One can see Alexander's childhood as a kind of binocular vision. In her original setting, she viewed life one way, and it seemed to make sense to her. Then, when she moved, that gave her a second point of view, and suddenly, she was able to perceive a new depth that wasn't necessarily obvious before. Whereas before identity seemed obvious and easily taken for granted, now she understands the way cultural assumption changes one's perception of self.
If a person's identity is influenced by the culture that surrounds them, then their identity is not perfectly independent. By moving to Sudan, young Meena was able to see a new version of herself, informed by different points of view. She was sensitive to the differences, and when gender roles became more constrictive, she noticed. This raised a new question in Meena about the way people interact with their culture. She notices that perhaps a person has an ethical responsibility to address their cultural assumptions.
Aside from her dual childhood identity, rooted in southern India and family, but raised in Sudan, Alexander also has another kind of dual identity. She is the first daughter of her family, and she feels like a daughter, right on through until she has children of her own. Although she is an adult, living now in England and married, she is still someone's daughter. The duality of that role is puzzling and meaningful to her, and she reflects on the meaning of life, reflecting on all the places she has lived and all the people she has been.
