Plot Summary
Through the narrator's first person account we hear the story of the people and the events of i. The central tension is created by Margaret, once a lover of the narrator, and in, a rebellious man who has left i to live near a forbidden area called the Forgotten Works. It is a huge trash heap where the remnants of a former civilization lie abandoned in great piles. Margaret, a collector of such 'forgotten things', is friendly with in and his followers, who explore the place and make whiskey.
in's separation from the group may have been related to the annihilation of 'The Tigers', killed many years previously by the people. It is unknown to the reader whether 'The Tigers' were actual tigers, human beings or somehow anthropomorphic: while the tigers would kill and eat people (including the narrator's parents) they could also talk, sing, play musical instruments and were at least competent with arithmetic. Two tigers were killed on a bridge (known later as 'the abandoned bridge'). The last tiger was killed on a spot later developed into a trout farm.
In the violent climax of the novel, in returns to the community along with a handful of followers, planning, he says, to show the residents what i really is. The residents know only that "something" is about to happen—for all they know, in could be plotting to kill them all. Margaret appears oblivious to the threats, and unconcerned about the safety of her own family and friends. Many suspect that Margaret knew and did not reveal details of in's real plan, thus "conspiring" with the evil men. She is semi-ostracized from i, and at the beginning of the novel the narrator reveals he had ended their relationship because of these events.
Read more about this topic: In Watermelon Sugar
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