Genre
Short stories
Setting and Context
The short stories are written in the context of gender boundaries and roles.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
Indignant, remorseful, condescending
Protagonist and Antagonist
Ruma is the protagonist in the ‘Unaccustomed Earth,’ and Amit and Meg are the protagonists in “A Choice of Accommodations.”
Major Conflict
Amit and Megan are having relationship issues, and they are attending Amit's ex-girlfriend's wedding.
Climax
The climax in the story “Unaccustomed Earth’ is attained when Ruma’s disagrees with her decision to stop working to take care of the family.
Foreshadowing
The integration of Pranab into Usha’s family foreshadows cultural confusion and loneliness.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The stories allude to conventional gender roles and boundaries.
Imagery
The images of the inside of the hotel paint a harsh reality which aids readers to comprehend that all that glitters is not gold. The author writes, "From the outside, the hotel looked promising, like an old ski lodge in the mountains: chocolate brown siding, a steeply pitched roof, red trim around the windows. But as soon as they entered the lobby of the Chadwick Inn, Amit was disappointed: the place was without character, renovated in pastel colours, squiggly grey lines a part of the wallpaper's design as if someone had repeatedly been testing the ink in pen and ultimately had nothing to say." The description of the hotel depicts sight imagery.
Paradox
The paradox of life is prevalent throughout the story. For instance, those who struggle more suffer the most.
Parallelism
'Nobody's Business' is parallel to 'A Choice Accommodations' because they discuss relationship issues.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The phrase ‘The hotel looked promising from the outside’ refers to the proverb ‘All that glitters is not gold.’
Personification
N/A
