Cultural Conflicts In Homeless Bird

Many people have different cultures that can result in having many cultural conflicts. In the book Homeless Bird, by Gloria Whelan, the protagonist Koly has many conflicts due to her culture. Some of Koly’s conflicts are that she did not know if she would like her husband, and her Sass left her in the city. The first conflict that I noticed was that Koly did not know if she would like her husband. As part of Koly’s culture her parents had arranged who she would get married to. Koly was conflicted by the idea of marrying someone she doesn’t know. She internally doesn’t like the idea that she doesn’t get to chose or know who she marries. The text states, “‘What if I don’t like him?’ ‘Of course you will like him.’ ‘But what if I don’t?’ Maa impatiently slapped at a fly. ‘Then you must learn to like him’” (Whelan 13). This shows that Koly isn’t sure she will like her husband because she has never met him.

Sass means mother in law and Sassur means father in law. Koly’s sassur died, so her Sass became a widow. Koly and her Sass traveled into the city. Sass tricked Koly and left her in the city all by herself. She had told Koly to go buy food as she traveled back to the train station to go to her brother’s house. Koly was left homeless in the city with only forty-seven rupees. The author states, “‘On the train. I saw her get on the train to Delhi. It wasn’t an hour after I had taken you to the temple” (Whelan 103). This shows that Koly was left alone in the city without a house, job, and