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Elena
Paul is the primary protagonist of “Nobody’s Business,” an English PhD student who rents a house with Sang and Heather. Reserved and observant, Paul harbors a quiet affection for Sang, watching her life and turbulent relationship from afar. He’s reluctant to reveal his own personal struggles, like having failed his first PhD oral exam due to severe anxiety, and he’s preparing for his second attempt in the spring. Though he’s awkward and often unsure of himself, Paul is also deeply caring. He becomes emotionally invested in Sang’s wellbeing, often entangling himself in her relationship problems despite his jealousy of her boyfriend, Farouk. He ultimately helps her confront and confirm that Farouk is cheating on her when Deirdre, Farouk’s secret girlfriend, calls him and reveals Farouk’s infidelity. Paul embodies the frustrations of unrequited love and the feeling of being a passive observer in one’s own life, especially as he witnesses the emotional toll Farouk’s control takes on Sang.
Paul Quotes in Unaccustomed Earth
The Unaccustomed Earth quotes below are all either spoken by Paul or refer to Paul. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
5. Nobody’s Business
Quotes
“It’s not love.” In Sang’s opinion it was practically an arranged marriage. These men weren’t really interested in her. They were interested in a mythical creature created by an intricate chain of gossip, a web of wishful Indian-community thinking in which she was an aging, overlooked poster child for years of bharat natyam classes, perfect SATs.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“Do you live here?” he asked.
“I painted the walls,” Sang said, as if that would explain everything. Paul remembered her painting her own room, listening to Billie Holiday.
The policeman leaned over, inspecting the broken glass and flower debris on the carpet, noticing the welts on her skin. “What happened?”
“I bought them,” she said, tears streaming quickly down her cheeks. Her voice was thick, ashamed. “I did this to myself.”
Get the entire Unaccustomed Earth LitChart as a printable PDF.
Paul Quotes in Unaccustomed Earth
The Unaccustomed Earth quotes below are all either spoken by Paul or refer to Paul. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
5. Nobody’s Business
Quotes
“It’s not love.” In Sang’s opinion it was practically an arranged marriage. These men weren’t really interested in her. They were interested in a mythical creature created by an intricate chain of gossip, a web of wishful Indian-community thinking in which she was an aging, overlooked poster child for years of bharat natyam classes, perfect SATs.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“Do you live here?” he asked.
“I painted the walls,” Sang said, as if that would explain everything. Paul remembered her painting her own room, listening to Billie Holiday.
The policeman leaned over, inspecting the broken glass and flower debris on the carpet, noticing the welts on her skin. “What happened?”
“I bought them,” she said, tears streaming quickly down her cheeks. Her voice was thick, ashamed. “I did this to myself.”
