Anita (If You Sing Like That For Me)

Anita describes herself as “neither pretty nor talented” (Location 992) and due to her family also not being rich, she does not expect to marry a man of a high standard. Anita lacks self-esteem, and believes that even if she had worked hard, she would not have had her sister’s success, as she “was slow in school” (Location 946). She dresses in a thin sari on moving day despite the cold as she feels she has to compensate for her “thick eyebrows, broad nose, and thin lips” which made her “homely” (Location 885).

Anita’s lack of confidence and assertiveness is portrayed in all her interactions with people. Even though she is not interested in marrying Rajinder, she tells her father she would be okay going through with it. On her wedding night when she wants to tell Rajinder she made a mistake...