In the story Mrs. Dutta writes aletter,we encounter Mrs.Dutta, the main character breaking into song once her son and his family have left in a huff. She is in the kitchen,her favourite place and sings along with the reassuringhum of the refrigerator,though her voice is rusty and a little off key. The writer says that music helps to reduce the silence in the house now that everyone is away.
Music rejuvenates Mrs. Dutta’s spirits, causing her to let go of a grudge she had against her grandchildren for disrespecting their mother as well as her daughter in law for not punishing the young ones (Richard and Marvin 569).
Mrs. Dutta’s singing helps her to reminisce about the life she left back in India.The music makes her nostalgic.While humming,Mrs. Dutta remembers her new gas stove that she had bought with the birthday money Sagar had sent her. She also notes in her mind her scoured-shiny brass pots and the window with a lottus pattern grille where she used to watch children playing cricket (Richard and Marvin 575).
Music brings Mrs.Dutta to a more familiar world, away from the strange foreign accents on television that she does not understand. Generally singing is a preoccupation Mrs. Dutta indulges in as she handles the household chores. It helps her put her thoughts in order and to note what to write or what not to say in her letter to her friend, Mrs.Basu (Richard and Marvin 568-582).
Work Cited
Richard , Abcarian and Klotz Marvin . Literature the human experience reading and writing. Ed. Nineth. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. Print.