Sanghera's Self-Perception In 'Daughters Of Shame'

Diaspora
“One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them”. We often tend to believe in things that we are taught. Our first teachers are our parents. However, there has come times were we all have come to think how everything they have taught us might not necessarily be right for us. This quote is also reflected in the autobiography, “Daughters of Shame”, written by Jasvinder Sanghera. In the autobiography, we do not only see the struggles that young girls like Kiren face, but we also understand the importance of how one’s self-perception in the face of abuse can change one. In that sense, Jasvinder Sanghera shows us how young girls like Kiren are made to believe that they are committing a crime, when in fact she is just a victim of abuse. According to Sanghera she and other girls who face similar issues must take a stand.

Therefore, we are able to see how Sanghera thinks and feels throughout the text. Although Sanghera does not reveal her personal background we quickly realize how Sanghera has been through a similar situation as Kiren. It is worth mentioning how the fact that past events are conveyed in the present tense, which further increases Sanghera’s authenticity, and it helps integrate the readers to the time of the events, making it easier for them to sympathize with Kiren as well as Sanghera. Sanghera renders a form of sadness and seriousness to her autobiography, which keeps the readers interested. Especially through the use of short sentences when explaining the details of Kiren’s story, Sanghera makes it intense and