Thursday, May 5, 2011

Analysis - Check-In by Surya Ramkumar

Brief summary of story
It is a story of how a village girl, who has gained success in her career, reminisces the journey that she took with her parents from their village to the airport in order to pursue her tertiary education in a bigger city, Singapore.
Plot

Introduction
We were introduced to Mrs Nair, who was walking towards the boarding gate, whose career was about to take a turn, to the first woman CEO of Biacorp or be fired from the company that she had been working for over 20 years. She suddenly remembered the time she first left her country 30 years ago, and how her parents sent her off at the airport.
Rising action
Internal conflict – Mrs Nair wanted to see the world, to be open and to be free yet she was truly scared, and had butterflies in her stomach. She even had to resist the urge to sneak out of the hotel and take the next train home.
External conflict (Mrs. Nair and her mother) – Amma was not very convinced that it was a great idea for her to go because she was a little girl.
Climax
The night before leaving where she felt an intense urge to sneak out of the hotel and take the next train home.
Falling action
Mrs Nair met 2 others who were travelling to the same place. Mrs Nair checked in and saw her parents for the last time before proceeding to the boarding gate.
Denouement
Mrs Nair returned to the present time and gained some confidence that she would not be taking the next plane home.
Setting
Place :
KLM airport
Wadakkanchery, a small village & Shaktan Tampuran bus stop
Madras, Hotel Riviera, Madras airport

Time:
Present time, 5 a.m. Monday morning
Flashback, 30 years ago when she was 15 years old.


Symbols
The airport, the exit/ channel that we have to pass through in order to attain a better future, symbol of pathways
Ticket – a symbol of embarking on new life experiences, change
Character
Mrs Nair- Main, successful, hesitant, brave.
Amma – Minor, devoted mother, religious, detailed, submissive wife.
Achan - Minor, devoted father, firm and stern husband.
Shamu - minor, a auto rickshaw driver
Krishnan – minor, the bus driver
Sandeep – minor, one of the students who travelled with Mrs Nair to Singapore.
Imke – minor, the check in lady at the counter.
Point of view
First person, the use of ‘I’ throughout the short story.

Tone
Nostalgic –The narrator reminisced the past, how her parents put in so much effort to get her ready for her departure, and how she had felt throughout the journey to the airport.
Theme
We should be brave enough to face uncertainties/ challenges/ changes in our lives and should seize the opportunity to venture out, knowing that we constantly have our family members who will stand by our side, supporting us sincerely and unconditionally.

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