Homeless Bird

“A part of me hoped they would be successful and that someone wanted me. A part of me hoped that no one in the world would want me enough to take me away from my home and my maa and baap and brothers.”

Koly’s internal conflicts are central to her story. Throughout the novel, society and cultural traditions push her in one direction, while a desire to pursue happiness and independence pulls her in another direction. When her family begins looking for a husband for her, she’s conflicted: Part of her hopes they’ll be successful; this stems from having been socialized to accept the tradition of arranged marriage and to prioritize her duty to her family. Part of her hopes that no one will want her; this stems from not feeling ready for marriage at age 13 and knowing that leaving her family might mean leaving love and protection behind forever.

“As I walked out of the courtyard with Maa and Baap, I looked back. The courtyard was where we had our meals and where we slept on warm nights. I would awaken to the sound of the cuckoo in the tamarind tree that shaded the courtyard. Maa and I would wash our hair by the courtyard well and dry it in the sun. Then we would braid each other’s hair. Once when the small wild lilies were blooming, I wove them into Maa’s hair, and she laughed like a girl. All this I was leaving behind.”

This descriptive paragraph embodies the author’s style. Whelan uses nature, imagery, and sensory language to succinctly convey much about Koly’s home and childhood. The scene alludes to the senses (sight, sound, and touch): the call of the cuckoo, maa’s laughter, the warmth of the sun, and the feeling of hair as they braid it. References to wild lilies, the tamarind tree, and outdoor meals in a courtyard evoke a sense of rural village life, which is an important setting in the novel.

“Until that moment I had believed it was me the Mehta family wanted; now it seemed that what they cared for most was the dowry. Was my marriage to be like the buying of a sack of yams in the marketplace?”

Koly’s epiphany develops her internal conflicts, especially regarding the traditions of arranged marriages and dowries. A critical tone toward these customs emerges through such observations. Although arranged marriages are widely embraced and serve cultural functions, as described in this guide’s Background Section, Koly’s experiences reveal many of the negative outcomes of arranged marriages. One is that Koly feels like merchandise rather than a human with dignity. For many girls, this leads to an identity crisis that perpetuates their suffering.

“As I lay there in the strange house, I felt like a newly caged animal that rushes about looking for the open door that isn’t there. I thought I might be able to endure one day in my new home and perhaps two, but I did not see how I could live there for the rest of my life.”

Koly’s description of her suffering and mental anguish creates tension and escalates her internal conflicts. Her sense that she can’t endure her current circumstances raises the stakes and invests readers in her journey. Animal metaphors recur throughout the text, typically representing Koly or some aspect of the life she wants. As a bride in an arranged marriage, Koly feels like a caged animal. This comparison helps convey the lived experiences of girls forced into situations in which they have no freedom or autonomy.

“My parents needed money for the doctor and money to take Hari to Varanasi. They believe the Ganges is his last hope. A dowry was the only way they could get the money.”

Chandra explains to Koly why her parents lied to Koly’s family about Hari’s age and health. It’s dishonorable to allow a marriage they know is likely to make Koly a widow rather than to create a successful long-term alliance. The reason for their actions, however, complicates the story and adds depth to their characters. Details like this help illustrate the complex factors, especially economic ones, that make customs like arranged marriages so hard to change.

“I knew that after all the sacrifices they had made for my dowry, I would shame them by returning home.”

Informal forces, like ideas about honor and shame, often influence the choices of individuals and society. In many cases, these forces seek to preserve conventional power hierarchies—in this case, men’s authority over women—and the institutional structures that protect those hierarchies, such as arranged marriages. Koly chooses to accept her arranged marriage because she has been taught that any other choice will bring shame to her family.

“I could hardly bear to look at all the misery. Yet the expressions on the faces of the sick were not sad. They were not hopeful, but they were peaceful.”

In Varanasi, Koly sees throngs of sick people making their way to the temples along the Ganges River, hoping for a cure from the sacred water just like Hari. Their expressions, not hopeful but peaceful, suggest that they’ve also come as a last resort, having exhausted all medical options and expecting to die. The novel’s portrayal of these pilgrims and their faith doesn’t reveal any overt tone—either criticizing or endorsing—toward Hinduism. Nevertheless, as they approach either a miraculous cure or death, the pilgrims’ emotions may imply a subtle message about the role of faith in Hindus’ lives.

“I was nothing now. I could not go back to my parents and be a daughter again. I was no longer a wife or a bahus, a daughter-in-law. Yes, I thought, I am something. I am a widow. And I began to sob.”

