Chapter summaries If I Tell You the Truth Jasmin Kaur

Chapter 179: Election Day – 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

At the Daphne Odjig Gallery spring art show, Sahaara presents her mixed-media mural If I Tell You the Truth, which depicts South Asian women singing traditional bolis—Punjabi folk songs passed down through generations. Her family (Mom, Maasi, Bibi, and Jeevan) gathers around the tapestry, noticing hand-stitched golden strips on red chunnis, painted faces of Radhika, Priyanka, Saima, Khushi, and the person Sahaara loves most (Kiran), and violet butterflies symbolizing anxiety and migration. Sahaara explains that the women in the mural are all brides celebrating their own wedding day—a metaphor for self-marriage and liberation from trauma.

As the evening progresses, election results from Punjab arrive: Ahluwalia has won. A stranger congratulates Sahaara’s mother awkwardly. Professor Rhonda introduces Sahaara as the first artist to perform. Overwhelmed by stage fright, Sahaara discards her prepared speech and instead chooses to recite a poem she completed that morning. She centers herself by visualizing her mother and her younger self, freeing the last “butterfly” that calls her a monster. She begins her poem.

Key Events

Sahaara shows her family the completed mural, explaining its meaning—the bolis, the self-written lyrics, the butterfly symbolism, and the four women from the shelter plus Kiran.
Maasi, Bibi, and Jeevan move to view other exhibits, leaving Sahaara alone with Mom to discuss the upcoming election results (expected shortly).
Professor Rhonda compliments Sahaara’s work and outfit, but Sahaara corrects her pronunciation to “Kaur” like “core.”
The audience lights dim; the dean speaks, then Rhonda introduces the first artist.
Behind Sahaara, a Punjabi couple whispers about the election results; a man taps her shoulder and congratulates her—Ahluwalia won.
Sahaara steps onto stage, nerves buzzing. She decides to skip her prepared speech and recite her poem instead.
She grounds herself by imagining her mother and a younger version of herself, letting go of the inner voice that calls her a monster.
The chapter ends with Sahaara beginning to recite her poem.

Character Development

Sahaara Kaur: Demonstrates growth as an artist and activist by publicly sharing her painting and poem, both rooted in her own trauma and the stories of women at the shelter. She asserts her identity by correcting the professor’s mispronunciation and choosing to wear a traditional kameez. Her ability to self-regulate anxiety through visualization shows deepening emotional maturity.
Mom (Kiran): Acts as a steady source of comfort and pride. She translates part of the painting’s text, recognizes the women depicted, and offers grounding words (“We’re celebrating you tonight. Nothing else matters.”).
Professor Rhonda: Represents the institutional gaze—complimenting Sahaara’s work but initially mispronouncing her name, revealing a subtle cultural distance.
Maasi, Bibi, Jeevan: Their supportive reactions (gasps, pats on the shoulder) reinforce the theme of intergenerational family solidarity, even as they tactfully give Sahaara and Kiran private space.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here

Bolis and Oral Tradition: The chapter opens with a reflection on bolis as a centuries-old, matrilineal storytelling practice. Sahaara writes her own boli lyrics, weaving contemporary feminist themes into the traditional form.
Butterflies: Violet monarchs in the painting represent both anxiety (“butterflies in the stomach”) and migration (literal and trauma-based). “Freeing the last butterfly that calls me a monster” symbolizes self-acceptance and release from internalized shame.
Self-Marriage / Liberation: The mural depicts each woman as a bride marrying herself—a direct metaphor for reclaiming agency after sexual abuse. Sahaara’s poem ends with “Here I am marrying myself.”
Cultural Identity in Institutional Spaces: Sahaara’s decision to wear a phulkari chunni and her deliberate correction of Rhonda’s mispronunciation underscore the tension between her Punjabi heritage and the predominantly white gallery setting.
Election as External Tension: The chapter is titled “election day,” yet the election results (Ahluwalia winning) are a brief, disruptive noise. The real election is internal: Sahaara’s choice to speak her truth despite fear.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 179 is the emotional and artistic climax of Sahaara’s semester-long project. It brings together threads from the entire novel: the trauma of sexual abuse, the power of intergenerational female storytelling, the search for identity, and the courage to be seen. The chapter also marks a turning point in Sahaara’s relationship with her own voice—she moves from written poetry to spoken performance, trusting that her truth will resonate. The simultaneous arrival of election results—Ahluwalia’s victory—adds political urgency, linking personal liberation to broader social change.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Sahaara decide to skip her prepared speech and instead recite a poem?
Sahaara abandons the speech because the poem feels more authentic to her artistic vision and emotional state. In the chaos of the election news and stage fright, the poem—completed that morning—directly addresses the themes of her mural and her own journey toward self-acceptance. Reciting it becomes an act of reclaiming control.

2. What does the butterfly symbol mean in the context of this chapter?
Butterflies serve a dual symbolic function. First, they represent anxiety—the feeling of “butterflies in the stomach” trying to escape. Second, they symbolize migration, both physical (Sahaara’s family to Canada) and psychological (the women fleeing trauma). Sahaara’s final act of “freeing the last butterfly that calls me a monster” signifies letting go of self-hatred.

3. How does the election subplot connect to Sahaara’s personal story in this chapter?
The election results (Ahluwalia winning) intrude on the gallery event, momentarily distracting the audience and even prompting a congratulatory interaction. This external political event mirrors the internal “election” Sahaara faces: choosing whether to speak her truth despite fear. Both elections involve hope for change, but Sahaara’s personal victory comes from her willingness to perform her poem.