Kiran Desai on Life with Her Characters
Briefly

Sunny, an Indian man, and Ulla, his American girlfriend, navigate their cross-cultural relationship in Brooklyn while grappling with underlying societal expectations and personal insecurities. They met in a cafeteria line at Columbia University, an encounter marked by questions of fate versus chance. Their bickering often reveals cultural stereotypes, reflecting deeper emotional struggles. Both characters express a longing for individuality while facing the burden of privilege and the impact of their backgrounds on their relationship. This complex narrative underscores the tension between pride and shame within their interracial dynamic.
Sunny and Ulla's relationship reflects the complexities of cross-cultural dynamics, intertwining themes of chance, fate, and the societal pressures of belonging and acceptance.
Despite their feelings for each other, cultural stereotypes often surface in Sunny and Ulla's bickering, revealing deeper societal issues and individual insecurities.
Read at The New Yorker
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