Hari’s death marks an important turning point in Koly’s character arc. This quote emphasizes how status and identity connect to rigidly defined roles for women. Society defines girls and young women like Koly not as individuals but by their marital status. Remarrying isn’t illegal for a widow but is traditionally deemed shameful. India often shuns widows, forcing them into poverty and homelessness, as Koly learns in Vrindavan. Although she doesn’t yet know the details, she already has a sense that being a widow is worse than being nothing at all.

“After the cremation the scattering of Hari’s ashes over the Ganges would set his soul free by returning his body to fire, water, and earth. […] As we walked through the Golden Temple, a dove wove a pattern just above our heads. I knew that the spirit of the dead hovers about for a time, and the swooping dove seemed very like Hari.”

The novel weaves details about Indian culture into the story to convey a vivid sense of Koly’s experience. These details are also educational, which is an important aspect of many books for middle grade readers. This scene reveals Hindu beliefs as they apply to Koly’s life in this moment rather than in a lengthy exposition that might give a more thorough idea of the beliefs beyond the needs of conveying the story. Birds are common symbols throughout the novel. The dove in this paragraph doesn’t fulfill the same purpose as most other birds but imparts its own message, which reveals Koly’s spiritual beliefs and her feelings about Hari.

“He sighed, and I knew he was thinking of Hari, so I began to read aloud to Sassur from my favorite poem. It was about a flock of birds flying day and night through the skies. Among them was one homeless bird, always flying on to somewhere else.”

Koly’s first encounter with Tagore’s poetry establishes the inspiration for the book’s title, Homeless Bird. She relates to the homeless bird because she longs to escape her life in the Mehta household, to go somewhere other than where the flock goes, or where cultural traditions push her. Her connection to the homeless bird thematically supports Defining “Home” in Terms of Love and Belonging.

“From then on if she caught me reading, she would call me lazy and set me to a task or send me off to the village on an errand. But no matter what Sass thought, the secrets in the books were now mine, and try as she might, she could not snatch them away.”

Knowledge is power, and for Koly, reading is the best form of acquiring it. Feminist theories view the taboo against girls learning to read as informal oppression. In learning to read, Koly gains her first bit of power over Sass and the social systems that reinforce helplessness. This is a major step in her character arc, thematically supporting Coming-of-Age as a Journey from Helplessness to Independence.

“I hurried back through the marketplace, past the man with the trained monkey on a chain and the stall where birds were imprisoned in tiny cages. In one of the cages was a mynah bird that had been blinded to make it sing.”

The monkey and the mynah bird in this scene symbolize the plight of women in a society in which gender disparities are entrenched, especially for women in arranged marriages like Koly’s. They have no choice in who they marry and no authority in their marital home, like caged or chained animals. They might even be abused as a form of control, just like the blinded bird.

“‘One day I will run away,’ I said. ‘No. You must never do that. Where would you go, and who would take care of you?’ I knew that Chandra was never one to think of taking care of herself, so I said no more.”

Chandra accepts her society’s gender norms, like the idea that a woman can’t be independent. This shows how women, as well as men, reinforce gender disparities that oppress women. In addition, Chandra’s character acts as a foil to Koly’s. Chandra’s apathy toward independence emphasizes Koly’s desire for it.

“‘Why would they bring you here and leave you?’ I asked. ‘Why didn’t they take care of you?’ ‘Once they had my husband’s property, they had no more use for me. They said widows were unlucky to have about. The truth is that I am too old for hard work.’”

Koly’s conversation with another widow in Vrindavan neatly summarizes how communities view and treat widows, reiterating the idea of women as goods to be traded in a transactional marriage. Widows’ families have no more use for them and thus abandon them.

“‘Until I get my pension,’ I explained, ‘I can’t afford a place to live. Can’t I pick up my pension here?’ He shook his head as if the thought were beyond considering. ‘No, no. Pensions are mailed. Return when you have an address.’”

Through situational irony, this scene shows how government officials informally disempower women even when laws are in place to protect them. By creating unnecessary obstacles to women obtaining resources like their pensions, the government reduces the effectiveness of efforts to support widows and meet their basic needs. Koly is intelligent and resilient, but even she needs some help from those, like Maa Kamala, who truly want to help women succeed. This conveys the message that needing help is okay.

“I knew that my hunger and my fear were making me into another person altogether, a greedy and coldhearted person I despised. I thought it would be Sass’s final cruelty to me, to make me be like her.”

