The Inheritence of Loss

As a professional movie critic might say, this book is an awe-inspiring juxtapose. It is

an interesting look into perspectives of people of similar origin living in completely different

worlds. The characters of this novel endure losses while living in two different worlds, amid the

pressures of India’s social caste system. A lot can be revealed about their societies through their

many interactions and experiences.

Kiran Desai’s writing style in the Inheritance of Loss is very straight to the point and

frank. Coincidental and unexpected also come to mind. This can be seen through the context of

colonialism and post-colonialism throughout the novel along with metaphorically identifying the

loss of identity of a culture from one generation to the next. Desai gives each character a raison

d’etre, so-to-speak. Desai styles her writing in this novel as if it is imperative to cover not only

the Indian social system, but also pays attention to the way life is, in reality, within the social

India’s social caste system is the main, overlaying theme of this novel. Every character is

affected by it and their lives are more or less dictated by the social class they reside in. Whether

it’s the upper class assuming that the lower class steals and exhibits no emotions or the lower

class living more isolated on the assumption that the upper class is cruel with their intensions;

both sides do not trust one another.

As the title of this novel might speculate, one of the main themes of it is loss.

Each one of these characters has experienced some form of loss. The judge had begun to dream

and reminisce on the days he was in England. This made him almost lose himself, “Eventually

he barely felt human at all, leaped when touched on the arm as if from an unbearable intimacy,

dreaded and agonized over even a ‘How-do-you-do-lovely-day’ with the fat woman dressed in

friendly pinks who ran the corner store”.1 He also felt a loss...