The Significance of the Title
“In the South” by Salman Rushdie is a short story about two older men, Senior and Junior, sharing their life stories. It describes the lives of two elderly Indian men who are similar yet distinct from one another. Rushdie examines the issues of identity, family, and death in the narrative. He raises the issue of what constitutes a life well-lived.
Salman’s tale is titled “In the South” since it takes place in Chennai, a city in southern India. The events in the story took place in late 2004, right before Christmas, and after Christmas.
The Role of Regions in the Story
Additionally, Junior and Senior live near Elliot’s Beach. Elliot’s Beach, also known as Besant Nagar, is situated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located near the southernmost point of Marina Beach. Elliot’s Beach is relevant to this story because it is situated in southern India, where the narrative primarily takes place. The title is also significant since Junior and Senior reside in the south of their city, their nation, and their continent. The story revolves around these two characters, hence its title.
The Place of Mumbai in the Story
In the story, Junior had one friend, D’Mello, who lived in Mumbai and was twenty years his junior. D’Mello preferred to be spoken to in English, as he considered it the world’s first language. This is typical of people who live in Mumbai, as English is one of the major languages spoken in the city.
Seniors view Mumbai as a city on the country’s coast, a frontier town, rather than a city that belonged to the north or south. The megalopolis of the borders and the location in between are the most incredible, most wonderful, and most terrifying of all such places. Mumbai has a deep natural harbor and is situated on the western coast of India, on the Konkan coast.