Ruma

Ruma is one of the central characters in the short story “Unaccustomed Earth.” An American of Indian descent, Ruma is the pregnant wife of Adam and the mother of Akash. Trained and licensed in law, Ruma has decided to become a stay-at-home mom now that her husband’s new job in Seattle has come through, and it pays very well. During the story, Ruma plays host to a visit from her father, who lives in Pennsylvania. Ruma feels constantly scrutinized and criticized by her father, believing him to be an antiquated throwback to India. Having long been critical of her own dead mother for being a stay-at-home mom, Ruma now finds herself in the surprising and willing role of stay-at-home mom. She gets along reasonably well with her father during his visit. At first, she believes that he wants to move in with her and her family. Ruma...