Radha

Radha represents the naivety and optimism of youth. She is a young girl with a bright future who is enamored by the western stories of love and family. However, her pregnancy and the way she reacts to it shows how little she understands the world. First, she believes that she can raise the child with no consequences. Second, she is convinced that the affluent father, Ravi, is going to marry her, ignoring the differences in caste. Radha thinks she is a woman simply because she can have children, but only grows up when she accepts the world for what it is and moves on to try and build a better life for herself.

Lakshmi

Lakshmi represents the fluctuation of one’s life and the need to accept change. At the beginning of the novel, Lakshmi’s life is fairly well planned out. She is close to...