Your Last Name
Sumita mentions the incident in a lake when she nearly drowns and how desperately she moves her arms and legs in the water to breathe the searing air again. This memory is a defining moment when she decides to stay in the U.S. She feels that she must become independent to live and breathe freely. She compares her future position as a widow in Indian society to a dove without wings (Divakaruni 7), and she does not want to be it. A red marriage mark was removed from Sumita’s forehead, and her bangle was broken during a ritual, signifying that she was no longer Somesh’s wife. Sumita is freed from her duty as a wife, and she has not tied to her husband’s family anymore, therefore, she can stay in America.
The woman who she sees in the mirror is Sumita in the future. The color of almonds is similar to that of the American dress that Sumita wears when she stands in front of schoolchildren. This vision most likely indicates that she will pursue a career as a teacher or will run her husband’s store in the U.S in the future. The outfit gives her strength because she has found her place in American society. Sumita will not wear a white sari, a symbol of death, but rather an outfit that signifies her future free life.
The main female character struggles with her identity as an Indian woman in the U.S. After she loses her husband, Sumita does not want to go back to her home country with the in-laws. Different types of clothing are shown to illustrate the contrast between Indian and American ways of life. She does not wish her culture to define her future life. Therefore, she refuses to wear a white sari in the future and pictures herself in an American-style outfit.
Work Cited
Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. Arranged Marriage. Doubleday Books, 1996.