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Edo and Paola
Giovanna is Hema’s colleague at Wellesley, whose empty apartment in Rome Hema stays in during her visit in “Going Ashore.” Though she doesn’t physically appear in the story, Giovanna represents the European, independent lifestyle that Hema admires. Through her, Hema embraces freedom and a chance to escape the traditional Bengali marriage awaiting her at home, allowing her to explore her feelings for Kaushik in a foreign, neutral space.
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Giovanna Character Timeline in Unaccustomed Earth
The timeline below shows where the character Giovanna appears in Unaccustomed Earth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
8. Hema and Kaushik: Going Ashore
Hema, now a tenure-track professor at Wellesley, is staying at her colleague Giovanna’s empty apartment in Rome, taking advantage of the free Italian lodgings while Giovanna is away....
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...feels that, like Calcutta, the city keeps her “at bay.” She spends her days at Giovanna’s reading, working on professional research, and sightseeing. One day, Hema returns to a message from...
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