Shoba’s Mother Character Analysis

Shoba’s mother appears only in a memory of Shukumar’s. He describes her as a serious, religious woman. Shukumar thinks back to when Shoba’s mother came from Arizona to live with the couple after the baby’s death. Shukumar had mentioned the baby in conversation. Shoba’s mother looked up from her knitting only to respond, “But you weren’t even there.” Shoba’s mother reinforces Shukumar’s fear that his physical absence from the tragedy denies him the right to mourn the baby’s death.