CSP
Games at Twilight is a short story by Anita Desai. It is about children playing hide and seek on a hot afternoon. The story is about a young boy named Ravi. He wants to win the game and be noticed. But in the end, he feels forgotten and lonely. The story talks about childhood dreams and disappointments. It also explores feelings of excitement, hope, and sadness.
Theme:
The main theme of the story is childhood innocence and disappointment. Ravi is excited to play and win, but he learns that life is not always fair. Another theme is loneliness. Ravi realizes that others do not always care about his feelings. There is also the theme of reality versus imagination. Ravi imagines being a hero, but reality is different. The story also talks about growing up. Ravi understands that he is not as important as he thought.
Tone:
The tone of the story is playful at first. The children are happy and excited. Later, the tone becomes serious. Ravi’s feelings change from joy to sadness. The tone also becomes emotional when Ravi feels ignored. The story moves from light-hearted fun to deep realization.
Mood:
The mood in the beginning is joyful. The children laugh and run around. There is excitement when they play hide and seek. Later, the mood changes to tense when Ravi hides in the dark shed. In the end, the mood is sad. Ravi feels lonely and forgotten. The mood shifts from happiness to disappointment.
Settings or Background:
The story takes place in a large house with a garden. It happens on a hot summer afternoon. The children play outside while the adults stay indoors. The setting helps create the mood of heat, excitement, and later isolation. The shed where Ravi hides is dark and scary. It adds to his fear and loneliness.
Style & Structure:
The story is written in simple and descriptive language. The author uses rich details to describe the children’s actions and feelings. The structure of the story is linear. It moves from the beginning of the game to Ravi’s disappointment. The story follows a single event from start to finish. The narration is third-person. The author focuses on Ravi’s thoughts and emotions.
Characters:
- Ravi: He is the main character. He is young and wants to win. He hides in the shed for a long time. He believes that winning will make him important. In the end, he feels ignored and sad.
- Raghu: He is one of the older children. He is strong and fast. He does not like losing. He chases the younger children while playing.
- Mira: She is one of the older girls. She takes care of the younger children. She helps keep order in the game.
- Other children: They are part of the game. They play and forget about Ravi. They represent the carefree nature of childhood.
Detailed Summary:
The story begins on a hot summer afternoon. The children beg the adults to let them play outside. They rush out excitedly when they are allowed. They decide to play hide and seek. Raghu is chosen to be the seeker. The younger children run to hide. Ravi finds a dark shed and hides inside. The shed is dusty and full of old things. It is scary, but Ravi stays because he wants to win.
Inside the shed, Ravi imagines his victory. He dreams of how the other children will admire him. He waits for a long time. He listens carefully, but he does not hear anything. He stays hidden even though he is scared of the dark. Finally, he comes out of the shed. He runs to the veranda, shouting that he has won.
But something is wrong. The other children are playing a new game. They have forgotten about hide and seek. They do not care that Ravi was hiding. Ravi feels shocked. He thought his victory would be important. Instead, no one even remembers the game. He stands there, feeling lost and unimportant.
Ravi realizes that he is alone. He understands that winning does not always matter. He feels like he has lost something inside him. The story ends with Ravi feeling crushed. He does not cry, but he feels empty and ignored.
Figures of Speech or Literary Devices:
- Imagery: The author describes the heat, the dusty shed, and Ravi’s feelings in detail. This makes the scenes feel real.
- Symbolism: The dark shed represents fear and loneliness. Ravi’s hiding represents his dreams. The children forgetting about him represents the reality of life.
- Contrast: The story begins with fun and ends with sadness. Ravi’s hopes are high at first but fall in the end.
- Foreshadowing: The shed is described as dark and lonely. This hints at Ravi’s final feelings.
- Irony: Ravi thinks he is a hero, but no one notices him. He believes winning is important, but the others forget him.
Important Quotations:
- “The children too felt released. They began tumbling, shoving, pushing against each other.” This describes their excitement and energy.
- “He hugged his knees together and smiled to himself almost shyly at the thought of so much victory, such laurels!” Ravi imagines his success and happiness.
- “He had wanted victory and triumph – not a funeral.” This shows Ravi’s deep disappointment and realization.
The story captures the feelings of childhood joy and sadness. It teaches that life does not always go as expected. Ravi learns a painful lesson about being ignored and forgotten. The story ends with a deep emotional impact.