I agree with the previous educator that there are many
themes including the aforementioned "self-identity" and "isolation;" however, I would
add that the MAIN theme of the story is (for lack of a better term) immigrant
assimilation difficulty.
"Squatter" is aptly titled in that
the poor immigrant named Sarosh, from Bombay India, is unable to adapt to the way
western culture (and specifically Canadians) use the bathroom. Growing up in Bombay,
without plumbing, and squatting to defecate his entire life, Sarosh struggles to use an
actual western toilet with its over-use of water and his inability to "squat." There
are other bathroom customs that Sarosh must overcome as well. Further, even though the
following quotation is from a different story ("A Fine
Balance"),
You
have to use your failures as stepping stones to success. You have to maintain a fine
balance between hope and despair. In the end it’s all a question of
balance.
Sarosh's issues with
western toilets are a sort of metaphor for all immigrant troubles as a whole. Eastern
cultures and Western cultures are very, very different. Mistry's point is that the two
do not blend well and any immigrant from the East to the West (and vice versa) should
expect similar challenges. What is interesting about this story is that all of Mistry's
other fiction deals directly with India, so this one stands out in its theme of
immigration issues.
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