Early in the novel, Ashoke tells the story of his bear death train accident that left him with sleepless nights and countless memories of this tragic day. before the whole catastrophe, Ashoke met a man named Ghosh. Ghosh was a wise man who gave Ashoke advice that simply translated to "go live your life and don't worry about anything else". Ghosh said to Ashoke, " Do yourself a favor. before it's too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much as the world as you can. You will not regret it. One day it will be too late (Lahiri 16)". I really enjoy those quote because I feel it is extremely relatable not only to myself but to pretty much everyone. I feel like we all get caught up in our lives and lose sight of all the opportunities around us. Sometimes it 's okay just to let go and travel and be happy and not worry about what is happening behind you because if you keep thinking about it, odds are your going to find something worthy of holding you back.
Another idea expressed in this novel that really got me thinking is Ashmia and how much she feels like an outsider. Lahiri says, " But nothing feels normal to Ashima. For the past eighteen months, ever since she had arrived in Cambridge, nothing has felt normal at all ( Lahiri 5-6)". This quote is also very relatable. Being a teenager in high school, and in my situation at a new school, in the beginning you can feel somewhat like a foreigner. Everyone around you is already accustomed to their surroundings and your still getting used to it. In Ashima's case, all she can think about is her home and family. As the novel progresses you can see that Ashima starts to become happier when she is around people like her, of the same race and culture. Same with school, once you find the right group of friends that are just like yourself, it can make all the difference.
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