In Custody

by

Anita Desai

The Widow Character Analysis

The widow is Deven’s friend Raj’s elderly aunt; she lives in Raj’s family apartment in Delhi. Like many Hindu widows, she is socially ostracized and spends her time trying to win back favor from the gods by performing religious duties, like prayers and feeding the hungry. She never speaks, but she generously feeds and houses for Deven during his interviews with Nur.
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The Widow Character Timeline in In Custody

The timeline below shows where the character The Widow appears in In Custody. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9
Ambition and Failure Theme Icon
Beauty vs. Utility Theme Icon
...visited to ask if Raj had returned from Cairo, where he had been teaching. Instead, Raj’s widowed aunt greeted Deven and invited him in for dinner. He ate along with another man, who... (full context)
Memory and the Passage of Time Theme Icon
Ambition and Failure Theme Icon
Family, Gender, and Indian Tradition Theme Icon
Meanwhile, the pious widow never speaks, but she generously feeds anyone who needs food. She also does several elaborate... (full context)
Chapter 10
Memory and the Passage of Time Theme Icon
Beauty vs. Utility Theme Icon
Indian Identity and Pluralism Theme Icon
...city’s famous Red Fort and toward Darya Ganj, where he grew up. He considers visiting Raj’s widowed aunt but decides against it and goes to sit in a park bench instead. He watches... (full context)