Anil Themes Contrast

Dreams v/s Loss of Dreams
1. Anil's Dreams and Aspirations
  1. "he found the star fascinating."
    1. stars represent the dreams and aspiration that the boy has at the start
      1. childhood fantasy and imagination of 'grabbing the stars'
        believes that it is very easy to achieve such dreams
        because he believes in 'magical wonders of life' and that the world is much better than what it is
        maybe use star like "torch" to guide his way out of the darkness of corruption
  2. "There were no more stars in the morning."
    1. night brings and end to his childhood fantasy, fascination, belief and innocence
      1. he discovers that the work is full of violence and deception and evil
        feels how he is trapped in the darkness
        realises it is hard to achieve and fulfil dreams in the rule and power of dominants
        no there are no more stars, no more ways, no more dreams and hopes of light and enlightened future
2. Children and Adult
  1. "the children dreamed of waking up to another day, and the next,till it was over as soon as it began"
    1. they dream of everyday life and occupation
      1. they have stopped dreaming higher than their position
        they are so much consumed with every say life show their poverty and importance of money struggling to get it
        so just stick to the order in the society and do what they are expected to do
        lost in the darkness of corruption and dominance of the headman, don't know
        they have lost their 'star' and don't have the dreams and aspirations as they realise how the real world is
  2. "dreaming their dreams that rarely amounted to anything"
    1. children wake up everyday with enthusiasm and expectations
      1. they have aspiration to do something special each day like Anil
        but maybe it dies before anything could be done meaning the corruption causes all the hopes to die out
        perhaps as days pass over and they grow this enthusiasm goes away
        adulthood eradicate all these dreams - before they are older enough to live the dreams
        because they realise and become a part of the corrupt society
3. Dreams of Anil's parents
  1. "Let go off his only son."
    1. at the cost of giving up other dreams they have
      1. the cost and happiness of bringing up your own child
        he is the 'only son' so the 'only' person he has right on
        experience and journey of bringing up a child and getting that support back when they are old
        Anil might not come back and hence they lose this opportunity of care after a life full of struggle
  2. "‘You will study hard and be an engineer, or a doctor, or a lawyer. Make this father proud of you"
    1. he has dreams o educating his child
      1. making him a 'big person' so that he can have a good life and get parents out of the poverty
        feeling proud as father of a 'big' man
Childhood innocence v/s Adult guilt
1. Dreams
  1. Full of hope and aspiration
    1. ‘’He found the star fascinating.’’
      1. Star symbolise aspiration & dreams.
        Even in this poverty there is ray of hope.
        He sees way to achieve success.
        Childhood imagination of rising high to grab the stars.
        Believes magical wonders and world is much better.
  2. Lost dreams and follow social order
    1. ‘’dreaming their dreams that rarely amounted to anything.’’
      1. Limited dreams that rarely amount to any.
        Shows pessimism and unlikeliness of dreams fulfilled.
      2. Narrow minded dreams related to everyday is sees as job.
        Shows how they are sticky to their personal position to what is expected.
        Never want to rise over occupation.
        Just how ‘Anil would also be working for headman,’ but he is unaware about this, he looks forward for better dreams.
        Others are just trapped and follow social hierarchy.
2. Revealing Truth
  1. Cannot stop from stating simple:
    1. ‘’Anil found himself whispering.. your wife..’’
      1. Language feature repetition.
        Shows truth is stuck in his mind and he can’t stop thinking about it.
        Perhaps this is why he is repeating it to reemphasize and make believable.
        As if he is being stubborn to get his demand heard.
        Shows how desperate he is to get truth and justice.
        He didn’t want say on purpose but ‘found himself whispering’.
        Shows how its happening automatically and he can’t stop.
  2. There are scared of saying truth comprise:
    1. ‘’was it wrong that he sacrificed the…like this?’’
      1. Adults always look for compromises than supporting truth.
        Always have selfish reasons and wish to protect them.
        The father realy to hide truth for being bribed with ‘education’ of son and protecting one’s economy.
3. Fear
  1. Afraid of darkness and myths of ghost:
    1. ‘’the mad man who…tell kids in thick canopy.’’
      1. Shows how children are vulnerable to the danger of nature.
