Setting

The short story “Paradise” by Matthew Kneale is set in a village called Drughat in Nepal, without mentioning the exact time period. However, it is easy to assume that the events are meant to take place around the time the story was published as indicated by the references to the Walkman (l. 90), a device that was very popular in the 1990s.

Physical setting

The physical setting focuses on the landscape of the village area and includes Thakali’s house and the building where Neville is taken at the end. The room where Neville is hosted and the house are described to suggest that Thakali is the richest man in the area, but they also demonstrate the harsh living conditions in the village:

A glimmer of light beneath the door was the only evidence that the day had begun. The room was without windows as they let out heat at night, and up here at twelve thousand feet all available warmth was needed. (ll. 6-9)

The building where Neville is taken contrasts with Thakali’s house: “They did not return to Thakali’s house, instead they went to a smaller building. He found himself pressed through the door, together with as many of the crowd as would fit.” (ll. 167-169)

The general landscape where the village is located is described on several occasions. The first descriptions convey Neville’s idealised view of the area: “The settlement clung to a ste...