Essay Questions

Why is Maali ambitious to take photographs throughout his life?

Maali is an activist journalist who wants to show the world the brutality of the Sir Lankan government to its people. Maali works for various newspapers and magazines, and his primary ambition is to bring down the government. Maali knows he is undertaking very dangerous work, but he does not have an option because he is an agent of change. Any person who tries to oppose the government is either killed or jailed. In one of his photo shootings, Maali captures a senior government official staring at burning homes while smiling to symbolize the government’s brutality.

What is Maali’s last wish before he dies?

Maali knows his life is in danger because the government operatives are after him. Many journalists who try to portray the government negatively are killed, and Maali is the next victim. However, before he dies, Maali wants to meet his friend, Jaki, and direct him to share his photos in the entire city of Colombo. Maali has hidden most of his photos under his bed, but he does not have the opportunity to go back to retrieve them. Therefore, he wishes to direct Jaki to retrieve and share the photos throughout Colombo. Maali believes that the photos will expose the evils of the government to people who will, in return, revolt to demand their freedom.

What is the symbolic connotation of the seven moons?

The author uses the seven moons figuratively to represent government brutality. When Maali wakes up dead, he sees seven moons wondering and is given the choice of forgetting everything. When the government captures people who go against it, it gives them the choice of forgetting everything before they are killed. For instance, Maali is supposed to forget everything and destroy any evidence he has to show the violent nature of the Sir Lanka government.