Songs and Poetry (Motif)
Throughout the novel, the character's emotional states are reflected through songs or poems, which accompany the main action of the scene. The songs are often performed by random passersby on the street, beggars hoping for alms, or workers specifically tasked with providing music for a joyous event. The poems are more often recited by the novel's core characters, not so much a coincidental parallel to the action but rather a purposefully applied and appropriate comment on a situation. These verses both provide the novel with its lyrical style and tone and act as a reminder of Delhi's rich heritage of poetry.
The Pigeons (Symbol)
Mir Nihal's pigeons are an important symbol of the loss of the old Delhi which Mir Nihal grew up in, and of his complicated feelings around aging. Flying pigeons is not only one of Mir Nihal's most treasured pastimes, but also a pastime of many throughout Delhi. However, when he leaves the door to his pigeon house open one night, some cats get in and devour his flock. This event coincides with the death of his mistress Babban Jan, and both losses signal to Mir Nihal that a certain stage of his life is ending, and that he is entering his twilight years. These two losses also prompt Mir Nihal to consent to the marriage between Asghar and Bilqeece, and thus mark his acceptance of changing customs and social mores. Later in the novel, he notices that there are not as many pigeons in the sky, a result of rising prices due to the World War and British colonialism. He also sees a dead pigeon on the ground. That same day, he suffers the paralytic stroke which effectively ends his social life and confines him to bed. Thus, the disappearance and death of the pigeons symbolize the disappearance and death of the life Mir Nihal once lived in a Delhi that no longer exists.
The Stars (Symbol)
The stars symbolize Asghar's romantic nature, specifically as it relates to his relationship with Bilqeece. Early on in the novel, he has a dream in which he is dancing amongst the stars; one is his former flame Mushtari Bai, but then another bigger and much brighter star is Bilqeece. Throughout the rest of the novel, staring at stars reminds Asghar of his love for Bilqeece. When Bilqeece finally expresses a tender and loving thought to Asghar, after a long period in which she had difficulty matching Asghar's romantic expectations of her, Asghar is overjoyed, embracing her, staring up the at the stars, and fantasizing about living with her in a house of their own. Later, when Bilqeece confronts Asghar about his increasingly cold attitude toward her, he stands in the courtyard, trying to avoid her, and looks at the stars, which now seem insipid when once he found them beautiful. A few moments later, however, Asghar takes pity on Bilqeece, and gives her reassurance that he still loves her. As Bilqeece becomes ill, Asghar mostly ignores or belittles her, until one night he goes to sit with her in bed and few stars are shining through the moon. When the Spanish flu occurs in 1918, the virus that eventually kills Bilqeece, it is noted that the sand covered the stars in the night sky, and when she dies, Asghar visits Bilqeece's grave and is filled with pain when he sees stars appearing in the sky.
Mir Aashiq and the Loafer (Allegory)
The story of Mir Aashiq, as told to Asghar by his brother-in-law Saeed Hassan, represents a paragon of a good Muslim and Indian in the pre-colonial era. In the story, Mir Aashiq takes up arms in defense of a man whom he sees regularly on his daily walk. The virtues of loyalty, friendship, care for one's community, and honor displayed by Mir Aashiq in the story are, according to Saeed Hassan, now-forgotten aspects of Indian culture. Saeed Hassan relates the tale to Asghar after seeing how Asghar has adopted English styles of dress and bought English furniture for his home. Though Asghar is not entirely convinced that the story has any relevance to his own behavior, feeling that all new trends are viewed by older people with suspicion, his solipsistic nature and apolitical approach to life throughout the novel are in stark contrast to the noble and boldly selfless Mir Aashiq.
The Barber and The King (Allegory)
Later on in the novel, Saeed Hassan tells another story, this time of a barber who possesses two gold coins. When his client the king inquires about how his subjects are faring, the barber tells him that there is no one who does not have at least two gold coins. The king has one of his advisors search the barber’s bag for a nail-cutter, but while he does so, the advisor also steals his two gold coins. When the barber gets home and sees his two gold coins missing, he is devastated. A few days later, the king sends for him and again asks about his subjects, to which the barber replies that no one has even two gold coins. The king has his advisor sneak the gold coins back into the barber’s bag, and the advisor acts as though he has found them in there. Saeed Hassan tells the story to demonstrate how Indians should accept the rule of the British, and not meddle in God's affairs. However, the story can also be interpreted as representing how Delhi's prosperity, and India's prosperity as a whole, is at the hands of an untrustworthy, manipulative ruler.
