Honor

The concept of honor serves as the basis for many of the characters’ actions throughout the book. To be honorable is to be considered superior by ones’ social circle and to adhere to all of society’s principles. For Narinder’s father, honor entails having a daughter who is submissive and powerless. For Avtar and Randeep, honor consists of financial success and general approval. For Tochi, in India, honor means representing his family, while in England it means obscuring his caste. Both Avtar and Randeep witness parallel episodes of someone close to them losing his honor—Avtar’s friend Harbhajan is caught stealing company funds and Randeep’s father is publicly witnessed battling dementia. These issues are considered problematic not because of the pain that they cause the people involved, but because of the shame they bring upon the families of the suffering.

In the novel...