The Storyteller's Secret

Jaya’s grandmother is the novel’s other protagonist. As a young woman, Amisha marries Deepak in an arrangement decided upon by their parents. Amisha is initially submissive, shy, and unsure of her identity. Her only freedom comes from her creativity—she writes compelling stories, which she uses to connect to others, explain her philosophy of life, and even subtly rebel against the strict limits placed on her as a woman in 1930s India.

After an English school is constructed in the village, Amisha’s desire to learn to write in English motivates her to transcend the strict gender norms of her community. Through her experience as a teacher and her relationship with Stephen, Amisha’s creativity reaches its fullest potential, signified by the stories she presents to Stephen.

Amisha’s love for Stephen is both powerful and empowering. With his support, Amisha builds confidence, gains a sense of independence, and finds the courage to disrupt gender norms to pursue her love of writing and teaching. Even though her relationship with Stephen is meaningful, her loyalty to her children is even stronger. She sacrifices her personal, romantic happiness for their future.

Born to the lowest caste in Hindu society, Ravi is an Untouchable destined for a life of begging and poverty. When Amisha rescues him from this fate by hiring him as a servant in her household, Ravi is able to give his family a better future. Ravi often philosophizes when talking, quoting from the Bhagavad Gita and espousing traditional wisdom and strong cultural and religious connections, showing his deep respect for the culture he was raised in despite his frustrations with the limitations of caste and prejudice.

Ravi is Amisha’s most trusted confidant. He often serves as liaison between Amisha and Stephen. Ravi is loyal, kind, and wise, with little dynamic growth as a character; we hear little about his relationship with his wife or children. Instead, he is an instance of a trope that director Spike Lee derisively called the “Magical Negro”—characters whose race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status mark them as inferior, and whose main function is to use folksy, traditional wisdom only and specifically to help a more privileged character self-actualize. In this case, Ravi seemingly lives solely for the sake of preserving Amisha’s story and her property, putting his life in the service of Amisha’s last wishes. Ravi exists only to help Jaya learn about her grandmother and have epiphanies about her family and future.

Jaya’s mother Lena grows up in India under her harsh stepmother, Omi. Because she was born under a new moon, local superstition paints her as cursed. Believing that she can harm the fates of others, Lena develops an extremely private, distant personality.

Jaya often expresses frustration with her mother’s emotional reticence. Jaya’s voyage to India motivates Lena to be more emotional forward with her daughter, telling Jaya that she loves her and desires to comfort her after her miscarriages. Lena still worries about prying open her experiences as a child, but when Jaya learns of his history on her own, mother and daughter are able to address the trauma Lena experienced together. With Jaya’s help, Lena becomes more emotionally present just as Jaya decides to adopt a child.