critical appreciation of tiger in the tunnel by ruskin bond
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'The Tiger in the Tunnel' is a simple, yet touching story by Ruskin Bond. It depicts the courage and the trials and tribulations of ordinary men like Baldeo who run risks and face the dangers of jungle beasts which prowl at night. He lays down his life in the line of duty so that the train, the night mail, may travel safely with all its passengers. The author has very deftly depicted the eeriness of the jungle at night, with the wild animals lurking in the darkness. The cold night, the stillness, the cutting before the tunnel with its overhanging sheer rocks and the denseness of the jungle, all of these build up an atmosphere suited to the story of Baldeo’s courage, his fight with the tiger, and his death. The story also brings out with a few clever strokes the fears of the boy Tembu, his concern for his father, and then his quick adjustment to being the bread–winner of his poor tribal family after the death of his father. The final touching scene of the story shows Tembu taking up his late father’s duty as a night watchman, holding the sharp axe with which his father had fought his last losing battle with the tiger. He is no longer afraid, yet ready to face any new danger that might confront him. The axe in his hand becomes a symbol – a symbol of commitment to duty and a symbol of man’s lasting war against the forces of nature.