The Village By The Sea - plot

Desai set up a plot and a sub-plot, she created these with a contrast to show the difference between Bombay and Thul. The main plot is Hari running away and escaping to Bombay. The sub-plot is Lila and her sisters stuck in Thul with their sick mother and intoxicated father. The contrast is created because Thul is depicted as being a place of sickness where everyone wants to get out of whereas Bombay is a richer place where there isn't as much poverty. After Hari leaves for Bombay he becomes the main character and Lila and her sisters back in Thul become minor characters.