The Night Diary

Art is prevalent throughout The Night Diary and takes on different meanings depending on the character with which it is associated. Amil, Nisha’s twin brother, is the character most immediately associated with art. Amil perceives the world differently and can illustrate what he sees using charcoal and paper. He presents dyslexic tendencies in his struggles to read and in his sense of how objects, even letters, exist in space. The latter does not help Amil to read, but it does enhance his artistic abilities. Amil’s art is indicative of his free-spirited self-possession. It is the tool he uses it to taunt unkind boys at school and, likewise, ingratiate himself to Chitra, his favorite girl. As the tension of the narrative builds, Amil uses his art to exert control. When Papa insists he bring a book on their journey to Jodhpur instead of his drawings, Amil burns his own art in protest. Amil also uses his art to leave proof of his existence. His family is being forced from their home to make way for another family; in subtle protest, Amil carves pictures into the walls of their garden shed. The carvings are a permanent way to mark what is his, a way of proving he’d been there.