In this passage from The In-Between World of Vikram Lall by M G Vassanji, the petrifying attack of two siblings and their rescue is depicted. With the use of an extremely detailed character description, the horrific nature of the attackers and the amiable personality of the rescuer become very apparent. Also, the unusual and enticing setting brings the story to life and also calls attention to the contrast experienced in the passage. Furthermore the actions and emotions of the protagonist and his sister demonstrates the immense fright and thankfulness experienced throughout the text.
In this passage, the description of characters plays and extremely important role since it throws light upon the evil character of the attackers and the kind and helpful nature of Mr. Bapu the millionaire who rescues the protagonist and his sister Deepa. Since this story is told from a first person perspective the other characters are experienced through the mind of the protagonist. By giving a very precise description of these characters, the author has conjured up a very believable understanding of the way that these characters are perceived by the protagonist, which in term, makes the fear felt by these characters much more real to the reader. An example of this is the “terrifying, unearthly squeal” (6) that is heard by the siblings as the attackers surround them. This description of sound gives a very wild and primitive idea of the attackers. Furthermore, the “howling of wild dogs” (8) also adds on this terrifying image of the aggressors. This in term makes the terror undergone by the protagonists very understandable and real to the reader. On the other hand, the character of Mr. Bapu is described in a completely different manner which highlights his benign personality. He is described as a millionaire who does not mind talking to his staff (28), but also “cut for Deepa a red rose.”(29), an act which induces the feeling of