Dénouement: He receives the scale from the python and burns it over the night taper, so removing the spell. He learns that Ali Beg and Nagy N’Yang are with him, and says he and Nagy will not go up-country again.
The Narrator. The first person is preferable; for since Paul learns but tardily certain steps of the complication, the reader (who knows only what Paul knows) must remain in suspense. Try telling the story from an objective point of view, placing every step in its chronological order. What does the story lose?
Characterization. Compare the characteristics of these Oriental figures with those in “A Simple Act of Piety.” What have they in common? Why does Mr. Gilbert choose a half-breed as his narrator and hero? Point out every example of Paul’s fearlessness. Why does he not appear conceited or egotistical, as the first person narrator is in danger of seeming? What is Pra Oom Bwhat’s distinguishing trait? Point out all examples of his duplicity; of his religious or superstitious nature.
Show that love, in one guise or another, largely motivates every stage of the action, with certain exceptions, which result from thwarted love. To what extent does religion motivate the acts?
Is the python a “character”? What is Nagy N’Yang’s chief rôle? Is Ali Beg’s part too obvious?
Local Color. Why and how does the author emphasize the setting in the first paragraph? Where is the snake motif introduced? Trace its progress, not only for its plot value, but for its contribution to the reader’s realization of setting. Where are the rains first mentioned? What inanimate objects contribute to the local color? What customs? What beliefs? Is the story primarily one of setting, plot, or character; or have the elements been harmonized into an evenly balanced narrative?
Atmosphere. Is the mood or “feel” of the story a trifle too near melodrama? What phases of the action, if any, would you subdue?
Details. “Take away the medicine” (third paragraph). Does this indication that a sick person is the narrator surprise you? If so, is the technique sound?
Why are the details of Paul’s courtship left to the reader?
Is the fight between Paul and Pra Oom Bwhat presented economically? convincingly?