Hannah-Roy-05/09

Sandip Roy's "Auld Lang Syne" reminds me of other short stories we have read this semester, especially since it is wholly based on conversations and how each character reacts to one another. There isn't a big event in the story line, but it is about Sunil's homecoming and his interactions with Bipin and his family members. Tea and sweets come up, as in most South Asian literature. When Sunil and Bipin were younger, they longed to move away and had hope, but reality set in and Sunil actually lived out his dreams, while Bipin had to settle. But according to Bipin, that's not necessarily a bad thing - it has to do with growing up and taking responsibility.

The concept of breaking away from tradition is also present in Roy's story since Sunil moved to America and Bipin stayed at home to take care of his family. Sunil went to the West and became more "free", while Bipin stayed in the East and is content, but not necessarily happy. But Sunil kind of longs for Bipin's life since it seems safer and more stable (family life, a son, an office job). Bipin seems to have had the choice to move to America, but stayed because his father passed away. It seems like the West is always a place in which people want to escape to, seeing it as a freer and livelier place. But that's not always the case since Sunil misses his old life.