Like Mr. Biswas's family, the Tulsis are "pious, conservative, landowning" (53) Indian Hindus who emigrated to Trinidad. Soon, Mr. Biswas grows very close to them. Pundit Tulsi is considered to be the founder of the family. He was a religious figure whose reputation grew when he was killed in a car accident at a time when the automobile was still a novel invention. Pundit Tulsi was from a respected family in India, so his decision to move to Trinidad was never fully understood. On the island, however, he quickly rose to become one of the most respected and pious men in his community. The Tulsi family is now large, and many members live together in Hanuman House, named for the statue of the Hindu monkey-god which is perched on the roof. The house is attached to the store where most of the family members work.

After the death of Pundit Tulsi, Mrs. Tulsi took over his role as the head of the family. She shares this responsibility with Seth, the husband of her sister. Seth hires Mr. Biswas to write a sign for the family store. At the store, Mr. Biswas decides that the "most attractive" (54) shop assistant is a girl named

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