Narrative techniques in The only American from Our Village.
Does the father win in the end by making Dr.Khanna realize the futility and hollowness of his whole life? The Foreigner vividly depicts the cultures of Boston and New Delhi. In The strange case of Billy Biswas the scene shifts from New Delhi to the Satpura hills in Madhya Pradesh, the two geographic locations representing two different cultures -the sophisticated and the primitive. Here Kundan Lal and Dr.Khanna embody two different approaches to life and relationships.
Unlike the two stories of R.K.Narayan which end on a happy note with a final resolution of the tension built earlier, this story is open-ended. Dr.Khanna keeps staring at his feet and complains of burning sensation there. Like his father he too seems to have lost his mental balance. At least temporarily. Will he regain his sanity? Will he return to his research and earn more laurels?
