Bank teller

The bank teller in "Beggar Boy" is a symbol of Ramesh's frustrations and anger about his mother abandoning him. The author makes this clear by explaining that Ramesh has decided to rob the bank because "His mother needed to know what he was capable of. She had to be put on notice" (34). Immediately after, he states that "What happened at the bank with the fat teller a few days ago had further persuaded him" (34) that this was the correct course of action. Ramesh has an outsize reaction to his petty argument with the bank teller because he is transferring his feelings about his mother onto this woman.

The beggar's clothes

The "poor-boy's clothes" (72) that Ramesh wears in "Beggar Boy" are symbolic of his journey towards compassion. Ramesh has a rich fantasy life, and he actually fantasizes briefly about being poor. The narrator states that he...