Main Themes
- East/West: The relationship between Jagan and his son Mali might be read as the clash between Eastern and Western cultures. As characters, Jagan and Mali are contrasted in many ways: while Jagan keeps a strict, religiously founded diet, Mali has begun eating beef and drinking alcohol after his stay in America. While Jagan prefers to walk everywhere, Mali insists on getting a car. While Jagan's labour is manual; he is a vendor of sweets, Mali want to go into industrial business.
- Generation gap: As one opposing British rule in his youth, and sticking to those ideals as a grown man, Jagan fails to see that his son does not share those same ideals. It is not apparent whose fault it is that Mali does not want to follow his father, his own or Jagan's.
Read more about this topic: The Vendor Of Sweets
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