Plotting the Story (pp. 77-90)

30 April

Analyse what sort of treatment is prescribed for Inder Lal’s wife, and why.

One day Inder Lal’s wife Ritu, who is mentally ill, is going to have treatment. The Indians think that she might be possessed by an evil spirit and try her to get rid of it. The narrator, in contrast to the Indian miracle healers, thinks that Ritu’s illness can’t be controverted by such methods. She proposes Inder Lal to try a psychiatric treatment and wants to explain it to him. However, he does not want such a treatment for his wife. Inder Lal doesn’t like the transcription „treatment“.
pp. 82-90

Outline Olivia’s daily routine.

Olivia’s daily routine is nearly always the same.
Every day when she wakes up, she gets dressed and has breakfast with her husband Douglas.
Afterwards, when Douglas has left for work, she gets ready for the next step: early in the morning Harry arrives and takes Olivia to Khatm to the Nawab’s palace. She already got used to these morning drives and learned to like them. At the palace, the trio (which consists of Olivia, Harry and the Nawab) spends the day in the drawing-room where they have a good time. By and by the Nawab and Olivia became friends.

In the evenings Olivia, already arrived at home again, has a great time with her husband. Spending lovely evenings and nights together is one of the reasons why Olivia doesn’t tell Douglas about her daily visits at the Nawab’s palace. She does not want to ruin this harmony between them.