Narrator and point of view

The short story “Stench of Kerosene” by Amrita Pritam is told by a third-person narrator, who provides a combined point of view.

The narrator uses the points of view of both Guleri and Manak, which makes it easier for the reader to understand their feelings and motivations. At first, the narrator presents only Guleri’s perspective of the events: “Guleri always counted the days to the harvest. When autumn breezes cleared the skies of the monsoon clouds she thought of little besides her home in Chamba.” (p. 1, ll. 19-20), showing her excitement for the upcoming trip to Chamba.

As the story progresses, the narrator also provides Manak’s perspective of the events: “Obedient to his mother and to custom, Manak's body responded to the new woman. But his heart was dead within him....