Response to question 2 from 2008 exam

     In this excerpt from Desai's Fasting, Feasting, the tone can be characterized by Arun's insecurity and fear of his current situation, along with possible disgust. The passage can be broken into three different sections that build upon each other to show how uncomfortable Arun is with following his American hosts to the beach. The first section is from line one to twelve and shows general reluctance to follow Mrs. Patton to the beach. The second is from thirteen to thirty and shows Arun's awkward interaction with Melanie and an interesting depiction of Mrs. Patton. The final section, from line 31 to 55 shifts from a portrayal of Arun's actions to his observations about the town on his way to the beach. This serves to contrast urban and natural settings and how they align with his perspective.
   
    The first section uses a great deal of negative language, primarily when Mrs. Patton exclaims, using epizeuxis, "No, no, no. We're all three of us going." This helps to contrast Arun's quiet but persistent refusal to go to the beach with Mrs. Patton's desire to take advantage of the summertime. When Desai writes in line 1 that Arun "cannot plead work" it shows that he is much more comfortable serving his host family rather than becoming a member of it. In preferring work over leisure, he is not conforming to the American treatment of the summer. As we see later, this behavior is not intended to spite Mrs. Patton but has to do with his perception of the beach and nature in general. Overall, these opening paragraphs help to establish the reluctant mood Arun possesses on his walk to the beach.

   In the second section, the most important interaction is that between Melanie and Arun, which shows that Arun assumes the role of a servant over a reluctant guest and temporary member of the family by first acknowledging that Melanie can "lag even better" and then accepting that he should "help carry those baskets anyway." The other important interaction is between Arun and Mrs. Patton where she gives him a "radiant, lipsticked smile" in exchange for receiving help with the beach provisions. This presents Mrs. Patton as nearly a caricature of American ignorance with her blond hair and lipstick, entirely unaware that Arun's deliberately servile nature is not a gesture of politeness but rather discontent and insecurity. After all, she is the only one actually interested in enjoying summer for the sake of summer, as we can see with the line from Porgy and Bess.

  While Mrs. Patton represents the American way of life during the summer and thus embraces nature, Desai characterizes Arun in exactly the opposite way in the third section, where he looks at the wilderness and the "insidious green" with contempt. This response signifies his mistrust of the new environment. He "passionately" prefers the post office and "picture framers" because it is associated with labor and security. Desai portrays Arun in this way to make a statement about his failure to acclimate to the American way of life and its entanglement with the natural world, of which he wants no part.