What Is Ravi's Motivation In Games At Twilight

Ravi’s Motivation “Games at Twilight,” is a short story written by Anita Desai about a young boy named Ravi on his quest to win intense game of hide and seek. Ravi has a rough history with hide and seek due to the fact that he has never won a game. Ravi’s emotional struggles with inferiority display his desire for winning the game. Ravi’s lacking of any physical ability, and being unable to win at anything creates a great deal of stress. “He had no faith in his short legs compared to Raghu’s long, hefty footballer legs.”(Desai 355) Due to Ravi’s miniscule figure, and Raghu’s athletic body, it makes him feel as if he has absolutely no chance of beating Raghu. Ravi feels at a disadvantage because his physical ability cannot outlast Raghu.“He sidled away and sat dejectedly on the flower pot. That at least was cut to his own size.” (Desai 355) Because Ravi has always lost he never looks to use his size as an advantage, rather sulks in the sorrow of being a loser. Ravi loses as soon as he starts because he has no faith in himself, the only thing he believes is that Raghu is better than him. Ravi absolutely hates being smaller than everyone else, and this hatred blinds him of the fact that he can use his size to win the game.

“Raghu didn’t find me. I won, I won” (Desai 358) Ravi had been so caught up with worrying about not being found that he didn’t realize that the others had started playing without him. His own selfishness and resounding desire to win blinded him from that he was too late. “He wanted victory and triumph-not a funeral.” (Desai 360) Ravi believed that he had finally finished the goal that he had struggled for for so long. Only to end up in a pit of sorrow regretting his nagging desire to win. The desire Ravi had to win only brought him more pain than praise in the