Comment on language/meaning

The author peppers the stories in Mad Country with Nepali words as a means to draw the reader further into the collection's setting. The words used are frequently slang, and their meaning must be determined by use of context clues. In “Beggar Boy,” an attendee of Suresh's party refers to the young man as an “astute dimag” (48) – the Nepali word for “mind.” When Ramesh visits a tailor to inquire about old clothes, the tailor asks, “Have you come here to make a joke?” and then repeats the question in Nepali, “Majak gareko?” (51).