Structure

The short story “The Free Radio” by Salman Rushdie is structured around the life of a young rickshaw driver named Ramani. The events take place in chronological order. 

The beginning of the short story introduces Ramani and the thief’s widow and grabs readers’ attention: “We all knew nothing good would happen to him while the thief’s widow had her claws dug into his flesh, but the boy was an innocent, a real donkey’s child, you can’t teach such people” (p. 17, ll. 1-3). The first sentence sparks curiosity and makes readers wonder about Ramani’s circumstances. 

A flashback is later introduced when the narrator presents the story of how Ramani and the thief’s widow first met (p. 18, ll. 1-20). A foreshadowing element hints at Ramani forming a fa...