Back to
Frankie's
ESL
Worksheets
SUMITRA'S STORY, Rukshana Smith
THEMES
A theme is a topic or an idea that runs through a novel. In "Sumitra’s Story" the main themes are:
- The relationship between different cultures or language groups
- The position of women in Indian society
- Sumitra’s search for an identity
Of course, the themes are connected: Sumitra has problems finding her identity because she is struggling to escape from the very limited life that an Indian girl is expected to lead, as well as the pressures of racism. As you read the book, you should make notes about the themes. Use separate sheets of paper for the three themes.
If you are copy from the text, you should use quotation marks (e.g. The children set off for school "like space travellers setting off for a new planet"). You should also make a note of the page number so that you can find it quickly when you need it. (You will need your notes later when you write an essay about the novel!)
Here are some notes to get you started. (Copy them onto your own paper and remember to use three separate sheets.) Click here for additional notes.
- The relationship between different cultures or language groups
- Sum. wonders why some pp. are black, some brown and some white ("… felt that if she could find the answer… she would have discovered the secret of the world") (p.7-9)
- Mai says she shouldn’t play with black children. At sch. different groups play together but never visit each other. (p.7)
- The position of women in Indian society
- Talika’s marriage is arranged to a tea-shop owner. A life of cooking, washing up and serving … Talika’s father suggests that Sum. shd be matched with his nephew in a few years time. (Fathers decide, girls themselves have no choice.) (p.10)
- Sumitra’s search for an identity
- "She felt as if she were a bridge between two countries, two banks that would never meet, two cultures that would never merge" (p.35)
- Sum. meets Maria, the first person who really listens to her. (p.47)
Frankie Meehan