Games At Twilight Anita Desai

Plot

• To hot to go outdoors

• Argument to go out

• Compromise to stay on the veranda

• Anu ends a fight between the others

• Raghu is it

• The kids leave the veranda to play

• Ravi hides in the shed overcoming his fear of bugs because the garage is locked

• Argues with himself to go outside and be caught or stay and win

• Ravi then remembers he must touch the veranda to win

• Ravi reaches the veranda shouting “den” believing he won

• He realizes they forgot him and had ended the game long ago

• The kids started playing the funeral game but Ravi refuses to join, shamed and feeling insignificant

Exposition -

• It was too hot all day for them to go out and play

• Ravi couldn’t hide in the garage because it was locked so he hid in the shed

• Ravi most likely rarely wins and that drove him to stay in the shed for so long

Setting - After India’s Independence from Britain in 1947

Characters - Mia, Anu, Manu, Raghu and Ravi

Conflict -

• Wanting so badly to win and be cool Ravi hides to long and becomes forgotten

• Does not know whether to leave the shed and loose or stay and win

Climax -

• He emerges from the shed believing he has won only to find they have moved on and do not care

Theme -

• Childhood heartbreak as Ravi learns a valuable lesson in growing up