History
The novel's central theme is history. The narrator is constantly exploring the way in which his life, and the lives of the people he loves, are swept up in the larger events of world history. In particular, he looks at how moments of political violence have a profound impact on individuals, but are often forgotten by the larger world. In the second half of the book, after it has become clear that Tridib died after an encounter with a violent mob, the narrator tries to understand the circumstances that led to this terrible event. Years later, while discussing the riots during this period with a colleague, he pores over old newspaper articles in search of the event that set off this particular chain of events. He discovers that tensions over a stolen religious artifact in the city of Khulna boiled over into Dhaka. The speaker then reflects on the remarkable fact that this one event so significantly shaped history, given how far apart those two cities are. He says something similar about Lionel Tresawsen's death, as he died during the Blitz, but was not directly involved in any kind of conflict. This theme also ties in with the narrator's earlier conversation with his cousin, when she tells him that European cities are the center of history. He fully rejects this idea, pointing out later that all historical events have complex and unpredictable echoes throughout the world.
Love
Another major theme in the novel is love. The narrator describes multiple romantic relationships and the effects that they have on the people involved. In the first half, he depicts his unrequited feelings for his cousin Ila. He is hurt by the distance she often places between them and later feels jealous of her relationship with Nick Price. When he inadvertently reveals his feelings to her, she shows pity for him, but still ends up spending the night with Nick. In a similar manner, Ila is infatuated with Nick from a young age, even though he does not treat her kindly. They both show a propensity for dishonesty, constantly trying to make their lives appear more impressive and intriguing. This reaches a climax when she discovers he is cheating on her with multiple women. However, she chooses to stay with him and later tells the narrator that it was all a misunderstanding, suggesting that she would rather live in the fantasy of happy life than start over. Finally, the narrator writes about the unfulfilled love between Tridib and May Price. They exchange letters and gradually develop feelings for one another. Of all the relationships in the book, this one appears to be the most honest. Tridib ultimately sacrifices himself in an effort to save her from the mob, something May is shown to be haunted by. The novel portrays love as complicated and volatile, compelling characters to protect people regardless of whether or not they should.
Memory
Memory is another major theme in the novel. The novel follows a very nonlinear structure. The narrator seems to remember events as they come to him, loosely connecting scenes that sometimes seem to share only a tangential connection. However, without making it explicit, the narrator eventually makes these separate events cohere. A good example of this occurs towards the middle of the novel, when the narrator recalls one of Ila's visits to Calcutta alongside one of the last conversations he had with his grandmother on her deathbed. He remembers how his grandmother was furiously angry that Ila chose to live in London. She claims she abandoned their homeland and ignored the sacrifices made by the people who made it possible to live there. She grows increasingly agitated and accuses the narrator of protecting her constantly. The narrator then pivots and describes an instance when Ila wanted to go to a club and Robi refused to let her dance. She ends up screaming at both Robi and the narrator, saying that the lack of freedom she experiences in India is what makes her want to live abroad. Finally, the narrator reveals that this is the story he tells his grandmother, as an explanation. This moment reveals how these memories are linked while also showing the similarity in the opposing views of his grandmother and Ila. In this way, the narrator manages to capture how memory really functions, highlighting how his mind associates seemingly unrelated events across time.
Class
Another significant thematic thread in the book is class. The narrator frequently makes note of class differences between characters while showing how that influences their relationships. He observes that Ila is from a wealthier family than he is and as a result treats traveling much more casually than he does. She also pursues a relationship with Nick in part because she sees him as being capable of providing a luxurious life, even if he is not reliable or honest. In a similar fashion, his grandmother often speaks dismissively of servants or people in a lower class than her. She has little interest or sympathy in their lives or problems. This is notable in the scene in which the wife of one of her relatives is struggling financially and she shows no compassion, focusing only on the possibility of extracting her uncle from Dhaka. The element of class is pervasive throughout the book and has a lingering effect on many moments like this. The narrator shows how characters display a blind faith in wealth, even when it does not protect them from harm or causes them to act hypocritically.
Family
A major, and complicated, theme in the book is family. Throughout the novel, the narrator is focused on the bond shared by his family. The focus of almost every part of the book is on different members of the family and frequently centers on the time they spend together. However, the narrator also highlights the tensions inherent to many of these relationships, with particular focus on his grandmother's harsh perspective of others. His grandmother dislikes Tridib for his refusal to use his family connections and hates Ila for her decision to Westernize herself. In the second half of the novel, she expresses an overwhelming desire to bring her family back together by retrieving her uncle Jethamoshai in Dhaka. This wish ultimately proves to be the family's undoing, as her attempt to do so leads to his death as well as that of Tridib and their guide. The ultimate tragedy of the book is that the narrator's grandmother destroys her family in an effort to reunite it. The narrator seems to question whether family can really draw strength and support from one another. In the novel's most poignant moment, Ila and the narrator embrace Robi after he finally speaks about watching his brother's death.
Silence
Silence is another theme in the novel. Near the end of the book, the narrator comments on how both the Indian and Pakistani governments were very content to let the riots fade into the past and not speak of them again. Similarly, he describes his own struggle to speak of Tridib's death, as he is unable to find the words that capture the magnitude of the loss or explain what really happened to him. In both cases, the narrator shows how silence frequently engulfs terrible historical events, as no description can ever really provide meaningful comfort or appropriate summary. His account, stories in the newspaper, and speeches made by government officials all fail to give closure.
Nationalism
Nationalism is an important theme throughout the book. The narrator portrays the way in which different characters have variable relationships with their national identity. Some, like the narrator's grandmother, show a passionate fervor that borders on zealotry. She shows a complete devotion to her point of view and, by the end of her life, values her faith in her country above all other relationships. In contrast, Ila fully rejects her upbringing, believing Calcutta to be outside the sphere of meaningful political events. She says that she lives in England because it allows her to be free, unlike India. The narrator takes a more neutral point of view and, consequently, seems better able to recognize how that kind of thinking can lead to justifications of horrible violence. At the end of the novel, when he describes the riots in Calcutta, Dhaka, and Khulna, he seems to say that everyone engaging in that kind of conflict always believes that they are fighting for what is morally right.
