Father and Son

Part I of the novel consists of a brief narrative following an unnamed father and son. The father was born in India, but he has spent the past 20 years as an academic in the eastern United States. His son was born in the United States; therefore, he has virtually no reference for life, history, or culture related to India. He takes his six year old son to visit India. During the trip, the man realizes that India no longer feels like home to him, as he has become accustomed to American customs and ways of life.

During the trip, the man tries to interest his son in the history of India by explaining interesting historical events related to the various historical buildings that they see. However, the boy does not seem to be very interested. The trip is generally tumultuous, and they even witness a construction...