Genre
Social Realism
Setting and Context
The novel is set the fictional city of Malgudi, India during the 1970s.
Narrator and Point of View
The novel is told from a close third-person perspective with an omniscient narrator. The perspective remains close to Raman.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the story is lighthearted and sympathetic. The mood is romantic and comical.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the story is Raman.
Major Conflict
The central conflict of the story is Raman attempting to get together with Daisy and struggling with his feelings for her.
Climax
The climax of the story occurs when Daisy tells Raman that she cannot move in with him.
Foreshadowing
Daisy's breakup with Raman is foreshadowed when she says she will not let married life get in the way of her career.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The novel contains multiple references to Indian politics and Hinduism. It also alludes to texts by Western authors like Charles Dickens, Plato, and Edward Gibbon.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
There is parallelism between Raman's dedication to his sign-painting craft and Daisy's devotion to her family planning advocacy.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A