The Storyteller's Secret

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2018

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Themes

Colonialism

Chapters told from Amisha’s perspective heavily feature the colonial presence of England in India. While Deepak’s influential friends argue over the presence of British soldiers in their communities and village women largely condemn the soldiers’ attempts to keep their community in line with violence, the novel’s treatment of colonialism is nuanced, and best discussed through the disparities between Stephen’s and Amisha’s ideals.

Stephen is often conflicted about England’s presence in India, feeling honor-bound to his country and at the same time concerned about the freedom Indians deserve. What remains consistent is Stephen’s belief that an English education—and, therefore, English culture—is essential for the forward progress of Indian society. Stephen claims that “India wants the British out, but they forget why we came in the first place. It was to help” (138). This sentiment necessary implies that India was in need of help from the first place—in need of Western forces imposing their vision of civilization and modernization. The building of the school represents this intrusion into Indian society. The villages and towns of India must be civilized by learning English—made to think that Englishness is inherently better than Indianness.

Amisha knows well Stephen’s explanation of his mission: “It was the Raj’s defense for their occupation—they were helping to save the poor and disenfranchised” (81). She internalizes this rationalization and is unwilling to analyze it on its merits. Although a general dislike of the colonial project is present in her love for Gandhi’s teachings, she never dismantles the colonial mindset imposed upon her to actively oppose the Raj. Instead, because of her daily oppression in a traditional Indian family, Amisha is deeply aware that her culture has its faults: “Amisha valued her culture and its traditions that demanded unconditional love of children and family, and yet there were imperfections she couldn’t ignore” (222). Seeking to free herself from the gendered limits of her life, Amisha deeply desires to learn English, which for her is intrinsically linked to the prospects a woman has in England and America. Neema’s arranged marriage makes Amisha rue that “no one, not even the British, has been able to alter the practice thus far” (135). Amisha longs for “a place where my daughter would be happy” (226), believing that an English-speaking nation such as America or England would be able to provide her with the freedom of choice Amisha herself wants so desperately.

Still, Amisha’s often contradictory sympathy for the English cause is not necessarily an acceptance of colonialism. She supports Gandhi and Indian independence, but more than anything else, she wants a new feminism to overturn the restrictive boundaries placed upon women in Indian society. Learning written English allows her to communicate with her children in a language that may afford them greater freedom in the future.

Fate and Destiny

Two major components of the Hindu belief system, the dual concepts of fate and destiny, recur throughout the novel as significant influences on character decisions, particularly in Amisha’s chapters. The inescapability of fate is a culturally, socially, and religiously supported notion, which the novel explores primarily through Amisha and Neema.

Neema’s fight against her arranged marriage is a struggle nearly every woman in Hindu caste society experiences. As a young woman, Neema’s destiny is to be married into another family, where she will serve others through the many house-bound roles a woman must fill. Amisha understands the girl’s desire to pursue independence and creativity—Amisha’s experiences in her marriage to Deepak make her sympathetic to Neema’s cause. Neema can only see one way to escape her fate: suicide by self-immolation. When she survives despite her intentions, her instinct toward life fractures Neema’s conception of herself: “Now, every day, my heart wonders why” (210). Because of her attempt at escape, Neema’s destiny does in fact change, but for the worse, as she becomes the wife of a beggar. Neema is fated to fulfill the role of wife regardless of how desperately she wants to be independent.

By the time of Jaya’s generation, much has changed in Indian society, including the legal dissolution of the caste system as India attempts to Westernize. Jaya’s discussion of fate is dictated more by her inner sense of doom and personal failure than by cultural mores. Jaya believes herself fated to become a mother; her infertility thus feels like a betrayal of her purpose. By the end of the novel, this destiny will be fulfilled, though through adoption—a different trajectory toward maternity than Jaya had imagined. What is different for Jaya is that her life is full of choices that someone like Neema could never have. Jaya’s feeling of fatedness is self-imposed. In a blog post, Jaya writes, “Yet the heartbreak of not bearing my own child weighs heavy, as does the question, is there any decision I can make to change my destiny?” (382).

Self-Actualization

In their struggle to claim an individual identity, both Ravi and Amisha exemplify the need for self-actualization in a society strictly divided by gender, social standing, and caste. Their struggle against these norms becomes a foil for the larger issue of colonialism and India’s independence from England. Amisha and Ravi capture some measure of agency and identity despite their restrictive circumstances.

As a woman, Amisha is expected to fulfill her duties and remain voiceless in issues of gender equality. These expectations reflect the precolonial Hindu cultural norms that have directed the actions of her people for centuries; with the introduction of England’s culture into their village, Amisha begins to desire a freer life for her daughter. This desire is symbolized by her love affair for Stephen, who represents new cultural ideas colonialism brings. Stephen inspires Amisha to realize her value as a person apart from her familial duties: “The lieutenant makes me believe I have worth regardless of who or what I am” (154). However, Amisha wonders who she is without Stephen’s emotional and intellectual support.

Ravi’s struggle is mired in a long history of prejudice against the Untouchables. Ravi is not considered a person, and his body is considered so contaminated that it cannot come into contact with food or people outside the Dalit caste. Nevertheless, Ravi aspires to be more than his birth allows, asking for work at the mill despite his caste. Only Amisha’s compassion cushions Ravi from this prejudice: “I was judged for wanting more than I was allowed. Ridiculed and berated. You were the only one who understood and accepted” (153). Amisha is able to do this because she believes in Gandhi’s teachings puts them into practice in her life, quoting him when she defends her decision to hire Ravi to work in their home. The fact that it is Gandhi who inspires her rebellion rather than the Raj is important; Amisha seeks progress in Native figures rather than those who imposed it from abroad.

Both Amisha and Ravi seek to be free from the pain of their culture’s restrictions without necessarily becoming fully British; their self-realization may rely on the disruptive power of colonialism as an instigator for change, but ultimately, their identities are fully Indian.