20 February

Visiting Inder Lal’s family and being observed by Indians (p. 13-15)

The young English woman visits Inder Lal’s family, especially the two women (his wife and mother), in their untidy home.

When Inder Lal’s mother and the narrator are alone, the English woman tries out her Hindi which she has to improve a lot. While talking, the mother studies her all the time, like all the other people do in India. The narrator exactly knows about the position of Europeans -basically the British- in India. It’s hard for them to be accepted, because they look strange, even though they wear Indian clothes and eat Indian food like the narrator does as well.

When the young woman walks down the streets, the word ‘hijra’ is often called after her. It was also called after Beth Crawford, who looked similar to the narrator. When Olivia was asking about the meaning of that word, the Nawab showed her a group of men dressed like Indian women, who do their job in parody of a woman’s gestures. It’s their job to amuse the people.

Anyway, although the young English woman would have many reasons for hating the way the Indians treat her, she accepts and tolerates it.