Structure

The short story “Paradise” by Matthew Kneale has a simple plot structure focusing on a single event: an English man goes to a village in Nepal and believes the people are naturally welcoming, whereas, in fact, they treat him kindly because they want him to include their village in a tourist guidebook. Foreshadowing elements and flashbacks enrich the story’s plot, hooking readers until the end.

Title

The title of the story, “Paradise”, refers to the main character’s initial opinion of the village in Nepal that he is visiting: “The village hardly seemed the innocent paradise that it had been minutes before.” (ll. 184-185).

The title is ironic and it illustrates the conflict between the views of rich Westerners and those who live in the developing world. For Neville, the main character, the small village surrounded by beautiful landscapes seems like a paradise compared to Western society which, in his view, is decadent. For the villagers, their place is not a paradise but a remote and poor area, where they have to work hard to survive. A visit from a tourist guidebook writer seems to the villagers a unique opportunity because having more tourists in their village would alleviate poverty.

Beginning

The short story opens in media res, with the main character waking up in his room: “ ‘Sleep good?’ Thakali’s voice was concerned. He handed Neville Ewan a tall glass of tea.” (ll. 1-2)

The exposition gives readers more details about the context of the events...