Fire on the Mountain Lesson Plan

At the beginning of Chapter 6, how does Nanda Kaul react to the ringing of the telephone? Why do you think she wonders whether she should "punish it by letting it ring itself to death"? What is interesting about Desai's word choice in this passage?

Students will observe that the word Desai uses to describe how the phone sounds to Nanda Kaul--ominous--shows up frequently in the novel thus far. They might see this both as reflective of Nanda Kaul's chronically anxious state and as an example of the use of foreshadowing by Desai. The personification of the telephone is also interesting to note, and Nanda Kaul's dilemma of whether to punish it by leaving it alone or answer...