Chapter 136 Summary & Analysis: departures
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The chapter opens at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) where the narrator and her mother are preparing to board their first-ever flight—a trip to Punjab. The narrator recalls watching her mother receive her Indian passport at the embassy the previous month; the document represented a restored ability to travel freely and meant that leaving Canada would no longer trap them abroad. Bibi Jee (the grandmother) and Joti Maasi (the aunt) see them off, joking about staying out of trouble. The narrator feels a growing guilt about an undisclosed plan she intends to carry out. After a tense encounter with a security officer whose uniform triggers the mother’s past trauma, the two pass through the glass wall. The mother declares, “I can do this,” affirming her resolve despite the fear.
Key Events
- The narrator reveals she has never flown on a plane before, only ever having dropped off loved ones at YVR.
- She recalls the emotional day at the embassy when her mother received her passport, which symbolized regained freedom and the ability to return to Canada if needed.
- Bibi Jee’s worried question—“You’re sure about this, huh?”—and the narrator’s promise that everyone will return in one piece.
- The narrator’s guilt over a secret plan she intends to carry out, contrasting with her cheerful reassurances.
- The security checkpoint: a blond, goateed officer in a heavy vest triggers visible fear in the mother, described as “the residue of a lifetime of trauma.”
- The narrator adopts a practiced, non-threatening smile to avoid racial profiling, noting that invisibility has often meant safety for them.
- After passing through the glass wall, the mother looks at the CBSA officers and the line of travelers, then states she can do this.
Character Development
- The narrator: Her inner conflict emerges—she feels guilt about a secret she is keeping from her family, even as she outwardly comforts them. Her past experiences with authority have taught her to mask herself as non-threatening.
- The narrator’s mother: The passport and the airport security trigger deep trauma from years of living in hiding. Yet she shows quiet determination, pushing through her fear to board the flight. Her ability to say “I can do this” marks a small but significant act of courage.
- Bibi Jee: Displays protective concern, mixing affection with worry. Her final instruction to read Chaupai Sahib on the flight highlights her reliance on spiritual protection.
- Joti Maasi: Practical and tired, she urges them to move through security quickly, grounding the scene in mundane logistics.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Travel documents as symbols of freedom: The mother’s passport is more than a bureaucratic item; it represents the right to move without restriction, to leave a hiding place and still have a way back. It is described as “palm-sized, twenty-eight-paged,” yet it carries immense emotional weight.
- Invisibility as safety: The narrator reflects that often “invisibility has meant safety.” The family’s survival has depended on not drawing attention from authorities. The airport security encounter underscores the constant vigilance required.
- Intergenerational trauma: The mother’s fear at the sight of a cop-like officer is not about this specific man but about “the residue of a lifetime of trauma.” Her reaction communicates how past persecution lives on in the body.
- Secrets and guilt: The narrator’s hidden plan creates a private tension. She reassures her family while knowing she may soon break a promise or cause trouble, echoing the chapter’s title “departures” as both a travel event and an emotional leaving of safety.
Why This Chapter Matters
This is a transitional moment in the novel. The physical journey to Punjab forces the characters to confront past trauma, especially the mother’s long-standing fear of authority. The narrator’s guilty secret hints at future revelations or actions that will test family trust. The chapter also deepens the theme of what it means to be a person of color navigating spaces of institutional power. The airport becomes a microcosm of larger struggles over belonging, visibility, and courage.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does the narrator’s mother react so strongly to the security officer at the gate?
The officer’s heavy black vest and authoritative presence trigger memories of past persecution. The mother has a “lifetime of trauma” built from experiences with authorities who have not been neutral for her. The narrator notes that invisibility has often protected them, so being scrutinized by a uniformed figure feels unsafe.
2. What is the significance of the line “It is always a beautiful exhale when authorities are uninterested in us”?
The narrator expresses relief when the security officer quickly passes them through without additional screening. This line reveals their constant anxiety about being racially profiled. For people of color, being ignored by the state can feel like a small victory because attention often leads to harm or harassment.
3. How does the narrator’s promise to “bring everyone back in one piece” contrast with her inner thoughts?
Externally, the narrator cheerfully reassures her family. Internally, she admits feeling guilt over a plan she intends to carry out. This contradiction suggests she may soon take an action that could break her promise or cause conflict, setting up future tension in the story.