Vine of Desire Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

1. Anju tells her unborn son, Prem, stories of who she "used to be before the accident of America happened to [her]" [p. 12]. What does she mean by "the accident of America?" How are Sudha's and Anju's assimilation into American culture affected by the different circumstances that lead them there in the first place? Why does Sudha choose to return to India, while for Anju the idea of returning to India does not even seem to cross her mind?
   


2. How is the process of assimilation different for Anju, Sunil, Lalit, Trideep, and Sudha? Why are some more successful than others? Do the characters identify as "Americans" or as "Indian-Americans?" What do incidents such as Sunil's attacking the valet at the party for making derogatory comments about Indians [p. 138] and Anju's sensitivity about the portrayal of Indians in the movies her schoolmates attend [pp. 213–4] demonstrate about their comfort with their place in America?
   


3. Divakaruni marks pivotal moments in each of the characters' lives with references to significant current events. For example, while Anju anxiously anticipates Sudha's arrival, Divakaruni writes: "It is the year of dangerous movements. Two weeks back, a major earthquake hit Los Angeles" [p. 11]. And, upon Sudha's attending the party with Sunil and Anju, Divakaruni writes: "It is the year of taking risks, of facing consequences. In Bangledesh a woman writer criticizes the Quran and must go underground to escape the fatwa. In Abidjan a twenty-year ban against big-game hunting is lifted in the hope of attracting tourist money" [p. 127]. (See also pp. 97, 241, and 294) How do these global events inform the reader about the events taking place in the lives of the central characters? Placed in such a context, do the events in Anju's and Sudha's lives seem more or less significant? What does this global context signify about an individual's relationship to the rest of the world? In what other ways does Divakaruni relate her characters' private lives to the public world?
   

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Anchor Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.