Secret Daughter

From bapu (meaning “father”) to shukriya (meaning “thank you”), various Indian terms appear throughout Secret Daughter. This not only serves to celebrate Indian culture in an authentic way, it also highlights themes surrounding power, particularly with cultural capital, related to the other motif of names/naming within the book. In most instances, the reader—presumably, a Westerner—is not given an explicit definition in the text of the novel; instead, the reader must use context and other clues within the text to understand the meaning of the word. For example, in Chapter 27, Kavita says to Vijay: “You don’t ask me questions, achha” (143). Achha means “OK,” and the reader intuits that over the course of the conversation. In this way, the reader is provided an immersive experience, which better helps them to empathize with the many characters (Kavita, Kris) who must assimilate to a culture that is not their own. That said, the author does provide a glossary of “Foreign Terms” at the end of the novel, in case the reader needs further guidance to help interpret the terms. The glossary also indicates that the book is likely geared toward Western audiences. Using Indian terms confers power to Indian culture by not entirely prioritizing the English language as the main method of communicating Asha’s story.

Throughout Secret Daughter, there are numerous dichotomies: there is income disparity (Kavita’s poor family versus Somer’s wealthy family); cultural differences (Indian versus American culture); and social/class differences (rural vs. urban life). The gender binary—male vs. female—is also another major dichotomy the novel explores at length. Each of these dichotomies serves to emphasize themes in the book related oppression and subjugation. One prominent example is when Meena, Asha’s mentor at The Times of India, explains to Asha about the “extremes” of India in Chapter 35. When Meena shows the slums of Dharavi to Asha for the first time, she says to Asha: “[T]here are two Indias. There is the world you'll see at your father's home, with spacious flats, servants, and outrageous weddings. And then, there is this India. It is a good place to begin your study” (189).