Bettina’s Perfume Symbol Analysis

Bettina’s perfume appears at the end of the story and symbolizes Parvez’s love of the West. Throughout the story, Bettina herself represents both the freedom and flexibility of the West that Parvez tells Ali is the reason he loves England so much. Parvez explains, “they let you do almost anything here,” and one of these things he is able to enjoy in England is carrying out an emotional affair with Bettina, who herself can pursue her career as a prostitute. In the story’s penultimate scene, Parvez and Bettina give Ali a ride in Parvez’s cab. It’s only when Ali enters the vehicle that Parvez notices the way that Bettina is dressed, and realizes that she will appear garish and shameful in Ali’s eyes. He notes, particularly, that her perfume, “which he loved,” permeates the air in the cab, and he opens a window to try and mask the scent. His love for her perfume represents his love affair with the West, or as Ali describes it, his implication in Western civilization. In this scene, Parvez suddenly becomes acutely self-conscious of the delight he takes in Bettina all things Western. In front of Ali, he attempts to deny how deeply implicated in Western culture he has become by opening the window and hoping the perfume dissipates, but he can’t escape how deeply involved in Western culture he has become.