I used to think that my father had been assigned to us by the government. This was because he appeared to serve no purpose.
-- Ajay (Chapter 2 paragraph Page 30, paragraph 1)

Importance: Ajay's relationship with his dad is quite distant, and this quote is one of the first clues into that for the reader. Ajay's statement that his dad had been assigned to his family by the government shows the disconnect Ajay felt in their parent/child relationship. It also gives insight into one of the over-arching themes of the novel, which is Ajay's attempt to find his place and role within his family. If he feels like his father came from a third party, how is he to feel about his own place and role inside his family? Toward the beginning of the story, Ajay's father lives away from the family for almost a year while he gets settled in the United States and earns and saves...