Narrator and point of view

The short story “English Babu” by Vijay Medtia is a first-person narration, an account made by the main character, Ramesh.

The narration is conveyed both in the past tense and the present tense. The main action takes place in the present, with Ramesh presenting things as they happen: “A decision has to be made soon. He’ll be bringing Rebecca to the house at seven tonight.” (l. 4); “The silence grows, however, and the only sound comes from the clock on the mantel piece.” (ll. 103-104). However, note that even when the action takes place in the present, the narrator sometimes uses verbs in the past tense: “ ‘I’m trying to become a vegetarian,’ said Rebecca unconvincingly.” (l. 129).

The first-person narrator has limited knowledge on the events happening in the present, on what the characters think, or how they might behave. He can only make assumptions based on their behaviour: “Anita I can tell is in a state, she is unsure how to handle this situation, and she sits down slowly.” (ll. 99-100); “Anita looks at me to keep the conversation going. Sanjay still hasn’t looked at Prakash, and I don’t like it.” (ll. 118-119).

Much of the present action is conveyed using direct speech, as the narrator let...