Furthermore, there is also another clash of culture which is evident her which is to do with the gender issues between different societies. Cathy is not the only woman who is treated like his in India, this is the culture and the only way that Naraian’s friends know about. These points are crucial because we then see Cathy’s feelings emerging, such as kissing in public where as now, once the setting has changed Naraian sees to that she is always a ‘decent’ few inches away.
Moreover, ‘unfortunately - or so it seemed to Cathy - there were not only friends but family too.’ The change of setting brought about Naraian’s family; this was another way that the writer used setting to generate conflict. I think that this began mainly when hints of sarcasm appeared and where the mother liked to indicate that Cathy didn’t feed Naraian. ‘There were also comments from her on Naraian’s appearance which, she liked to hint, indicated severe under-feeding.’ This is a very effective way for the writer to use the clash of cultures that are experienced between settings. It also shows us once again that the gender issue is very much different in India then it was in England. Cathy is not used to this and so this situation develops until eventually Cathy supported Naraian and hoped that he would do something to stop the regular Sunday occasion, but there were simply further arguments.
In addition we can tell that the culture is very much different in ho Cathy finds it so hard to simply go for a walk into the ‘City Bazaar’ where ‘she drew a lot of attention.’ Also we see a sort of community where the word is passed round since there are ‘so many relatives…so much time to pass the word around,’ which Cathy had not been used to from England. Cathy certainly feels constricted as she watches birds from out of the window and envies the freedom that they have which she hasn’t
With the change of setting we can see how Naraian is getting sucked in by his mother which causes further conflict. This was evident from when the family rows begun to end. For example ‘For instance, he no longer roamed naked round the flat with Cathy, and, when she did he told her not to.’
The end of the story shows us how much conflict can be created from a change in setting of a young couple. This is because we have a sort of life goes on ending where the conflict hasn’t split the couple apart.
The next story, The Red Ball, generally uses the idea of how simply settling and getting used to a new setting can generate conflict itself.
Subsequently, this idea begins very early in the story where a group of boys that don’t know him are calling him to play ‘ye…Thinny Boney! You want to play?’ Since Bolan doesn’t react we assume that either he doesn’t understand them or that he is very nervous of the new environment.
We can tell that early on in the story the conflict arises when Bolan day-dreams and wishes that he had been back in Tunapuna. The harsh school environment with ‘six lashes in the palm for what the teacher called day-dreaming’ shows that he is discontent with his new school. ‘His mind did indeed run away to the smells and sounds of Tunapuna that the crowing of a fowl in the Eastern market stimulated.’ This shows us that not only he wants to still be in Tunapuna but also he is distracted at school because he would ‘run away to the smells and sounds of Tunapuna.’
In general the way that Bolan tries to adapt to the new setting which is by gaining the other kids respect through his cricketing abilities. This is what he has wanted to do for a long time which was simply to be like one of them. The conflict appears when Bolan tries to do this, when he decides to spend money and treat his friends they accept him but his father says ‘And where this boy learn to thief from….where? Where he learnin’ these bad bad habits from...not me!’ Clearly his father is very upset and angry. This is what his wanting to fit in the rest had done effectively it had affected his parents during financial problems.
This is a very clever and effective way of generating conflict by changing the setting. The writer has made the main character create the conflict himself by simply wanting to adapt to the new setting. Bolan had no intentions, in fact he was unlucky, but the writer makes the audience feel sorry for Bolan who seems to have done nothing wrong, almost dramatic irony, and this generates conflict in itself.