        Children feels so insecure and afraid about myths due to innocence.
        Anil is also afraid of dark, ghost. Yet not afraid of telling truth facing power.
  2. Afraid of dark underpinnings of human psychology
    1. ‘’the crowd starts to become noisy, asking for the reason why Maremuthu’s wife would have wanted to commit suicide.’’
      1. Adults do know reason for the evil and that she ‘was abused by family.’
        They ‘whisper’ about truth of not being suicide.
        But none of them have courage to speak up against.
        Perhaps because they can see the powerfull evil in headmans’ darling eyes and challenge.
        They are afraid of power of evil inside human and harm he could do to them.
4. Curiosity
  1. Eagerness to learn and see more:
    1. ‘’He could not bring himself to look away from window…for it.’’
      1. Anil is very afraid of the dark and ghost.
        Yet he is so disperate to discover what is going on outside.
        If there is something scary, he ‘want to be prepared.’
        Shows how curious and courageous he is home inside.
        ‘’Children dreamed off waking… began.’’
        Shows how lives of children are enthusiastic to discover something new each day.
      2. He is not like those who try to stay out of trouble, saving themselves.
        Foreshadows how he want to bring justice and desperately.
  2. Distance from dark world:
    1. ‘’villagers kept themselves in little huts.’’
      1. Trapping themselves in these little huts which is perhaps like a protection.
        They are trying to distance themselves from the darkness outside.
        ‘the streets’ had no ‘sound’ proves no much involuement is common.
        Similar to how villagers don’t say anything in case of dead body.
        Just concerned about themselves than getting into trouble.
Power v/s Abuse of power
1. Headman's Power
  1. ‘’Mosquitoes were in the reign of terrorism’’:
    1. Link at once directly to headman’s ‘reign’ rule over villagers.
      1. Use of terrorism gives assumption of violence prevalent in the society.
        Writer giving direction to what kind of rural he is.
        Image that he might be very fierce and powerful.
  2. ‘’Family abusing the woman’’:
    1. Uses this image of him in the family and the murder.
      1. Firstly he forced Marimuthu to commit crime-‘half snarled’. Use of imperative.
        Later on discover that this might be because of some personal reasons.
        ‘whispers of family abusing women’ gives insight that perhaps there were conflicts.
        Some dislike and disagreement that may harm his image.
        Uses this image as fierced person to get her out of way and abuse.
        Abuse power as headman as no one will suspect him.
2. Economical Abuse
  1. Position brings in money
    1. His position brings money and power to him.
      1. Writer shows this as villagers described. So poor and him being unaffected.
  2. ‘’Literaly jumped.. to win.’’ :
    1. He abuses this as well to save his corruption.
      1. Bribes his father for education as he could never afford himself.
        Economical dependant on headman threatenes lose of job.
        Able to misuse money his power brings instead of improving lives of individuals.
3. Appa and Amma
  1. ‘’bruise on her shoulder where Appa returning home drunk last night had hit her.’’
    1. This level of power is again misused.
      1. Tries to force his family into patriarch abuses it to make family members afraid like headman.
        Threatens Anil that if he ‘’mixes around which bad company,’’ dad will’come down’ and give him good walloping.
  2. ‘’buly to his family and timid mouse to headman.’’
    1. He has no power in from of society and headman abuse of others power.
      1. This might create low self esteem disstis.
        Perhaps to protect this power of his there is introduction of second level of power.
        He has the power over the decisions of family and male house.
        Try to gain power as the ‘burly’ man bully to his family.
        Presence of second abuse of power.
        Cycle of the abused (Appa, timid mouse) they becomes the abusers.
        Balance his character loath and sympathy.
4. Villagers and Headman
  1. ‘’the rest of villagers piped in’’:
    1. Villagers give him the power.
      1. Because they can frightened he can rule.
        Afraid to speak up due to position.
        If they had stick to simple truth like Anil, they might overthrow him.
        He relies on their fear to get away with crime.
        They have respect for him and co-operation forces them to stay then silent by ‘darting’ eyes once respect given.
  2. ‘’His eyes darting from one to another
    1. However he misuse this power and respect they give.
      1. Misuses silence to get his decisions accepted.

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Anil Themes Contrast

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	Created by Kajal Patel almost 11 years ago