Photo of European Princess

The photo of the European princess, also referred to at other points in the novel as a European queen, is represented as a symbol of European beauty ideals and of the way that Indians have been trained, as colonial subjects, to value European standards and culture above their own. Sriram eventually disavows the royal’s beauty, preferring Bharati’s beauty instead.

The Khadi Outfit

Khadi is homespun, hand-woven cotton cloth, grown and produced in India, which Gandhi promoted as part of his “Quit India” movement. Khadi itself is a symbol of Indian self-sufficiency and a rejection of European (read: English) mercantilist and capitalist systems. Khadi is used in the novel as a symbol of the characters’ acceptance or rejection of Gandhi’s teachings. Gandhi’s radical supporters, including, eventually, Sriram, all wear khadi.

Sriram’s Mill-Manufactured Clothes

Sriram’s clothes at the beginning...