Irony of Culture
It is ironical that Meena undergoes the conflict because of her clothing. She couldn't understand what should be her clothing. Whether she should dress up in a sari like she used to wear in India or cover herself like a Muslim girl in Sudan or she can wear western dresses or not. The society judges an individual based on his clothes and Meena suffers because of this ironical behavior of society. It is also ironical that Meena was compelled to learn different languages because she couldn't move in society if she would not the primary and secondary languages which are spoken in a society. The languages and cultural differences in various parts of the world made her an amalgamation and she strived to find a single identity and a sense of belongingness.
Irony of Color
Another irony in the book is that Meena was judge in Khartoum on the basis of her skin color. She was the only non-white student studying at the clergy school. The whites look down upon her and she couldn't make any friend there. She feels herself inferior to others and says, “My blackness struck out like a stiff halo around me." She couldn't interact with others because she considers herself ugly. It is ironical that the children are affected by the racist attitudes and suffers from inferiority complex because of their colors.
Irony of Immigration
Meena lived a displaced life since her childhood. Her family was immigrated from India to Sudan and then she lived her life in various parts of the world. After her marriage she moved to NewYork and once again underwent immigration. The irony of immigration is that it affects people psychologically because they are moved away from their loved ones.
Meena was parted from her grandfather whom she loved the most. She says, “The first ocean crossing obsessed me. I think of it as a figuration of death." The migration from her home in India was like a journey of death for her. She couldn't get out of the trauma of displacement and continued questioning her identity and existence. She asks herself “ Who Am I? Where was I? ” There are several examples throughout the world which demonstrate immigrants as psychologically disturbed people.
Irony of Society
Meena was shy at school and she hides herself behind her friend Sariah's boldness. She is continuously dictated by her parents regarding her feminine roles, emotions and her religion. She lives in a society in Khartoum which hinders her from participating actively in societal matters.
It is ironical that the society doesn't accept her as a writer. Meena gains her confidence through writing poetry which was forbidden by the society for a female. Her 'Indian-ness' and her female identity hinder her from moving ahead in life as a poetess but through writing poetry, she comes out of her inhibitions. Despite of receiving rebuke and criticism from her society she continued writing poems. The poetry that she wrote got published later on and she received much acclaim as a writer.
