Who Is Jane?

Although Jane's story is unique and specific, I feel as though I've heard it before; A foreign individual desperate to assimilate, yet ends up settling for a mediocre life. At one point Jane says, "He is happy. And I am happy enough" (21). For Jane, anything seems better than the life she fled, a life mysterious to the reader for the time being. Jane appears to be a simple character, but I think there is more to her that I will eventually discover. Teddy Roosevelt's, "Speak softly but carry a big stick" I think is meant to mirror Jane's personality; reserved, but with a lot of depth (28).

Jane's thoughts about acculturation correspond with what I recently learned in my Human Geography class. One of the first things you change in an alien culture is the way you dress. Clothing is the first thing to go and on Jane recognizes this by saying, "Once we start letting go - let go just one thing, like not wearing our normal clothes, or a turban or not wearing a tika on the forehead - the rest goes on its own down a sinkhole"(29). Usually the last custom to change is food, and it is evident that Jane is still making her traditional food for her family and friends. I think the reason people cling to food rather than clothing is because eating is a more personal activity and tends to be concealed. Differences are usually not widely accepted in any host society and clothing is a more obvious dissimilarity.

In the first few chapters, I've been trying to piece Jane's past together. I think she worked as an illegal immigrant for some time. When she is watching a show about illegal Mexican workers she thinks, "One minute they were squatting on the floor webbing lawn furniture at some insane wage - I know, I've been there..." (27). I also know her family was once very wealthy, but that was a life she never knew. This reminded me of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, where the main character was also from Lahore. His family had also been very wealthy, but they slowly lost it all. I believe Jane has a troubled past and I'm eager to discover how it is going to affect her future.