Games at Twilight (Question-Answers)

 

Questions and answers

1. Describe the afternoon when the children wanted to play outside.

Ans. It was still too hot to play outdoors. They had their tea and the utensils had been washed long ago. The children were anxious to go out but their mother didn’t allow them to go outside. The children felt suffocated inside the house.

2. What did the children do as they went out?

Ans. As they went out, the children felt released. They began tumbling, pushing against each other, frantic to start their play.

3. Where did Ravi hide? Why was he pleased with himself for choosing that place?

Ans. Ravi hid himself inside the shed next to the garage. Yes, he was happy with himself at choosing that place as the shed made him feel protected.

4. What shapes could Ravi dimly see in the shed?

Ans. Ravi could dimly see the shapes of old wardrobes, broken buckets, and bedsteads around him.

5. What, according to Ravi, was the loveliest scent in the world?

Ans. According to Ravi, the sweet scent of water on dry earth is the loveliest scent in the world.

6. What did the children do while Ravi was hiding?

Ans. While Ravi was hiding, the children had forgotten about Ravi and also started different games.

7. Comment on the narrative technique of story Games at Twilight

Ans. “Games at Twilight” is narrated by a third-person narrator. The narrator is absent in the story but is aware of the thoughts and feelings of the characters. The narrator introduces the emotional experiences of childhood through the psyche of Ravi. The third-person narrative only limits Ravi and his thoughts as the story develops.

7. Character sketch of Ravi

Ans. Ravi is the central character of the story. He is one of the younger members of the family who picked his nose panicking that Raghu will find him. Ravi is afraid that he isn’t tall or doesn’t have long legs like Raghu’s and doesn’t stand any chance of escaping Raghu. Ravi wants to be like Raghu. When Ravi finds out how fast he is with switching his place of hiding and quick thinking he self-congratulates. He begins to desire of winning over Raghu and everyone else in the group. He is so engrossed in his imagination that he forgets it has been hours he has been hiding and he needs to touch the “den” to claim his triumph. And with his dreaming, he overcomes his fear of the dark and spooky place. When he runs to the verandah to touch the “den”, he bawls, and tears roll down his cheeks because he thinks he has won. But soon realizes his victory has no value because his cousins have shifted to different games and have long forgotten about hide and seek. His dreams are crumpled by the reality of his insignificance.

8. Write a note on Symbolism used in the story Games at Twilight.

Ans. Symbolism is presented in the story by using the Verandah, the shed, and the funeral game as symbols. The verandah symbolizes safety which is the children’s place for playing and their mother allows them to go out only with the condition that they will play on the verandah. The verandah is familiar to the children as well as the mother because it is near their home. The shed instills a sense of fear because it is an unfamiliar spooky and dark place and Ravi is unaware of animals and insects that could be living there. This place inspires a sense of being unsafe and being watched by unknown beings. The funeral game is seen toward the end of the story. Ravi sees the children playing the game where two children create a tunnel out of their hands and the remaining kids duck under it as they sing a song about being remembered after their death. This funeral game implies the death of Ravi’s dreams and hopes as he lies down on the damp grass with his face on it scorned by the way he is treated.

9. Comment on the appropriateness of the title of the story

The word twilight implies light from the sky denoting both light and darkness. The title reflects the thin line between both light and darkness indicating the thin line between reality and fantasy. Ravi dreams of winning over all of his cousins while hiding in the shed at noon but meets with reality when he touches the verandah in the evening. Ravi is hit with the reality of his insignificance at the end of the day. He falls from his web of fantasies with the realization that his victory means nothing.

10. Write a note on the themes of the story Games at Twilight.

Ans. Childhood and its joys and sorrows are the themes of the short story. Summer and its discomfort are for adults; for children, summer with its long holidays is an unadulterated delight. Games at Twilight has at its center, a large gaggle of children; brothers, sisters, and cousins, no doubt come together for vacations. The older ones tend to be bossy, like Raghu for example, or they are motherly and managing like Mira. The little ones Manu and Ravi occupy a no man’s land. If they are meek and lack self-esteem like Ravi does, they are in for a distressing time. But they grow up fast enough and take their place in the pecking order. Ravi is seeking a position and success but does not find it the way he wants.