Koly’s long-term goals are independence and self-actualization, but she must first meet her most basic needs as a human: food, shelter, and safety. During her first week in Vrindavan, Koly spends all her time and energy just to meet those basic needs because she has no access to support or resources. The effort is exhausting. The result, and Koly’s assessment of it, show how profoundly external factors can influence a person’s behavior. This contributes to a cycle of women being cruel to each other rather than supporting each other. They’re not evil; they’re just trying to survive.

“She turned to me. ‘Come along, Koly,’ she said in a brisk voice. ‘I’ll introduce you to the others. Then we must put aside that widow’s sari. Here you are not a widow but a young woman with a life ahead of you.’”

Moving into Maa Kamala’s house marks another important turning point for Koly, both from a practical standpoint and in her sense of identity and worth. Life there meets Koly’s basic needs. She gets food, shelter, and safety, as well as various other forms of support to help her gain independence. Maa Kamala’s words in this quote are more relevant to Koly’s emotional needs and sense of self. They give her new hope and remind her of her worth as a human, convincing her that she can still make a good life for herself.

“Taking off my widow’s sari was a great relief. I once saw a small green snake rub itself against a stone until its old skin peeled away, transparent and thin as paper. I felt now as I imagined the snake felt after it rid itself of its old, confining skin.”

This scene uses another animal metaphor to imbue Koly’s actions with deeper symbolic meaning. She isn’t merely removing an article of clothing; she’s letting go of an identity that was forced on her and that she thought she had to accept. In addition, she’s letting go of her long-held belief that she must abide by tradition lest she shame herself and her family. The snake’s old, confining skin represents both her widow’s sari and the antiquated views and cultural traditions that entrapped her for so long.

“I was able to embroider many other memories, though. I worked a design of silver hoops, and in that way I got my earrings back again. I made a pattern of marigold garlands in honor of Hari and to remind me of the hours I had spent in stringing the orange flowers. One thing after another in my life was captured and stitched to be saved.”

These lines reveal the primary symbolic meaning of quilts and embroidery. Koly is forced to upend her life several times, never having any say in the matter. Through the images she stitches, Koly preserves memories of the desirable parts of each life she had to leave behind. In addition, her creations help her remember some of the less desirable parts so that she never forgets what she’s overcome and how much stronger she is now.

“‘How can you stand that old woman? She won’t let you out of her sight. It’s worse than a prison. Come and spend a night with me and see how delicious freedom is.’ I should have objected to the way she spoke of Maa Kamala, but I was anxious to be Mala’s friend.”

Koly’s interactions with Mala represent the influence of peer pressure. The roles of wife and widow no longer define Koly, but now she must decide how to redefine herself. She must choose which values she’ll keep and which she’ll reject. Koly has longed for freedom and belonging, and she thinks she’ll gain them through Mala’s friendship. However, Mala pressures Koly to disrespect the woman who helped her and whom she admires.

“‘At first,’ Raji said, ‘we’d be poor, but I have fixed the house up so the rains can’t get in, and we would grow all the food we need on our land. My crop of okra and lentils will bring in money. There’s a well in the courtyard. If we have water and food and a roof over our heads, that is all we need.’”

Raji portrays the life that he and Koly will share if she agrees to marry him. This shows Koly that Raji holds the same values she does. Neither sees financial gain as a reason for marriage. Instead, both want a marriage based on compatibility, friendship, and shared interests; in other words, they don’t want an arranged marriage but one of their choosing.

“And what of my embroidery at Mr. Das’s place, and my friends at Maa Kamala’s house? I could see myself in two places, with Raji and in Mr. Das’s workroom, but I could not see myself in just one place. ‘How could I give up my work?’ I asked Raji. ‘What would I do?’”

Before coming to Vrindavan, Koly had no say in what role she played in her life and society. Tradition forced her to focus on cooking and cleaning rather than going to school and being a wife and then a widow. Society always rigidly defined one role, one source of identity. She has now gained independence and has begun to embrace the many facets of her identity. Raji’s proposal, however, adds a new layer to her internal conflict and tests her sense of self.

“It was not only the room that brought tears to my eyes but the idea of a room for me taking shape in Raji’s mind, and then being built with his hands. My last doubts about the marriage flew from me like a flock of birds starting up from a field to be lost in the distance.”

Koly’s marriage to Hari taught her that marriage is a transaction from which the bride isn’t meant to benefit. Hari’s family didn’t care about Koly; they cared only about her dowry. Thus, she never felt that their household was truly her home. The house Raji is building for them is different. His thoughtfulness makes her realize that she’ll find love and belonging there, and it will be a true home.