Point of View

The novel is written from the third person point of view from the perspective of Mr. Biswas. It is Mr. Biswas’s reaction to events that moves the plot along. His quirky character and his view of events provide pathos as well as humor to the novel.

Setting

The novel is set in various parts of Trinidad spanning the period from the early to mid-twentieth century. During this time, Trinidad had a diverse population that included different races and ethnicities as well as different religions. This diversity is seen in the novel as characters slip between speaking Hindi and speaking English, and a variety of religious practices are observed.

Language and Meaning

The language in the novel varies. The narrative is rich with imagery and descriptive details, while the dialogue conveys the non-standard dialect of the people of Trinidad, and it is employed in a...