IB HL English

Christopher Wong

The In-Between World of Vikram Lall Practice Commentary

The excerpt is from The In-Between World of Vikram Lall by M G Vassanji.
It details the story of two siblings being attacked for their interracial relationships.
This passage articulates societal interracial perspectives.
The passage begins with the narrator with is sister. The tremor of his
sisters arm creates the first paragraphs dramatic effect (1). Afterward, the
narrator describes his setting, a mosque towering in all its grandeur, creating
sublime (2). The increasing intensity of the bestial noises creates more dramatic
effect. The narrator first hears a dog bark which suddenly turns into a terrifying,
unearthly squeal then finally into howling like wild dogs and demons (7).
Additionally, the descriptions suggest that interracial relationships are threatened
with ferocity like wild and unearthly beasts. Later, the speaker announces that
his sister and him were surrounded, advancing the dramatic effect. Being
surrounded may indicate the constant persecution of those in interracial
relationships. The imagery of Elvis is fascinating. Elvis may be a sexual
representation with his shirt open with pants crotch-tight (10). This depiction
may be a mockery of interracial relationships.

The climax of this paragraph is when the speaker and his sister were
cornered. They became the kill of the demons and howling dogs (13).
However, the appearance of a white Mercedes, which swerved to the rescue,
may be a depiction of hope. The verb swerve can indicate a last-minute action
illustrating the urgent situation. In the arrival of the white Mercedes, the
attackers scampered away in the dark like cockroaches (15). The contrast
between dark and white could be interpreting racial tensions. The white
Mercedes was portrayed as the hero and the attackers, who scampered into
the dark, as animalistic antagonists. These descriptions imply that darker colors
represent evil and treachery while lighter colors represent hope and positivity.