Chapter 140: customs – Summary and Analysis
⚠️ 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 as the narrator and her mother land under a hazy morning sky unlike any over Surrey. Overwhelmed by the speed of their journey, they follow signs and a crowd of passengers to customs and border security. Exhausted and with red eyes, they wait in a cramped, airless line of people eager to leave the airport. When they finally reach the front, a thin brown officer with a large mustache asks for their passports from behind a desk and glass barrier. He surveys the documents and compares them to their faces. The mother gulps, and fear rises in both of them, even though they have done nothing wrong. The officer asks for their purpose of travel. The narrator replies with lines she has rehearsed for days: they are guests of Nandini Rajalingam at Woman magazine, attending an event. When asked if they are conducting business or working, she says no. The officer then looks directly at the mother, addressing her as Ms. Kiran Kaur, and asks where they will be staying. Despite her fear, the mother tells the truth: the Taj Hotel.
Key Events
- The narrator and her mother land in a new city under an unfamiliar sky.
- They proceed to customs and wait in a long, stressful line.
- A border officer examines their passports and questions them.
- The narrator gives a rehearsed answer about being guests of Nandini Rajalingam.
- The officer asks the mother where they are staying.
- The mother truthfully replies that they will stay at the Taj Hotel.
Character Development
- The narrator: Shows preparedness by having rehearsed lines for border security, revealing her awareness of the risks of travel. She is also visibly fearful, indicating vulnerability.
- Mother (Kiran Kaur): Experiences visible anxiety (gulping, fear rising) yet chooses honesty when asked a direct question. This suggests a core of integrity, even under pressure.
- Border officer: Represents an intimidating authority figure; his beady eyes and direct questioning create tension.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Fear of authority: The mother and daughter feel intense fear despite being innocent, highlighting the anxiety that accompanies encounters with border security, especially for people of color.
- Honesty versus safety: The mother’s truthful answer contrasts with the narrator’s rehearsed lines, raising questions about when honesty is worth the risk.
- Travel and displacement: The hazy, unfamiliar sky and the sterile, maze-like customs area underscore the disorientation of entering a new country.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 140 captures the visceral tension of international travel for marginalized individuals. It focuses on the moment of crossing a border—where identity, documentation, and truth are scrutinized. The chapter sets up potential stakes for the mother and daughter’s visit, implying that their presence in this country may be subject to suspicion. It also characterizes the mother as honest, which may prove significant later in the story.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does the narrator rehearse specific responses for customs?
She rehearses lines provided by Nandini to avoid appearing to be working or conducting business without proper status. This shows her awareness that their visit could be misconstrued and the threat of being denied entry or penalized.
2. What does the mother’s truthful answer about where they are staying reveal about her character?
Despite shared fear, the mother chooses not to embellish or lie. Her honesty suggests a quiet resilience and a refusal to let fear dictate her actions, even when she is intimidated.
3. How does the setting of customs contribute to the chapter’s tension?
The sterile, airtight, maze-like environment and the glass barrier between the officer and the travelers create a sense of surveillance and power imbalance. The narrator’s exhaustion and the waiting crowd amplify the pressure, making the moment of questioning feel high-stakes.