Fasting Feasting Essay

Fasting,Feasting In the passage from
Fasting, Feasting
, the author, Anita Desai, uses several ways to characterize Arun’s experience by revealing his thoughts and feelings. With the use of literary devices such as speech,point of view, and imagery in the novel, Desai is able to portray Arun’s uncomfortable ease in the situation. In the first few lines of the passage, Desai sets the scene and the reader can almost immediately begin to get a feel of Arun’s point of view. The first sentences, “It is Saturday. Arun cannot plead work.”(Line 1), are short and to the point which exemplifies Arun’s relation with the American family. This shows that he is not comfortable enough to speak freely to the rest of the family; the limited speech points out the fact that Arun feels detached from everyone else because he is in a foreign country with new people.In addition, the author is able to reveal the way both characters are feeling. Arun is said to have started “…find [finding] excuses…” (Line
5), while Melanie “…stares at him challengingly…”(Line 4). Already, Desai has started hinting that Arun is quite reserved and not the most open person to new things. He is trying to avoid a new experience and is trying to find ways to avoid such a situation. To add to the uneasiness of the situation, Mrs.Patton completely disregards Arun and rather cares about herself more than her guest. Mrs.Patton decides for everyone that “...we’re
[they were] not going to sit here…”(Line 10), and without asking Arun she makes the choice.
Although Mrs.Patton is looking forward to having fun, she does not care to acknowledge others, especially Arun. Through the point of views of others, Desai portrays Arun’s uncomfortable ease in the situation. While Mrs.Patton is singing along the walk to the beach,”Arun follows silently…” while carrying her bags. The imagery of this scenario, of a young boy lugging bags

while a woman walks ahead singing essentially captures Arun’s point of view. In addition,
Arun’s interaction with another female in the Patton family is described in the walk to the beach.
Melanie, with whom he was reluctant with earlier is seen to have been “...try[trying] to find a way to walk that will not compel them to be side by side or in any way close together.”(Lines
20230. Unlike her mother, Melanie has acknowledger Arun and decides to make sure to give him some space because she realizes that her foreign guest is super thrilled about the new experience. His loneliness is effectively shown through the use of imagery and even depicts the relationship with some of the Patton family. By using a third person point of view, the author is able to make the situation more objective rather than making it personal. It also allows the reader to get a feel for the different characters and how they feel, instead of just one character. Essentially, it allows the

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