Global Narratives in Pigeons at Daybreak

In the short story Pigeons at Daybreak the idea and over arching theme of the global narrative aspect of our English class this year is shown through the characters and the setting in the story. The characters in this story have parts of their make up that show that this is a global narrative, or a narrative from another country. The first is that the husband in the story is unable to read, he is a grown man who is illiterate. For people in the united states, being able to read is something so simple and basic that it is very uncommon to meet someone who doesn't have this skill in the united states, but in other countries it isn't as uncommon as one would think. Also, the way that Mr. Basu complains about the heat shows how the heat in India is a real problem, especially when he is supposed to try and sleep in the heat when he couldn't.The heat in India actually a problem and is a big deal, showing how the climate and setting is different. And on top of that there is the fact that they have to rely on a single fan in their bedroom for cooling, as opposed to the AC all of us have in our houses that are just simply for our own comfort, a comfort which these people in india also dont have. And finally there is the fact that they had to have their electricity turned off to go so that maintenance could be performed, something that I have never had happen to me, so i feel as though it would be a rare occurrence. These things that seem simple and familiar to the people of india to us seem backward and odd.

Questions for Harkness Table: Collector of Treasures

What is the significance of the "Treasures" that Dikeledi "collects" during the story?
How come the story begins, in the middle so when we go back in time to the actual murder, we already know what is going to happen and it doesnt seem as exciting?
How come Paul decides to help Dikeledi at the end of the story?

Thesis for Collector of Treasures

Dikeledi and Kenalepe in Collector of Treasures are foils for each other, representing the women of the area but both being in opposite situations in terms of the people that are most closely observing, men.