Doctor

The opening of Anil is effective as it introduces the protagonist of the story, ‘a little boy’ named Anil and as readers we follow his journey and watch his character grow and develop. Right from the very beginning of the story, the writer makes it clear that Anil is different to everyone else in the village. The star above Anil is used to symbolise how unique and special he is: ‘His parents would not even stop for a second to gape at a star. But he did.’ The writer’s use of the word ‘gape’ conveys Anil’s awe and wonder at the star, demonstrating his fascination with the wider world outside of the restricted village in which he lives. The short simple sentence ‘But he did.’ is dramatic and effectively emphasises how different Anil is from his parents. This foreshadows his bright future and hints to the reader that he is destined for greatness.
The fact that Anil is immediately established as being different prepares the reader for his journey out of the village at the end of the story. For example, when his father tells him that he is to be sent away it he states: ‘becoming someone great one day’. This therefore shows that Anil will be different and set apart from the rest of his village as Noor foreshadows in the opening.
The opening also is effective due to the fact that it foreshadows tension among stronger Alfa male figures and people viewed as weaker e.g. women and children:
‘Anil saw the bruise on her shoulder, where Appa, returning home drunk last night, had hit her.’
The use of the commas separating the phrases is effective on the reader here makes it all the more shocking for the reader as it makes the reader pause, thus with holding the information. It also is shocking as nothing else is said about it which also creates a contrast among the village and the outside world. This prepares the reader for the rest of the story as, when Anil witnesses the murder he it is emphasised that it is a woman:
‘The body of the woman lay limp’- This also