Setting

“The Royal Flush” by Lori Pollock is a contemporary short story set partially in Canada and partially in Bangladesh.

Physical setting

The story opens in the physical setting of a restaurant in Canada. Although the narrator is not explicit about the country, the references to “The Western Producer” (l. 3), “winter” (l. 3) and “maple syrup” (l. 92) – a typically Canadian food —suggest the action takes places in Canada. Furthermore, the short story was published in Everything Is So Political: A Collection of Short Fiction by Canadian Writers.

However, the most important physical setting is that of Dhaka, Bangladesh and of the Royal Commemorative Estates, a housing place where the main character volunteers.

Dhaka is “a city roiling with children begging and men hawking everything from fake Nike t-shirts to fresh-cut mangos to pirated DVDs.” (ll. 32-33).

...

Social setting

Unlike what we are accustomed to in Western countries, the Bangladeshi setting is one of a developing (poor) country with very different cultural customs.

In Dhaka, children are begging on the streets and fake products are available everywhere, which suggests poverty. Also, hygiene is not a priority for the people. At the Royal, women are “rising at four, men at five, to go off and find somewhere to shit.” (ll. 68-69).  This is further suggested by the end of the story when residents of the Royal prefer moving to somewhere cheaper than paying more to have eco-toilets.

The story also presents the attitudes of men, women, and children in Bangladesh towards foreigners. Initially, none of them pays attention to Lindsey’s arrival (ll. 56-57). This might suggest that they are accustomed to seeing foreigners at the Royal.

Muslim religion seems to play an important role in people’s lives, as men interrupt their activity to pray: “Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar. Men unrolled prayer mats and bent down. Lindsey’s heart beat a little faster at finally seeing something authentic.” (ll. 78-80)

Children, who are not very clean (suggesting limited access to water) initially disrespect Lindsey, “throwing pebbles at the ground beside her and running away when she looked up” (ll. 87-86). Women prefer to giggle when they see Lindsey instead of making eye contact with her (l. 91). This suggests that they initially see the girl as an outsider to their community and do not know how to approach her.

Lindsey wins over the women and children with gifts. She gives the children candies and the women “organic teas, impossibly small bottles of maple syrup, and shiny barrettes” (ll. 91-92).

...