Understanding the characters of The In-Between World of Vikram Lall, by M.G. Vikram Vassanji, is often going to be key to any assignment you have on it, whether it’s specifically about the characters or not.

The first and most important character is Vikram himself. His time in Kenya in the 1950s, during Kenya’s independence push, is central to what the novel is all about. The story is actually narrated from Vikram’s perspective in the future, talking about his life in the past, and this narrative style will surely be relevant to your analysis since it adds a wistful, bittersweet tone to the story and to the feel of the character.

Vikram’s father is named Ashok and he was fond of the British during their rule. He even served in the Home Guard under the British. When working on an assignment about this book, it can help to look at Vikram’s father, since his pro-British leanings stand in contrast to the independence movement in Kenya that is central to the way the book begins.

Other important characters include Deepa, Vikram’s sister, and Njoroge, someone that both brother and sister meet while growing up in a British-controlled Kenya. Vikram and his sister also meet a British brother and sister named Anne and Bill Bruce. These two later end up dead due to an important event in Kenyan history that’s brought up in the book called The “Mau Mau Uprising.” This was a rebellion against British rule in Kenya.

You can use Anna’s death as an important character point for Vikram because he was fond of her.