How we cite our quotes: (Abbreviated Title.Paragraph)
Quote #4
As soon as the Dalals were gone, the other wives began planning renovations of their own. One decided to barter a stack of her wedding bracelets and commissioned a white-washer to freshen the walls of the stairwell. Another pawned her sewing machine and summoned an exterminator. A third went to the silversmith and sold back a set of pudding bowls; she intended to have the shutters painted yellow. (ARD 58)
Obtaining this one communal sink seemed to unleash everyone's dreams for a better and more refined life. Would the community have been better off without it? Is it dangerous to create dreams and wants in people who have little real chance of attaining them?
Quote #5
While Dev was at the airport, Miranda went to Filene's Basement to buy herself things she thought a mistress should have. She found a pair of black high heels with buckles smaller than a baby's teeth. She found a satin slip with scalloped edges and a knee-length silk robe. Instead of the pantyhose she normally wore to work, she found sheer stockings with a seam. She searched through piles and wandered through racks, pressing back hanger after hanger, until she found a cocktail dress made of a slinky silvery material that matched her eyes, with little chains for straps. (S 46)
Becoming a mistress takes a lot of work. All that shopping…we're worn out just thinking about it. Too bad Dev doesn't even notice all of Miranda's effort.
Quote #6
Here, in this place where Mr. Sen has brought me, I cannot sometimes sleep in so much silence. (MS 15)
Mrs. Sen's dreams don't seem to include moving to a new country far away from her large family and circle of friends in India. In several of our stories, the wife's life becomes just a "side effect" of her husband's career plans.