I had grown up as a fan of Studs Terkel. In Chicago he sort of looms large and is mentioned often.
Many characters in the novel are representative of types that exist in India. He represents the caste system in India with an air of superiority, the caste system in India and the people thinking that western things are better.
Art is the window to man's soul. Without it, he would never be able to see beyond his immediate world; nor could the world see the man within.

