Children's Cries (Auditory Imagery)
When the narrator visits London, he goes to see a house Tridib told him about on Sumatra Road. He is surprised to find it undamaged by the bombing it endured many years ago: “But despite that, I still could not believe in the truth of what I did see: the gold-green trees, the old lady walking her Pekinese, the children who darted out of a house and ran to the postbox at the corner, their cries hanging like thistles in the autumn air.” The strong auditory image of kids playing effectively contrasts how lively the area is with how the narrator had imagined it.
Ila's Warmth (Haptic Imagery)
After Ila realizes the narrator is in love with her, she comforts him before leaving to be with Nick. She leaves him with a gesture of tenderness: “I felt the warmth of her body over mine as she leant to kiss me on my chin.” In this example of haptic imagery, the narrator's description of her body's warmth highlights his lingering attraction to her, even in these painful circumstances.
Sunlight on the Leaves (Visual Imagery)
While the narrator is in London, he is struck by the beauty of the quieter parts of the city: “The trees were a pale honey-green—the colour of English greenery—but gentler still now, gilded by the steep afternoon sunlight.” His description of the sunlight falling on the leaves suggests how affecting he finds the scene. These visual details demonstrate what a lasting impression that particular street left on the narrator.
Smoke and Soap Smell (Olfactory Imagery)
The narrator describes Tridib's odor in the following terms: “Then Tridib relaxed a little and leant back, smelling as he always did of fresh cigarette smoke and soap.” The sharp difference between the two smells makes it a more potent description. His recollection of Tridib's scent shows how strong his memory of him remains.
