Ants

In Ghachar Ghochar, ants symbolize outsiders, or the other. In this novella, the other is one who is a not a true member of the narrator’s family. The treatment that the narrator’s family shows the ants who invade their previous residence mirrors that shown to human strangers who approach the family, such as Suhasini, Vikram, or Anita. The narrator and his family members attempt to separate themselves from such outsiders, in a manner that feels brutal and thereby questionable morally. As Amma declared chemical warfare on the ants that invaded their house, she also demonizes Anita and Suhasini.

Discarded receipts

The discarded receipts from Anita and the narrator’s honeymoon are symbolic of the unearned money the narrator regularly receives in his bank account. The narrator is legally in possession of a lot of money, but he does not really “earn” it in Anita...