Question

Mr. Oliver 'was not a nervous or imaginative man'? What is the importance of
this expression in the context of the story? -A Face in the Dark by Ruskin Bond.​

Answer 1

Answer:

We see Mr. Oliver taking the usually lonely path through the pine forest while returning to the school compound from the Simla bazaar even late at night. That only supports the narrator’s comment on him not being nervous. He is seemingly courageous enough to take that lonely way while other people are afraid of the eerie sound made by the wind through the pine forest. We also find Mr. Oliver’s common sense in carrying a torch with him.

Answer 2

this expression conveys to the readers that Mr. Oliver did not “see” ominous things in the dark. he did not get was not afraid to walk through dark woods at night simply because it was dark and scary. he was a pragmatic man who used the shorter route despite it being very dark. thus, when he sees the faceless boy, the theme of supernaturalness is intensified.