I think the plot of Auld Lang Syne epitomizes many of the themes of South Asian literature. It’s basically the story of two friends, one of whom manages to “escape” the constraints of his country and it’s traditions through emigration. The other friend is caught up in the circumstances of his life in his country of birth. The circumstances of each of the friends mirror the ideas of being born into a certain caste, despite the sense that one of them, Sunil, has managed to “get out” based on his own efforts.
The illusion that the other friend, Bipin, seems to suffer under is that Sunil left his friends and family with some kind of intention behind his action. But because of the way the story is presented with Sunil’s visit “back home” seeming like it was just for the sake of old times and not for any larger reason, the impression I got was that Sunil’s life really is in America and has been all along while Bipin’s has remained where it began.
In one section of Sunil and Bipin’s conversation they discuss whether Sunil feels freer living in America. It seems that this perspective, of Sunil’s freedom, is only possible through Bipin’s eyes. Even though it does seem that Sunil has a “better life” and owns more expensive things than Bipin does, the measure for success and happiness they’re indirectly discussing is skewed since the interpretation of Sunil’s success is being understood by someone, Bipin, who lives in a different culture that presumably has different expectations. Bipin suffers because of this disparity in measures of success as well as (obviously) because he lost his friend.
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