In the novel “The Return” by K.S. Maniam, there are two types of settings which are social setting and physical setting. Social setting refers to the time or period when the story is set in and physical setting refers to place where the story takes place.
In terms of social setting, the story is set between 1940 until 1962, from the pre-independence era of Malaya that is also known as the British colonial period in Malaya; to the Japanese occupation of Malaya; to the independence of Malaya; even until the time of emergency, when curfew hours were imposed due to the activities of the communists. The story is also set in a small town of Bedong, Kedah where most of the action takes place in the “lines” which is known as Bedong Group Hospital.
The novel deals with life of the Indian immigrants from lower social strata or rather labourers. They are the Tamils who had very little education worked in the district hospital and in the rubber estates. They included Kannan and his neighbours. On the other hand, there are also the educated Indians, like CD (Ayah), Mrs. CD and the Justice of the Peace (JP), who held more responsible positions and looked down upon the working class. They keep to themselves and constantly look down upon as well as discriminate the labourers. Meanwhile, there are also the British, who ran the country and held the top posts and they were feared and held in awe. Despite the differences in social ranks, the Indian community in Bedong does share similar cultural values. The Tamils observed Hindu festivals such as Deepavali, Thaipusam and Ponggal. They lived their lives according to mainly Hindu customs.
In terms of Physical settings, there is Bedong which is the place where Kannan’s family lives specifically beside the Hindu cemetery where Periathai puts up the first shelter in the most undeveloped part of the town. It is also the same place where Periathai dies of cancer. Besides that, there is the long house or better known as ‘the lines” which is the place where Ravi is introduced to formal Tamil education at first. In addition to this, there is the hospital compound where CD sneers at the Ravi and tells him he is fit only to wash other people’s dirty clothes. As Kannan’s business prospers, we witness the opening of the laundry shop in Bedong town. However, as the story spiral downwards for Kannan after the death of Periathai, the setting slowly changes to beside the river where Kannan’s tragic death occurs there.
Bedong is also where Ravi used to live in - the “lines” which are houses with little basic amenities. The lines is the place where most conflicts and values systems affect him. He goes to school around the area and it is where Miss Nancy influence him by providing him with hopes, a place for him escape poverty and oppression and that draws him away from life at the “lines”.
On the other hand, a different setting took place at Sungai Petani which is where Ravi goes to school and later returns to this place to teach. At the same place, we see Ravi gaining a place in the English school. At the end, Sungai Petani is also the same place where Ravi starts work as a qualified teacher.
Other less significant physical setting includes Gurun and Merbok where Kannan opens two laundry shops were here. Not forgetting England where Ravi goes to for two years for teaching training
As a conclusion, we see Kannan and Periathai being affected by their environment. They try very hard to establish roots in Malaya as well as to own their piece of land. However they both fail as we witness Periathai dies of cancer without achieving her dream whereas Kannan dies in a fire. Ravi, though saddened by the tragic lost, finds his own way out of the difficult life in Bedong and changes his fate through means of education.
In terms of social setting, the story is set between 1940 until 1962, from the pre-independence era of Malaya that is also known as the British colonial period in Malaya; to the Japanese occupation of Malaya; to the independence of Malaya; even until the time of emergency, when curfew hours were imposed due to the activities of the communists. The story is also set in a small town of Bedong, Kedah where most of the action takes place in the “lines” which is known as Bedong Group Hospital.
The novel deals with life of the Indian immigrants from lower social strata or rather labourers. They are the Tamils who had very little education worked in the district hospital and in the rubber estates. They included Kannan and his neighbours. On the other hand, there are also the educated Indians, like CD (Ayah), Mrs. CD and the Justice of the Peace (JP), who held more responsible positions and looked down upon the working class. They keep to themselves and constantly look down upon as well as discriminate the labourers. Meanwhile, there are also the British, who ran the country and held the top posts and they were feared and held in awe. Despite the differences in social ranks, the Indian community in Bedong does share similar cultural values. The Tamils observed Hindu festivals such as Deepavali, Thaipusam and Ponggal. They lived their lives according to mainly Hindu customs.
In terms of Physical settings, there is Bedong which is the place where Kannan’s family lives specifically beside the Hindu cemetery where Periathai puts up the first shelter in the most undeveloped part of the town. It is also the same place where Periathai dies of cancer. Besides that, there is the long house or better known as ‘the lines” which is the place where Ravi is introduced to formal Tamil education at first. In addition to this, there is the hospital compound where CD sneers at the Ravi and tells him he is fit only to wash other people’s dirty clothes. As Kannan’s business prospers, we witness the opening of the laundry shop in Bedong town. However, as the story spiral downwards for Kannan after the death of Periathai, the setting slowly changes to beside the river where Kannan’s tragic death occurs there.
Bedong is also where Ravi used to live in - the “lines” which are houses with little basic amenities. The lines is the place where most conflicts and values systems affect him. He goes to school around the area and it is where Miss Nancy influence him by providing him with hopes, a place for him escape poverty and oppression and that draws him away from life at the “lines”.
On the other hand, a different setting took place at Sungai Petani which is where Ravi goes to school and later returns to this place to teach. At the same place, we see Ravi gaining a place in the English school. At the end, Sungai Petani is also the same place where Ravi starts work as a qualified teacher.
Other less significant physical setting includes Gurun and Merbok where Kannan opens two laundry shops were here. Not forgetting England where Ravi goes to for two years for teaching training
As a conclusion, we see Kannan and Periathai being affected by their environment. They try very hard to establish roots in Malaya as well as to own their piece of land. However they both fail as we witness Periathai dies of cancer without achieving her dream whereas Kannan dies in a fire. Ravi, though saddened by the tragic lost, finds his own way out of the difficult life in Bedong and changes his fate through means of education.
