One of the main themes in this novel is the absurd way in which the Partition of India was carried out in 1947 to create India and Pakistan. The main character, Lenny, lives a privileged life in Lahore, so she finds herself suddenly becoming Pakistani as India is divided into India and Pakistan. The Partition process is accompanied by ethnic violence, and ethnic and religious strife is also one of the themes of the book.
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One of the main themes in this novel is the absurd way in which the Partition of India was carried out in 1947 to create India and Pakistan. The main character, Lenny, lives a privileged life in Lahore, so she finds herself suddenly becoming Pakistani as India is divided into India and Pakistan. The Partition process is accompanied by ethnic violence, and ethnic and religious strife is also one of the themes of the book.
Another main theme is the treatment of women and the intersection of gender and class. Ayah, Lenny's beloved nanny with whom Lenny spends most of her days, is a seductive lower-class woman who exercises a great deal of sexual power in a society that often demeans women. In fact, Ayah's suitors are Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh, showing the power of her seduction to smooth over ethnic divides. It is through Ayah that Lenny, from a wealthy family, learns about the ways in which women in other classes live. Ayah is abducted and raped, and she is forced to marry a man she does not love as a result. Pappoo, a girl from a poor background who is beaten by her mother, is also forced into a loveless marriage, and her story is a contrast with that of the cosseted Lenny. Women in the lower classes live very differently than Lenny does.
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