The Analysis Of Kiran Desai’S "Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard"
The given prose extract from Kiran Desai’s “Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard” creates and examines concepts revolving around foolishness, humiliation, singularity and conformity. In simple terms, the passage shows the Chawla family searching for Sampath, finding him in an orchard tree, where they attempt to persuade him to leave. Desai is able to communicate her ideas by using figurative language where it reproduces the setting of the scene vividly, sensory images convey the conflict among the characters, and the structure dramatizes the emotion. Overall, Desai is able express how swiftly conflict will arise when socially traditional views of normality and authority are challenged by her clever manipulation of literary techniques.
Through the duration of the passage, Desai effectively intensifies the story’s conflict dynamic with figurative language. When “like a vast movement of the spheres” is mentioned, the simile emphasizes Sampath’s mother’s abrupt and complete change of heart. Simile is also used when wind blowing on foliage is compared to stroking an animal’s wool: “like a hand runs over an animal’s dark fur to expose a silvery underside”. These similes are able to describe the feeling of comfort and belonging Sampath has when immersed within nature. Hyperboles also accentuates this point, where Sampath and his family’s conflict are dramatized when he said: “Try to move a mountain before you try to move me”. This example is also able to emphasize the sheer amount of authority Sampath feels his parents have over him, when there is traditional social values.
Another example of hyperbole would be when Sampath’s father feels puzzlement and embarrassment when his wife displays empathy, instead of confiding in his father, “You are the number one most strange mother in the world.” The use of sensory image during the context of the story allows the reader to have insight into the nature and the conflicting interests of the different characters are feeling. When Desai explains a side as aged and disregarded, “the fruit acquiring the tang of the wilderness” vivid visual imagery is used. This visualization is grealy distinct from the mention research university within the forest in another part of the same sentence, where it is structured and modern.
As a result, the juxtaposition between these two elements emphasizes the elements of misunderstanding and conflicting interests amidst social normality and singularity. Vivid portrayal is created when visual imagery depicts Sampath displaying happiness when being alone and surrounded by nature, when “his legs were dangling beneath him”. Sampath feels a strong sense of enjoyment, despite the pressure coming from his family and the rest of society. Readers are able to envision the mental dilemmas and thoughts of Sampath’s mother due to the frequent use of visual and tactile imagery. This is made clear when Sampath’s mother says “Look at your thin yellow face!”, where their is a unexpected change in her attitude. The family perceives Sampath’s illness as an embarrassment, personally, where Sampath doesn’t even bother feeling uncomfortable.
