Clothes By Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

An individual pursuing their happiness can result in others becoming discouraged. Whether it’s family or friends, the disappointment of cherished people can bring immeasurable discomfort. The short story, Clothes, written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, reinforces the idea that the cost of pursuing individual happiness is the risk of disappointing and not meeting the expectations of others. Divakaruni explicitly uses the characterization of Sumita to illustrate her transition from daughter, to wife, to woman, which in turn brings new responsibilities but also new opportunities. This is seen in the text as the viewer follows Sumita across multiple settings where each new setting provides enlightenment for Sumita and allows her to become her own

Sumita has a very acquiescent nature, she is afraid to advocate for her own self interest at the risk of disappointing her parents. Sumita mentions that she “wanted to cry'' when she realized that she would be “going halfway around the world to live with a man [she] hasn’t met.” However, the motif of Sumita biting her tongue and moderating her expectations is introduced quickly after Sumita mentions that she “wanted to cry, but of course I didn’t. It would be ungrateful.” Sumita moves to California with Somesh and this is when for the first time in the story that a clear pursuit for her character unveils itself in the form of the roller coaster and the greater American life. Sumita says “That’s our dream (mine more than his, I suspect)” which immediately shows the viewer the evolution of character that Sumita has gone through as a result of the setting shift because now Sumita actually is looking forward to her own dream instead of living only to meet her parents expectations. However, due to Sumita living most of her life under the protection of her parents, the motif of Sumita biting her tongue still makes a return when “For a moment [she] feel[s] rage” after Somesh states that he cannot abandon his parents but soon after “beat[s] back [her] unreasonable desire and nod[s] agreement.” The setting makes one final important shift towards the end

Sumita starts off as a young, innocent girl that is very closely reliant on her parents which is reinforced by the yellow sari she is wearing in the lake that looks like a “sunflower after rain.” Sumita being reliant on her parents means that she wants to live up to their expectations and is afraid to pursue her own happiness if it contradicts with her parents beliefs of how “A married woman belongs to her husband” and “it was every woman's destiny,[...], to leave the known for the unknown.” This is why Sumita is willing to compromise her happiness. When Sumita arrives in America her fear of disappointing her parents transitions into a fear of not living up to her “wifely duty” and this is why Sumita feels pressured to commit to “what most husbands demanded on the very first night” among other things. Somesh ends up extravagantly purchasing clothes such as jeans and T-shirts for Sumita which outlines the natural curves of her body that have “always been hidden under the flowing lines of [her] saris.” This is when Sumita discovers her femininity and as a consequence becomes more confident and discovers her first American dream, moving out of the two-room apartment and away from the in-laws. This dream and the desire to work in the 7-11, for a short time, end up being Sumita’s main source of