In America, the land of the free and home of the brave, it was possible, figuratively speaking, to discuss genitalia in public.
-- Kailash (chapter 1)

Importance: After arriving in the United States, Kailash notes how frankly and openly people are willing to discuss sex. During his years in India, he lived in a culture that was much more repressed regarding subjects of sex and sexuality. Kailash embraces America's relative sexual openness, and this dynamic catalyzes his general discovery of ideas of sex and love.

I had never loved India as much as I did now, when I was so far away.
-- Kailash (Narration) (chapter 1)

Importance: After arriving in America, Kailash soon begins to feel a sense of guilt, for he enjoys life in America, and he worries that he is abandoning or neglecting his Indian heritage. However, he is able to further explore his heritage via some of the literature that he studies in graduate school. These dynamics...