Sidhwa's "Ice-Candy-Man" deals with a state of great anxiety, confusion and uncertainty depicted through the eyes of a young Parsee girl. We see the Indian partition unravel itself with a great sense of urgency. Sidhwa brings the text to life through her comical and honest style of writing. Readers are taken aback by the tragic distraught yet humorous atmosphere contained within the vividly portrayed story.
Set in 1947, Lahore, the tale revolves around "Ayah", her several suitors and what becomes of them. Through the several encounters that take place in the park, we learn about the "Ice Candy Man" and the "Masseur as the story progresses. Interestingly enough Sidhwa gives each one of Ayah's suitor's different religious and cultural backgrounds as well as political affiliations, hence providing the reader with a more realistic and three dimensional setting.
Earlier in the plot, through Lenny's eyes we are shown the Ice-candy-man as a keen popsicle vendor whose toes sneak under Ayah's sari; a pretentious Sufi, with copper wiring wound around his neck and chest, who claims he is Allah's telephone; the fanatic leader of a mob, who deceivingly betrays his love; and a poet, reciting Urdu verses to woo the woman he has ruined. It is as if the Ice-candy-man is meant to symbolize the unreliable quality of humans and society as a whole. Sidhwa also proves through this personality how good and evil can co-exist in one person.
Ice-candy-man is portrayed as being rather well informed on current affairs and politics; in fact often he is Ayah's and Lenny's source of news and information. .
"News and gossip flow off his glib tongue like a torrent".
It is evident that however, Lenny sees him as a shady character. He is deliberately shown to us in a negative light; clearly this is a hint of how he will behave further into the story. One of Ayah's other suitors Masseur's character is fairly significant as he is Ayah's true love to whom she plans to be betrothed.
