Quotes
"Eliot, if I began to scream right now would someone come?" Mrs. Sen asks this because.....
She is not used to the strangely distant community that surrounds her compared to her tight-knit community of women in India.
What physical object does the red powder that Mrs. Sen puts on her scalp replace?
A wedding ring as the red powder signifies her marriage to Mr. Sen.
The character that doesn't know how to drive.
Who is Mrs. Sen?
What is the definition of the Racial lense?
The racial lens allows readers to notice how race often intersects with social class, and how some people have more power and privilege than others based on their racial backgrounds.
Three prominent themes in Mrs. Sens.
"As you can see, our home is quite safe, quite comfortable for a child." Who says this?
Who is Mrs. Sen.
What does the sari that Mrs Sen wears represent?
The sari represents her traditional and cultural roots, and as she is able to wear the sari every day, it allows her to carry close a piece of her home country in a foreign land.
Two things that make Mrs. Sen happy.
What is letters from her family in India and fresh fish.
How does Mrs. Sen's immigration to the U.S take a toll on her physcologically?
It sheds light on the psychological complexities of immigrant experiences and cultural adaptation.Mrs. Sen is unable to move on from her homesickness, and her life revolves around her family back home and her longing to see them. The unfamiliarity of her new environment creates an unstable mindset.
“It was never a special occasion, nor was she ever expecting company. It was merely dinner for herself and Mr Sen…” What theme does this connect to and why?
This connects to the theme of loneliness - Mrs. Sen does not feel welcome in the community as she doesnt have any friends outside of Mr. Sen. She ultimately feels lonely and like an outsider to her own living community.
[They] had to bring a portable heater along whenever they moved from one room to another, and to seal the windows with plastic sheets." Why did they do this?
There was no heating in their house/it was broken. The winter was very cold, so they had to turn on a heater.
What purpose does the blade that Mrs. Sen uses to cut up fruit and vegetables have (metaphorically)?
The blade is one of the connections that Mrs. Sen keeps close to reminder her of all the times she spent cooking and cutting in India. It keeps her traditional ways alive, and sets her apart from American culinary culture.
Character who works very far from home and barely spends time with their family.
Who is Eliot's mother.
How does Eliot's mother marginalize Mrs. Sen?
Eliot's mother refuses Mrs. Sen's food, and is skeptical when she first meets her in the interview.
“Here, in this place where Mr. Sen has brought me, I cannot sometimes sleep in so much silence.” Why cant Mrs. Sen fall asleep in her new home?
She struggles to assimilate to her new home in the U.S.
“‘Mr. Sen teaches mathematics at the university,’ Mrs. Sen had said by way of introduction, as if they were only distantly acquainted.” What does this show about Mr. and Mrs. Sen's relationship?
They are very distant and have grown apart from each other.
What does the aspect of not being able to drive limit Mrs. Sen to do?
character who got fired from her caregiving job for being an alcoholic.
Who is Mrs. Linden.
The lack of a tight-knit community in the U.S compared to the one Mrs. Sen had in India makes her feel....
what is loneliness and isolation.
“By then Eliot understood that when Mrs. Sen said home, she meant _____, not the apartment where she sat chopping vegetables” (116) What insight does Eliot get into the meaning of the word "home" for Mrs. Sen?
He realizes that her real home is India, where she has her tight-knit community and where she left behind the ways she grew up with.
“The mention of the word [India] seemed to release something in her. She neatened the border of her sari where it rose diagonally across her chest... ‘Everything is there.’” What did Mrs. Sen feel with the word "India"?
She felt pride and homesickness of her home country.
What do the fish represent in the story?
The fish Mrs. Sen buys and prepares symbolizes her attempt to hold onto familiar customs and tastes from India. It's a link to her past and a way for her to create a sense of home despite being thousands of miles away from it.
the first thing Eliot had learned sinced going to Mrs. Sen's apartment.
How does the Socioeconomic lense apply to the Mrs. Sen?
Mrs. Sen's economic privileges in India is contrasted with her middle-class status in America, as well as the economic pressures faced by Eliot's mother, which highlights the differences and loss in her journey of migration.
Eliot's mother constantly refuses to take the food Mrs. Sen gives her when she comes to pick Eliot up. What does this reveal about Eliot's mothers opinions about Mrs. Sen's traditional ways and her cooking?
She treats Mrs. Sen like a strange foreign figure, as if she is isolated and unwelcome from traditional American ways such as the style of cooking. It only reinforces the feeling of loneliness that Mrs Sen has while being rejected from trying to be friendly to others.