In Custody

by

Anita Desai

The Tailor Character Analysis

The tailor who works downstairs from Raj’s family apartment has started living there with Raj’s elderly, widowed aunt. He claims that she feeds and houses him in exchange for “protection,” but in reality, he is taking advantage of her hospitality. Like so many of the novel’s other characters, he pretends to be generous and caring in order to disguise the way that he takes advantage of others. But since Deven also stays at Raj’s house rent-free, the tailor’s behavior raises the question of whether Deven is taking advantage of others, too.
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The Tailor Character Timeline in In Custody

The timeline below shows where the character The Tailor appears in In Custody. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9
Memory and the Passage of Time Theme Icon
Ambition and Failure Theme Icon
Family, Gender, and Indian Tradition Theme Icon
...feeds anyone who needs food. She also does several elaborate pujas (prayers) every evening while the tailor sings religious songs for her. At night, the tailor tells Deven boring stories about his... (full context)