Honor

In this section, more Family Dynamics and Secrets are revealed. With the reveal of Smita’s past, the reader now understands why her and Pushpa Auntie’s encounter was hostile. As children, Smita’s brother Sameer endured a test similar to that of Meena’s brothers in that both laud “purity.” Sameer’s neighbors wanted to verify his Hindu identity through a lack of circumcision, as Muslim boys are circumcised. This test was forced upon boys and men during the Partition, making Sameer’s incident a reenactment of this horrific period in Indian history. As for girls and women, their “virginity” is often questioned and tested. However, the man who groped a young Smita was likely more interested in humiliating her than verifying “virginity.” Sexual assault and harassment are often acts of asserting Izzat (Honor) and Patriarchy in the Indian Subcontinent. By revealing her past to Mohan, Smita “purifies” her guilt and is able to move forward. She no longer needs the “armor” of revenge fantasies that she has been wearing for decades—introducing the theme of Personal Redemption and Reunification.

Smita also reflects on the consequences of outside interference in Meena’s life—including her own. Despite her and Anjali being women of color, Smita’s reflection connects their respective positions as journalist and lawyer to the concept of the “white savior.” The term comes from Rudyard Kipling’s imperialist poem “The White Man’s Burden” (1899): This “savior” is a privileged person who “rescues” an oppressed person of color, often to sate their own ego. Shannon is the only white woman in the novel, but Smita and Anjali are also privileged—and thus in a position to influence Meena, who is less privileged. Smita accuses Anjali of using Meena like a “sacrificial lamb” (248), a means to push her type of court case. In a later conversation, Smita’s editor reminds her that there is a fine line between journalism and voyeurism, of becoming too invested in a story.

Despite these challenges, this section works to bring Smita and Meena closer together by showing their hands entwined in the courthouse. Smita wants to share her story with Meena to encourage her to leave her village and start anew. She sees Meena as a reflection of what her life might have been if she had not been able to escape the communal violence of her past. However, the eruption of “Jai Hind” or “long live India” after the non-guilty verdict foreshadows future “purification”—as the verdict was enabled by Meena’s eldest brother and Rupal. What was once a slogan of national unity against British colonialism has become one of righteousness against the Muslim “other.”