Text Analysis: Royalty by Anita Desai (CIE AS Language)

This resource contains a sample answer for the text analysis question on Paper 1 of the CIE AS English Language (9093) syllabus. The text being analysed is:

An extract from the short story Royalty by Anita Desai.

Due to copyright reasons, a copy of the text has not been provided. However, the text is available:

• In the CIE AS and A Level English Language (9093) coursebook
• Online
• As part of Anita Desai’s collection Diamond Dust and Other Stories

Excerpt from the text analysis response:
Before he even arrives, the writer foreshadows Raja’s disruptive influence. She describes how Ravi’s falling hands created a “crash” and made everything “rattle and jar”. These onomatopoeic words suggest destruction and discord, and contrast with the earlier order and organisation of the couple’s preparations. This is reinforced by the writer’s reference to the “great shiver” which “ran through the house like a wind blowing”. The image of the “wind” evokes the idea of transformation or change running through the house, and foreshadows the idea that Raja’s arrival will cause disrupt the couple or cause chaos. Having seen in the first paragraph how diligently the couple had worked to create order and prepare for their trip, the reader feels frustrated to see these efforts spoiled by the mysterious Raja. Furthermore, the metaphor of the “radiant serpent” has connotations of an insidious evil, reinforcing the idea that his arrival will not have a positive effect on the couple.