Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss is deliberately hallmarked by its abundance of juxtapositions within the text. Sai and Gyan, the atmospheres of Kalimpong and the Gorkha National Liberation Front Movement, as well as the colonial and postcolonial world are placed side by side to evoke deep contrasts. The protagonist, Sai Mistry, undergoes a personal development process that is the product of her life circumstances, her interactions with Gyan, as well as her experience living amidst the Gorkha National Liberation Movement. On one hand, Sai’s experience growing up in a sheltered environment adds innocence to her personality. On the other hand, her experience as an orphan and the influence of the Judge-- a bitter retiree who believes Western
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Despite Sai and Gyan’s efforts to reconcile their relationship, the narrator comments that “in the end what Sai and Gyan had excelled at was the first touch” (273). Albeit a sad realization, Sai’s inability to forget her passionate connection with Gyan leads her to learn that the progression of events in life does not always happen when one expects it to-- let alone in an evenly-spaced fashion. Sai also realizes that while something may be a positive force in her life at one point it may be momentary. Moreover,most things in life are not constant; they come and go. Sai also comments that her view of Gyan as a “bloody frog” (273) is something that she can barely recognize. Desai’s illusion to the Grimm Fairy Tale The Frog Prince emphasizes that our culture’s most iconic stories do not necessarily dictate the way in which one’s life plays out. In fact, Sai’s experience seeing Gyan directly contrast the plot of the fairy tale as he turns from a ‘prince’ to a ‘frog’ not only slyly mocks western culture but also shows that life does not often go as planned. Moreover, Sai’s experience losing her connection with Gyan helps her mature because she is able to understand the importance of being …show more content…
Amidst Sai and Gyan’s argument, Gyan exclaims to Sai: “I’m only human and sometimes I 'm weak.” (273) While this was a frustrating thing for Sai to hear, Gyan’s acceptance of his humanity shows Sai that she can do the same. Specifically, this lesson is able to apply to Sai’s life in the sense that she doesn’t need to adhere to the expectations and behavior of her caste; she just needs to be human. Furthermore, Sai learns that the human experience often includes recognizing that perfection is unattainable and that every person’s capabilities are limited. Following Gyan’s “sorry” (274), Sai develops a “demoness of rage” (274) inside of her. Sai is upset that it is “the unjust truth” (275) that Gyan doesn’t have to listen to her; however, the silver-lining of this moment is that she learns also doesn’t have to listen to others. She doesn’t have to adhere to the strict rules and norms of her culture. Moreover, Sai is learning that she can be independent; her actions do not have to fit a specific standard. Furthermore, these realizations help Sai realize that there is “grace in forgetting and giving up”. (275) Sometimes one has to accept others’ faults and move on. Moreover, the fact that Gyan is able to teach her a multitude of lessons without deliberately intending to do so helps Sai understand that she never has to feel “intensely, fearfully female” (6). Instead, Sai can be a
Despite Sai and Gyan’s efforts to reconcile their relationship, the narrator comments that “in the end what Sai and Gyan had excelled at was the first touch” (273). Albeit a sad realization, Sai’s inability to forget her passionate connection with Gyan leads her to learn that the progression of events in life does not always happen when one expects it to-- let alone in an evenly-spaced fashion. Sai also realizes that while something may be a positive force in her life at one point it may be momentary. Moreover,most things in life are not constant; they come and go. Sai also comments that her view of Gyan as a “bloody frog” (273) is something that she can barely recognize. Desai’s illusion to the Grimm Fairy Tale The Frog Prince emphasizes that our culture’s most iconic stories do not necessarily dictate the way in which one’s life plays out. In fact, Sai’s experience seeing Gyan directly contrast the plot of the fairy tale as he turns from a ‘prince’ to a ‘frog’ not only slyly mocks western culture but also shows that life does not often go as planned. Moreover, Sai’s experience losing her connection with Gyan helps her mature because she is able to understand the importance of being …show more content…
Amidst Sai and Gyan’s argument, Gyan exclaims to Sai: “I’m only human and sometimes I 'm weak.” (273) While this was a frustrating thing for Sai to hear, Gyan’s acceptance of his humanity shows Sai that she can do the same. Specifically, this lesson is able to apply to Sai’s life in the sense that she doesn’t need to adhere to the expectations and behavior of her caste; she just needs to be human. Furthermore, Sai learns that the human experience often includes recognizing that perfection is unattainable and that every person’s capabilities are limited. Following Gyan’s “sorry” (274), Sai develops a “demoness of rage” (274) inside of her. Sai is upset that it is “the unjust truth” (275) that Gyan doesn’t have to listen to her; however, the silver-lining of this moment is that she learns also doesn’t have to listen to others. She doesn’t have to adhere to the strict rules and norms of her culture. Moreover, Sai is learning that she can be independent; her actions do not have to fit a specific standard. Furthermore, these realizations help Sai realize that there is “grace in forgetting and giving up”. (275) Sometimes one has to accept others’ faults and move on. Moreover, the fact that Gyan is able to teach her a multitude of lessons without deliberately intending to do so helps Sai understand that she never has to feel “intensely, fearfully female” (6). Instead, Sai can be a