Characters
The most important characters in the short story “The Night of the Full Moon” by K. S. Duggal are Malan and Minnie. Malan’s husband and her admirer are not active characters, and they are only relevant for the way Malan relates to them. The villagers are more important for the social setting than for their individual traits.
Malan
Malan is the main character in the short story, and the narrator follows her point of view.
Outer characterisation
From her outer characterisation, we find out that she is married and that she has given birth to several daughters, but only one has survived— Minnie.
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Inner characterisation
Malan’s inner characterisation presents her as a mother who is proud of her daughter’s beauty and kind heart. However, she is also confused and worried, because she keeps thinking about her admirer and feels ashamed of her thoughts: “Why had her mind wandered to this man? The dealer in pearls! Every time she thought of him pearls dropped from her eyes. (…) it was unbecoming for her to think of a man.” (p. 26, ll. 27-30)
For the past 20 years, Malan has refused to accept her admirer’s advances, although she was probably attracted to him: “She shut her eyes as fast as she shut her door against him.” (p. 27, l. 3).
Malan recalls her youth, the time when she met her admirer, and her unhappy marriage with her husband: “She recalled a cold, moonlit night of many years ago. She was dancing in the mango grove when her dupatta had got caught in his hand.” (p. 28, ll. 13-16); “But Minnie’s father had not once kissed the soles of her feet, nor ever pressed her palms against his eyes. He always came home tired: he ate his meal and fell fats asleep.” (p. 28, l. 16-19)
This shows that Malan feels neglected by her husband and yearns for affection.
Now that her daughter is getting married, Malan fears that she will feel lonely and becomes nostalgic: “Then she would be left alone — all alone in that huge courtyard. A shiver ran through her body. The empty courtyard would terrify her. She would have to learn to live by herself.” (p. 30, ll. 16-19)
As she sits in the courtyard in the evening, with her husband away and her daughter asleep, Malan begins to wish her admirer would come. She prepares for meeting him, taking her daughter’s bangles: “She felt like a bride – warm, lusty. Blood surged in her veins.” (p. 31, ll . 1-2)
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Minnie
Minnie is the second most important character in the story, although she is only a secondary character.
Outer characterisation
The narrator pays extensive attention to her outer characterisation. We find out that she is the only living daughter of Malan and that she is about to get married.
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Inner characterisation
Minnie’s inner characterisation presents her from her mother’s point of view: she is “as innocent as a calf” (p. 32, l. 17) and “as pure as jasmine” (p. 35, ll. 19-20). The girl comes across as religious and kind; she goes to the temple and prays for everybody’s wellbeing: “She had prayed to the gods to grant everybody all their wishes.” (p. 27, ll. 26-27)
Minnie is ignorant of her mother’s admirer and seems to have a close relationship with her father: “‘Father has not returned,’ complained Minnie.” (p. 27, l. 31).
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