The garage behind Ravi is locked, and Ravi wishes he were tall enough to reach the key hanging on a nearby nail. Next to the garage is a smaller shed , which is also locked. However, the door is nearly off its hinges, and there is a small gap between the door and the walls just large enough for Ravi to slip into. As he hears Raghu approaching, he slips through the crack.
Desai establishes Ravi as one of the younger and weaker members of the group as well, illustrating with these descriptions that he is closer to Manu in age and status than he is to Raghu. Ravi is impressed with himself for his boldness as he waits in the shed , particularly because the shed is very dark and somewhat eerie.
Because he cannot see, he worries about what kind of creatures might lurk inside it—perhaps there are insects or snakes slithering around. Ravi refuses to move, also worried about what he might touch. Raghu hits the wall of the shed with a stick, and even though it frightens Ravi, he feels protected knowing that Raghu is there. That Ravi feels protected by Raghu further reinforces this fear. Even though Ragu is trying to intimidate Ravi, simply having someone around him who is familiar fills him with a greater sense of security.
Raghu then moves away from the shed , and Ravi sits in the shed for a long time. He feels something tickle the back of his neck and gradually builds up the courage to feel what it is. He realizes it is a spider and squashes it against his neck, and he worries again about what other creatures might be watching him.
He finds an old bathtub that he recognizes and sits inside it. Desai again establishes the idea that the unknown is the primary source of fear for Ravi.
He is terrified to check what might be crawling on his neck, but as soon as he realizes it is a spider, he squashes it readily. By contrast, he is clearly drawn to and protected by things that are familiar to him, like the bathtub that he recognizes. Ravi contemplates getting caught by Raghu so that he could be free to be out in the sun with his siblings and cousins once more.
But then he hears one of the girls scream as Raghu catches her before she touches the white pillar on the veranda , which they call the den, that serves as their home base.
Ravi contemplates the idea that everyone else might be caught and he would be the sole winner. Desai contrasts the darkness and eeriness of the shed with the vision of sunlight and the comfort of playing with the other children, emphasizing how the unknown breeds fear, while clarity and familiarity bring about a sense of safety.
Additionally, it is at this point that Ravi starts to dream of glory, maintaining the innocent fantasy of being able to win the game over other children. Time passes, and Ravi occasionally gets up, tries to listen for sounds of the game, and then returns to the bathtub.
He is determined to be the champion among the group. It grows darker, changing into twilight. Through the crack in the shed , Ravi tries to catch sight of the other children. Themes All Themes. Symbols All Symbols. Theme Wheel. Everything you need for every book you read. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive.
At the end of the story, when Ravi emerges from his hiding spot, Mira tells him to stop crying and says him that if he wants to play in their singing game, he should get at the back of the line.
For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:. Games at Twilight Quotes. Related Characters: Mother speaker , Mira , Raghu. Related Themes: Social Hierarchy. Page Number and Citation : Cite this Quote. Explanation and Analysis:. He bursts through the crack in the shed and runs to the den, tears streaming down his face as he declares himself the winner of the game.
The other children are stunned to see Ravi; they had completely forgotten about him. They had moved on to many other activities and games. Instead, he lays face down on the grass, feeling crushed by his own insignificance. Games at Twilight. Plot Summary. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of every Shakespeare play.
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