Elleh Rachelle
asked:
How long did the author stay in Kalimpong, where the story is based? The story is completely stereotyped within a certain phase which could give wrong impression to the reader, fiction might it be. Because I did my education in Kalimpong and I was very present during that time.
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The Inheritance of Loss,
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Pralay Dakua
Does longer stay in a place provides more accuracy of events? I am not sure. We all live in our own bubbles - just like two sisters of "Mon Amie", or the lonely retired judge with his dog and cook. We look at anything else outside of own bubbles with a perspective of "stereotype". That way, stereotypes are relevant parts of narrative. The author provides a multi-faceted narrative, a very strong one, of post-colonial time and mindset.
John Grinstead
I suspect that the author is the only person who can answer your question with any accuracy but I would question its relevance. As you rightly point out, this is fiction and whilst the events in Kalimpong provide a useful vehicle for the events and people that are described they also reflect a certain amount of reality - stereotypes become such for a reason. I knew several characters that closely matched the ‘stereotype’ of the judge and the two sisters and, indeed, the cook but I do not think that any of this detracts from the quality of the writing.
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