A young woman with her whole life before her, she believes that she has a choice -- either to return to India to live with her in-laws the rest of her life, or to stay alone in America with the $3,605.33 that she and her husband saved together (Albert 99)
By using her marriage as a springboard for independence, even after it ends, the author shows how Sumita is engaged in "the strenuous balancing act of having one foot in one country, the other foot in another" (Prose 20). Her struggle reflects the "lived reality of relocations and dislocations" of the East Asian diaspora that are often particularly difficult for women (Katrak 5) Works Cited Albert, Janice
Sumita calls widows who are serving their in-laws in India doves with cutoff wings, reflecting her own fear of losing her newfound freedom. By using her marriage as a springboard for independence, even after it ends, the author shows how Sumita is engaged in "the strenuous balancing act of having one foot in one country, the other foot in another" (Prose 20)