General
What happens to the Oxford scholarship?
Anamikas parents forbid her from going and make her marry a man that they have set for her because they believe she is of age to get married.
What is Anamika’s husband like?
He is an older snobby man who is highly educated, he cares more about his mom and family rather than Anamika.
What does the flower pot represent in this chapter?
Being ready for marriage and growth/next step in life
Why did Anamika sacrifice her own happiness for her family?
She sacrificed her own happiness because of the expectations places on her after marriage
How does the authors aesthetic choices reveal something about the characters that the characters could not express with words?
The author uses imagery, symbolism, setting and action to communicate emotions.
What was unusual about Anamika compared with other women in her family?
She was really educated
How does Uma feel about Anamika?
Uma admires Anamika and sees her as someone who is talented and successful
Why does the author compare Anamika to a flower?
To emphasize her beauty and delicate appearance
What does this chapter suggest about the importance of family expectation?
it may suggest that family expectations can strongly influence a persons choice and behavior even if it’s not what that person truly wants
What emotion might the author make us want to feel towards Anamika?
Your answer if it makes sense and is explained well
Why does Uma hope for Anamika to return to her home?
Uma hopes for Anamika to return home so she could find safety from her abuse, and a place where she will not be treated like a servant.
What makes the jewelry store person important even though he is not the central character?
He still pretends that Uma has a chance at getting married, he shows that Uma has failed at being able to get married. Marriage expectations are expressed by people around Uma.
What does Anamikas miscarriage represent?
Her miscarriage represents her life being ripped away, destroys her ability to start a new future, because of this she is no longer the “perfect” girl everyone saw her to be.
Can family expectations prevent someone from being happy?
Yes. As you can tell with Anamika’s life her parents expectations on marriage and being a wide prevented her from living the life she truly wanted.
What is the main contrast described in the this chapter? ( Hint: relates mainly to Anamika)
Anamikas beauty, her being the golden girl of the family, and the wedding contrasts with her later unhappiness
What might Uma learn from Anamika's story?
She learns that marriage and family expectations can affect a women’s life
How are Anamika and Uma similar?
What does the Oxford scholarship represent for Anamika?
It represents freedom, a potential future for her and breaking cultural expectation.
How does Anamikas situation in this chapter relate to society’s expectations/culture?
Anamika is expected to become a wife and serve her husbands family rather than continue finding her own identity. Many women are expected to do the same because of their culture.
What are some ways that the author used description/imagery in the chapter?
The author compares Anamika to a flower to emphasize her beauty, and being a sweet women with great manners which makes the readers visualize her as a delicate a beautiful person.
What is an important lesson from Anamika’s story?
A persons talents/potential can be limited when they are denied freedoms and treated unfairly
How does Anamika contrast Uma?
Uma wants more control in her life, Anamika follows traditional cultural expectations. The differences between them could show how different women can respond differently to the same situations. Anamika confirms traditional gender roles, she accepts her parent’s expectations of her. Uma rebels against the expectations and she sees a different path for herself.
How does Chapter 6 turn the idea of “feasting” into something negative?
The family appears to “feast” on Anamikas beauty, intelligence, and social success which deprives Anamika of freedom and happiness.
How is Appearance VS. Reality related to Anamika in this chapter?
Anamika appeared to have everything that a woman could possibly want; beauty, intelligence, a husband, etc. Her marriage seemed to be successful from the outside, but in reality is was the complete opposite.
How does the authors diction change when describing how Anamika and her husband act at the wedding?
Her husband is cold, he seems to not really notice his bride. He is more focused on his own mother rather than Anamika. Anamika is quiet, she just has to accept the wedding because her Oxford scholarship is gone.