Discuss fatalism. Many characters in the stories are stuck in situations they could get out of if they really wanted to They do not get out of these situations unless someone helps them to do so, like in "The Missing Mail." There the postman makes sure that the upcoming wedding is not ruined by bad news. Do you think that the author's characters are very fatalistic?

Discuss the search for love. In an Indian context that is dominated by arranged marriages, the search for love is not the same as in Western practice, between men and women. Instead, mothers hope to receive love and obedience from rebellious sons, whom they want to work and be married. Children, like Leela, in "Leela's Friend," try to get love from servants that a busy parent cannot give to them. Is this as valid a search for love...