Of White Hairs and Cricket

Rohinton MistryOf White Hairs and CricketClass TasksIn groups teach the rest of the class about ONE aspect of the text.ASPECTS:PlotStructureNarrative point of viewSettingCharacter/sLanguage techniquesSymbolism and MotifsThemes

Describe and explain the aspect you are studying.Explain the significance of this aspect in the story.Provide plenty of evidence in form of quotes / page numbers / references to the textDiscuss what the authors message / themes are.How does your aspect relate to the others?Symbolism / MotifsWhite hairs symbolise time / plucking of them relates to desperate attempt to hold back time.Re-occurence of cricket longing to be a child againTerminal illness of Virafs father / deathThemesAgingDeathOld world / new worldDisappointmentNostalgiaPlotRecalling all the events in the storySo, what?What is the relevance of these episodes?They relate to many readers, typical day to day experiences of childhood?Atypical what is unusual here closely bonded family.. Etc?What does the plot allow readers to understand?Family relationshipsFriendshipAging / decay / deathStructureProcess of growing up and realisation of time / death is unstoppableStructure gives readers idea that narrator wanted to initially be able to stop time but cant in the end.Begins with white hairs being picked out / concludes with death of Virafs father.So, what?What does this structure allow readers to get about the story?Themes become apparent to readers as they become apparent to the narrator.Narrative povPerspective of narrator, a young boy, first-personAfter his epiphany he realises and learns to appreciate his familyRelationship with Mamaji looks to her for guidance, but later realises the value in his parents, they too are aging and wont be around foreverSo, what?Allows readers to see into narrators character and this reflects on ourselves.SettingIndia, house well passed their time decay live in an apartment.Sunday he used to play cricket but now he plucks the white hairs out of his fathers head.Bed he eats rice luxury, but then he goes to his bed to be sorrowful.

So, what?The luxuries of youth are ephemeral.Happiness can be found even in a poor settingCharacterNarrator first person pov, readers identify with him and his realisations in the story.Father growing older, strong minded / defiant person, constantly looking for something better, determined, dreams big (resembles the authors own emigration to CanadaMamajis generation has different ideasVirafs life contrasts narrators somewhat the repulsive act of plucking out hairs becomes a nice act in light of his friends fathers death.BiographyRohinton Mistry was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India in 1952. He graduated with a degree in Mathematics from the University of Bombay in 1974, and emigrated to Canada with his wife the following year, settling in Toronto, where he worked as a bank clerk, studying English and Philosophy part-time at the University of Toronto and completing his second degree in 1982.

Mistry wrote his first short story, 'One Sunday', in 1983, winning First Prize in the Canadian Hart House Literary Contest (an award he also won the following year for his short story 'Auspicious Occasion'). It was followed in 1985 by the Annual Contributors' Award from the Canadian Fiction Magazine, and afterwards, with the aid of a Canada Council grant, he left his job to become a full-time writer.

Biography continuedHis early stories were published in a number of Canadian magazines, and his short-story collection, Tales from Firozsha Baag, was first published in Canada in 1987 (later published in the UK in 1992). He is the author of three novels: Such a Long Journey (1991), the story of a Bombay bank clerk who unwittingly becomes involved in a fraud committed by the government, which won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book), A Fine Balance (1996), set during the State of Emergency in India in the 1970s, and Family Matters (2002), which tells the story of an elderly Parsi widower living in Bombay with his step-children. Such a Long Journey and A Fine Balance were both shortlisted in previous years for the Booker Prize for Fiction, and Family Matterswas shortlisted for the 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. His latest book is a story, The Scream, illustrated by Tony Urquhart (2008).

OverviewThis storys concern with age and mortality is reflected in the structure, beginning with the removal of the narrators fathers white hairs and moving to his friends fathers terminal illness. In the space of the story the narrator has his own recognition of mortality and emerges from boyhood into the adult world. He moves from considering distasteful his task of removing his fathers white hairs to a full awareness of the process of ageing which he is powerless to stop. He begs to keep pulling the white hairs in a desperate attempt to hold time back: p358 last paragraph. He also senses the inevitability of his life following his parents. The dream of going to America p353/354 will not happen. He will see his lifes dreams extinguish and the pattern of life continue see p359.There are several signs of this awareness of growing up and death throughout the story: the loss of the childhood cricket matches, p355 One by one, the things I held dear were leaving my life.; the increasing frailty of Mamaiji, the fathers vain hope of a new job p353. It is the encounter with his friend Viraf and Dr Sidhwa p356 and the glimpse of Virafs father p357 which gives the narrator his epiphanic moment ( epiphany: the moment in time when a life-changing knowledge or understanding is gained) of the inevitability of adulthood, routines in life and death.

