A Horse and Two Goats

Her er vores hjælp til analyse af novellen “A Horse and Two Goats” (1970), som er skrevet af den indiske forfatter R.K. Narayan. Novellen findes i lærebogen Worlds of English (s. 184). Ud over hjælp til analyse får du også et summary af novellen samt nyttige inputs til tekstens temaer og mulige perspektiveringer.

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Symbols

The horse statue is one of the most powerful symbols in the story. For Muni, the horse statue has religious symbolism, as it is connected to the Hindu God Vishnu and His reincarnations: “ ‘And this horse will come to life then, and that is why this is the most sacred village in the whole world’ ” (p. 186, ll. 20-21). For the American, the horse statue represents an object worthy of admiration, but purely for its aesthetic value: “ ‘Marvellous!’ he cried, pacing slowly around the statue” (p. 184, l. 30). The horse statue could also symbolize the characters’ cultural differences, as they do not see it the same way.

The warrior statue symbolizes power and wealth: “The image-makers of the old had made the eyes bulge out when they wished to indicate a man of strength, just as the beads around the warrior’s neck were meant to show his wealth” (p. 184, ll. 11-14). For the American, however, the statue represents yet another object that is admired purely because of its aesthetic value: “ ‘Although I am charmed by the moustached soldier, I will have to come next year for him. No space for him now.’ ” (p. 186, ll. 37-39)