Reef Essay Questions

How does Nili's relationship with Triton both disrupt and reinforce the master-servant dynamic?

When Nili enters Triton's life, she surprises him by treating him with more dignity than Mister Salgado or his friends do. Nili calls Triton by his first name, asks him for favors instead of commanding him, and even gives him a Christmas present, the first gift he ever received. Nili also shows interest in Triton's work, profusely complimenting his cooking and accompanying him to the fish market. Nili's intentional outreach to Triton disrupts the servant-master dynamic under which Triton lived much of his life.

However, Nili's interactions with Triton, though friendly, still reinforce the class differences between them. Her choice of Christmas present is a cookbook, which, though Triton loves the gift, demonstrates that Nili only understands him in terms of the labor he provides Mister Salgado. Nili also relies on Triton to care for her physical needs and orders Triton around in front of guests. Ultimately, Nili sympathizes with Triton more than Mister Salgado's upper-crust friends do, but still participates in the power imbalance between the servant and the served.

What is the significance of Nili and Triton’s visit to the fish market?

Nilli and Triton visit the fish market, a common experience for Triton and a novel one for Nili. The butchering of fish does not phase Triton. Still, Nilli is repulsed by the putrefying fish and the casual violence, wondering if people who can kill a dolphin can also kill human beings. This event highlights the class differences between Nili and Triton and foreshadows the impending violence in Sri Lanka. Triton identifies with the fishermen, understanding that killing fish is their only way to make a living. By contrast, Nili, who has never had to procure her own food, cannot accept that violence is sometimes necessary for survival.

What is the symbolic significance of food in Reef?

Food is a motif used for many symbolic purposes throughout Reef. Though Triton begins his journey as a servant in Mister Salgado's house, his deep understanding of food leads him to eventual success as a restauranteur in England.

First, food symbolizes safety for Triton. He first begins to cook in Lucy-amma's kitchen while hiding from Joseph, and he also applies onion juice to his body as a shield to protect him from Joseph. Thus, cooking—particularly onions, an integral part of traditional Srilankan cuisine—comes to symbolize safety for Triton.

Food also represents cultural identity. Mister Salgado, a beneficiary of British colonialism, enjoys eating British cuisine, like corned beef with seeni sambol, a Sri Lankan sauce. Thus, food represents a blending of cultures and identities.

Cooking is also how Triton expresses his love for others and his creativity. Triton experiments with different dishes, like the cake he makes for Nili, and feels proud and satisfied when he receives praise.

How does the text explore the theme of memory in Triton and Mister Salgado's relationship?

From the beginning of their relationship, Triton and Mister Salgado create an isolated world for themselves that is full of secrets. Both treat the growing political discontent outside Mister Salgado's home "as if it were some unseasonable rain," from which they are sheltered by Mister Salgado's wealth and social privilege. Interpersonally, Triton and Mister Salgado hesitate to speak honestly with one another, mistakenly believing that "without words to sustain it, the past would die." Even after Mister Salgado flees his home for England, he only engages with his painful memories when absolutely necessary, believing "history is flexible" and can be manipulated to help him "come to terms with the changes that happen" around him. Triton, who models himself after Mister Salgado, adopts a similar attitude toward memory until "the breach" of meeting a fellow Sri Lankan forces him to remember his past.

How is Triton's position in Mister Salgado's household oppressive, and how is his situation a privilege?

When Triton is still a child, he begins to work in Mister Salgado's household instead of receiving a formal education. He is compelled to work just as much as an adult, running the entire household. Thus, Triton has little time or opportunity to develop an identity outside his position in Mister Salgado's household. Furthermore, Mister Salgado and his friends boss Triton around and look down on him as uneducated and superstitious, leading Triton to feel inferior to Mister Salgado. For most of his life, Triton has no friends and cannot share his thoughts and feelings with anyone.

However, through his ingenuity, Triton uses the resources in Mister Salgado's house to his advantage. During his free time, Triton reads hundreds of Mister Salgado's books; he speculates if he would have received inferior education in a formal school. With free rein in the kitchen, he experiments with different recipes and culinary traditions, practicing the skills necessary to create a memorable dining experience; thus, in London, Triton is fully prepared to run his own restaurant. Mister Salgado funds Triton's business and even leaves him the keys to his house, reducing Triton's financial pressure and allowing him to focus on pursuing his dream.