Freedom

While the three primary narrative voices Jivan, PT Sir, and Lovely, are distinct from another, the narrators are all linked through their shared desire for freedom; this common longing allows the author to explore the ways in which seeking for liberation from one's circumstances has the power to affect the course of the individual's life. Having grown up in the slums and watched her family struggle for all of her life, Jivan is eager to become at least middle class, to move up in her job, and to be able to provide for her parents.

At the start of the novel, though she is doing well at Pantaloons, and is liked in her community for giving English lessons to those in need, Jivan remains restless. After the terrorist train attack, she witnesses the ease with which others are able to express themselves. "I admired these strangers...