49 pages • 1 hour read
Balli Kaur JaswalErotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2017A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Nikki’s view of the women in Southall is very negative at the start. She thinks that “all of the women seemed to end up the same…weary and shuffling their feet” (63). At what point in the story does Nikki’s opinion of temple women begin to change and why? How does this view contrast with her view of the women at the end of the novel?
Nikki and Kulwinder’s daughter, Maya, contrast greatly with Nikki’s older sister, Mindi. What is the author trying to say with this contrast? Consider the juxtaposition of these characters in terms of The Challenges of Hybrid Identity.
Recent Netflix shows such as Indian Matchmaking or Married at First Sight suggest that the West is interested in the concept of “arranged marriages,” which are not uncommon within the Sikh community. Nikki is appalled by the idea, but Mindi points out that internet dating and nightclubs pose their own problems. Discuss the range of options available to the characters in the novel for finding a life partner. What benefits and risks do each pose for women in particular?
Explore how Nikki is able to reconcile the split identity which she experiences when she first travels to Southall to the intact yet hybrid person she becomes at the end of the novel. Is there a moment when she suddenly changes, or does she have a slow transformation throughout the story?
In an interview, Jaswal discusses being someone who grew up in other cultures, or what is called a “third culture kid” (Listi, Brad. “Balli Kaur Jaswal on Her Shifting Outer World and Strong Inner World.” LitHub). How is this different from being an immigrant? How is the culture of Southall different from Nikki’s childhood?
The final third of the novel shifts from a romantic family drama to a murder mystery. How does this blending of genres play into the themes of the novel? How does it help create a more complete portrayal of life for women within the Punjabi community?
Consider how Jason chose to handle his situation. Why do you think that Nikki or the author chose for them to become a couple at the end of the novel? Does this make the novel a romance at its heart?
Nikki protests to her sister; “This charge again. It would be easier to be a criminal fairly prosecuted by the law than an Indian daughter who wronged her family. A crime would be punishable by a jail sentence of definite duration rather than this uncertain length of family guilt trips” (39). In the Sikh community, the honor of the entire family depends on the behavior of its female (but not its male) members. The community at times seems quick to judge and condemn, especially young women like Nikki and Maya who challenge cultural norms and mores. Explore instances of this in the novel. Does this kind of pressure or double standard exist in other communities?
Toward the end of the novel, Nikki is sitting in a park reflecting on life in London. The narrator states about the widows, “Britain equalled a better life and they would have clung to that knowledge, even as this life confounded and remained foreign. Every day in this country would have been an exercise in forgiveness” (378). What do you think is meant by the word “forgiveness?” Who needs to be forgiven and why?
Nikki self-identifies as a feminist but is naive and patronizes the women she teaches, believing they need her to help them find their voices. Yet the widows, despite the oppression they face from a patriarchal society, are strong women able to express themselves and their desires through the erotic stories. In what ways is this a feminist novel? How does the female empowerment in the novel differ from Western feminism? Why is this important for the characters and for the reader?
