The choices Larry makes and their ramifications for those around him especially Isabel, who continues to miss his presence in her life are played out against the backdrop of the 1980s and 90s. In its exploration of a nation s social history at a time of great change (Maugham s setting being the years before and after the Great Depression) as well as in characterization and narrative structure, With the Tiger takes its inspiration from the master storyteller, but its location in a different place and time allows for a fresh interpretation of the Westerner s experience of India.