In addition to politics and alterity, Mistry's fiction foregrounds numerous other themes.

• Tradition and memory

• The public realm

• Age

• Women, family and society

This chapter explores these recurrent themes in his work.

Tradition and Memory

Nostalgia is a recurrent theme in Mistry's fiction. This nostalgia is generally for a past way of life, forever lost to the main characters. It is occasionally manifest in the idealization of religious rituals which are seen as a way to preserve the past and prevent the disintegration of the family and the community. It also takes the form of reminiscing about childhood which is seen as a more stable and reassuring world than the present. These reminiscences, presented in the stories of various characters in both the short stories and the novels, are linked to the changed circumstances of the Parsi community following Independence. This politico-cultural nostalgia helps to create a sense of loss about the changed circumstances of the characters in both domestic and public spheres.

The nostalgia for bygone days is echoed by many characters in the novels. We first see it in Tehmina from ‘One Sunday’ in Tales from Firozsha Baag. However, it seems that at this stage in his writing, Mistry is still ironical about this ‘lost Eden’ attitude. Though Tehmina is presented as a victim of circumstances, she is also a political caricature with her cataract, her sloppy duster-coat and her irrational fears.