PLOTMake a flow diagram of the main events of the plot.He picks hairs off his Dads head.Child remembers playing cricket.Grandma spinning the thread.His Nan buys him dodgy food.Argument between Dad and Grandma.Talk of getting money / a new job.Thoughts of poverty.Best friend was Viraf.Scene of sick father and reaction to this.

ImageryLanguage TechniquesPersonification sleeping streets add drama, mood, interest and helps readers relate to the object. white hair was trapped in the tweezers, reader imagines white hair as a symbol of aging, and being trapped reveals we do not have any control over this process.guilty conscience uncontrollablyOnomatopoeia rattle rumble creates a harsh tone, caused by a disturbance, foreshadows the aging process and death of Virafs father. OO ooo OO ooo like an animal call.Alliteration spindle spin descended In a thin shaft of sunlight which had suddenly shrunk wanted to weep (reveals his urge to cry)EG sleeping streets what is the effect? the compound was too cramped for cricket what is the effect?her silence was surprising what is the effect?time after time week after week Sunday after Sunday

Narrative StyleWho is the narrator?14 year old boy perhaps the author? Perhaps inspired by a boyhood memory?What is the narrative style? 1st person point of view, through a childs eyes how does this affect the perspective of the story? And perspective of aging and mortality?What tense is the story written in?Past tense a memory is the narrator himself old now? Aging process is inevitable as is death.Why is it written like this and what effect does this have? Emotive, factual, strong sense of being in India Indian identity, personal. Readers looking in on someone elses memory sense of isolation from the narrators experience.

CharactersDescribe the characters of..BoyDadMumMamajiThis storys concern with age and mortality is reflected in the structure, beginning with the removal of the narrators fathers white hairs and moving to his friends fathers terminal illness. In the space of the story the narrator has his own recognition of mortality and emerges from boyhood into the adult world. He moves from considering distasteful his task of removing his fathers white hairs to a full awareness of the process of ageing which he is powerless to stop. He begs to keep pulling the white hairs in a desperate attempt to hold time back: p358 last paragraph. He also senses the inevitability of his life following his parents. The dream of going to America p353/354 will not happen. He will see his lifes dreams extinguish and the pattern of life continue see p359.There are several signs of this awareness of growing up and death throughout the story: the loss of the childhood cricket matches, p355 One by one, the things I held dear were leaving my life.; the increasing frailty of Mamaiji, the fathers vain hope of a new job p353. It is the encounter with his friend Viraf and Dr Sidhwa p356 and the glimpse of Virafs father p357 which gives the narrator his epiphanic moment ( epiphany: the moment in time when a life-changing knowledge or understanding is gained) of the inevitability of adulthood, routines in life and death.SUMMARYThis storys concern with age and mortality is reflected in the structure, beginning with the removal of the narrators fathers white hairs and moving to what seems to be his friends fathers terminal illness. In the space of the story the narrator has his own recognition of mortality and emerges from boyhood into the adult world. He moves from considering distasteful his task of removing his fathers white hairs to a full awareness of the process of ageing which he is powerless to stop. There are other signs of this process throughout the story: the loss of the childhood cricket matches, the increasing frailty of Mamaiji, the fathers vain hope of a new job. It is the encounter with the friend Viraf, Dr Sidhwa and the glimpse of Virafs father which gives the narrator his epiphanic moment.

EXTENSIONWider readingThis story is taken from the collection Swimming Lessons and Other Stories. You could also try the novel Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry.Malgudi Days by RK NarayanThe God of Small Things by Arundhati RoyCompare withA Horse and Two Goats by RK NarayanTo Da-duh, In Memoriam by Paule MarshallThe Enemy by VS NaipaulGames at Twilight by Anita DesaiOnlineBiographical material is available at: http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth73