Narrative techniques in The only American from Our Village.
His wife and children were worshipped by his relatives whom they had never met before. In the typical tourist style they had brought for them Gilette razors, pop- , records and lots of one-dollar neck-ties. Gifts brought by way of a ritual, a formality. Inexpensive gifts. What else do you bring for people you have not met before and are not going to meet again, in all likelihood. And in the true Indian style the razors were greatly prized, by the women who saved them for their teenaged sons. Anything with a foreign label is a prized possession for the majority of us.
In the typical tourist style Mrs. Khanna and the children went off on a sight-seeing tour towards the end of their trip and Dr. Khanna delivered his final talk at a college in his former hometown. A perfect finale to a perfect trip, one would think. But this is where the anti-climax comes in the form of Mr. Radlley Mohan, an ashtamp farosh (seller of court paper in front of District Courts) who knew Dr. Khanna’s father. He insists on talking to Dr.Khanna despite the embarassed Principal’s unsuccessful intervention because he has come here only to meet him. In the course of his long monologue he tells Dr.Khanna how much his father longed to go to America to spend time with his son and what a tragic end he brought upon himself once forced into sad realisation that his eminent son could spare no time or emotion even for his ailing father.
