THE SKELETON LOCK
and
THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF SHADOWS

Srinjay Chakravarti is a writer, editor, and translator based in Kolkata, India. He is a former journalist with The Financial Times Group. He has worked on the editorial staff of an international online financial news service. He has also worked on the editorial staff of an Indian daily newspaper. He currently works as a freelance academic/research editor and editorial consultant. Chakravarti says that one of his passions is "glocal" literature. "Glocal" is a combination of the words "global" and "local".

REFLECT: What makes writing "glocal"?

India is a country in South Asia and has one of the oldest civilizations. Different tribes, empires, and dynasties have ruled the land, including invaders from Turkey and Afghanistan. European explorers began trading and colonization as early as the 1600s. Great Britain ruled the area from the 1800s until Indian independence in 1947. More recently, India has experienced economic growth, but still faces social, environmental, and economic problems.

About 1.4 billion people live in India, and the United Nations estimates that it will soon be the world's most populous nation with more citizens than even China. Indians speak a large number of different languages. Hindi is the most popular. English is one of more than 20 officially recognized languages in India, but it is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication.

REFLECT: Why has English remained an important language in India?

1. In The Skeleton Lock, Dadu is getting ready to leave. He says he's going far, far away. Why is he leaving? And where is he going?
   

2. Dadu says that the skeleton lock exists "because it has to exist, it must exist. Someday, perhaps, the world will need more such skeleton locks.” Why will the world need more skeleton locks?
   

3. In The Epistemology of Shadows, the narrator catches and sells many different kinds of shadows. Who do you think buys them? What do they do with them?
   

4. Both stories use symbolism. This means that one thing represents another thing, idea, or quality. What does the skeleton lock signify? What do the shadows signify? Can you identify other symbols?

1. In the first story, Dadu asks, "Does everything have a purpose?" What do you think? Can you give examples of things with a purpose and things without a purpose?
   

2. At the end of The Skeleton Lock, Dadu begins to speak directly to the reader. Why? What effect is the author trying to achieve?
   

3. In the second story, the shadows are a form of traditional medicine. In the U.S., this is sometimes called alternative medicine. It is not very common, and many people doubt its value. What role does traditional or alternative medicine play in your culture?
   

4. Read this definition of magic realism. What is the magical realism in these two short stories? Do you agree that it's a natural outcome of "postcolonial writing"? Why or why not?