Analysis

An analysis of the short story “Stench of Kerosene” by Amrita Pritam shows that the narrative has a traditional structure, presenting events spreading over the course of three days. The events are presented mostly in chronological order, but the story also contains several flashbacks.

The main characters in the short story are Manak and Guleri, a childless married couple. A conflict begins when Manak accepts his mother’s plan to take a second wife to bear him a child. 

The physical setting reveals that the events take place in India, in the villages Chamba and Lakarmandi. The social setting focuses on aspects related to Indian culture. Among other things, the story explores the custom of a man taking multiple wives and the idea that a good wife must bear a child. 

The story is told by a third-person narrator, who adopts the points of view of both Guleri and Manak. By presenting a combined point of view, the story allows readers to understand both spouses.

The language used in the short story is neutral. Dialogue is used to show the relationship between spouses, while the choice of words helps create an authentic atmosphere. 

A full analysis of the short story can be found in the following pages. 

Short story analysis

I denne vejledning får du Studienets hjælp til at analysere noveller (short stories) i engelsk.