A Father

In the essay, A Father, by Bharati Mukherjee, the author has three main characters each is caught between the Indian and American cultures. The Bhowmick family, which includes the father, the mother, and their daughter, are all experiencing the constant pull of Indian and American identities.

In the essay we hear the story mainly from Mr. Bhowmick. He sees America as a frightening place and he tries to hold onto his Indian culture by keeping the statue on Kali and praying to her. According to the article named, Bhartiyakala, “Kali's boon is won when man confronts or accepts her and the realities she dramatically conveys to him. The image of Kali, in a variety of ways, teaches man that pain, sorrow, decay, death, and destruction are not to be overcome or conquered by denying them or explaining them away. Pain and sorrow are woven into the texture of man's life so thoroughly