In “An Astrologer’s Day” R. K. Narayan uses imagery as he describes the setting in the city marketplace where the astrologer has minimally outfitted his stall. The astrologer sees his clients “by the light of a flare which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby.” These images appeal to the senses of sight and sound. However, the author goes further with his description of the lighting in the area when he writes, “The place was lit up by shop lights. One or two had hissing gaslights.” Again, the reader can imagine that the area was dim with a “sssssss” sound in the background. The author proceeds to say that the astrologer’s stall had no lights of its own therefore one gets the feeling that he was working in a very dimly lit area with simple background noises; the only illumination was provided by the lights from other workspaces. “It was a be-wildering criss-cross of light rays and moving shadows. This suited the astrologer very well.”