Essay Questions

Is the issue conspiracy reoccurring in some of the short stories in the East, West?

The theme of conspiracy is evident in short stories such as ‘Chekov and Zulu and the Free Radio’. For instance, in the Chekov and Zulu story, two detectives are investigating the link between the murder of Gandhi the affluent Sikhs. The intrigue by the government to neuter the poor citizens is discussed in the Free Radio story. The reader gets a sense of political instability in these stories because the relationship between the government and its citizens is intense.

How does western culture use fairy-tale annotation as a way of entertainment?

In the story ‘At the Auction of the Ruby slippers,' the reader is introduced to Gale's famous red slippers being auctioned to the highest bidder. These slippers are regarded as magical. The irony of this auction is that the auctioneers believe that these shoes are magical when the reader notes that it is not the case. The amusement of the auctioneers confirms that western culture uses fairy-tale as a form of entertainment.

What is satirical about the title East and West?

The first impression of the reader before reading books is that it is about the differences between West and East. The first two sections of the book slightly refer to East and West. However, the third section ironically focuses on a different aspect. There are also other sections of the book that address political instability and conspiracy.