motives behind the shield of religious services.

There are allusions to religious hypocrisy, colonization, lower class, religious authorities, government, greed, dowry, personal motives, treatment of patients and the false mystics.

There are images of exploiting the religion, ascending the social class, healing, massaging, treating the patients, writing a boo, applause of a false mystic and respect by the public.

The paradox in the book is that Ganesh writes a book, titled as "101 Questions and Answers on the Hindu Religion." Although he does not have any sense about religion, but he pens down certain questions and answers regarding the religious issues. He did not have any authentic experience of Hinduism but despite of all these reasons, the people blindly follow him and his assertions.

There is parallelism between the misuse of religion and Ganesh's success. As he continues to misuse the religion, he ascends higher in his social status.

An example of metonymy is Ganesh who represents all the false religious mystics while an example of synecdoche is the title of the book which alludes towards the exploitation of religion.

Hypocrisy and personal motives have been personified in the book.