Comparing Santha Rama Rau's Short Story 'By Any Other Name'

The complexities of human nature are almost immeasurable, though one thing is clear: people need societal validation and affirmation. In the short story, “By Any Other Name”, two young Indian girls, Premila and Santha, are sent to a British school in India, where conformity is forced upon them. Ostracized for their differences, Premila loses sight of her cultural identity while Santha stays steadfast in her beliefs. In Santha Rama Rau’s short story “By Any Other Name”, the author uses the protagonist’s inability to accept or even understand conformity to highlight a key theme: by rejecting the need for validation and refusing to conform, one develops a stronger sense of self. Rau uses the juxtaposition between Santha’s youthful individuality and Premila’s immediate conformity to highlight the effects of both responses to societal pressures. When Premila “whisper[s] fiercely that [Santha] should go and sit with [her]

Santha “[remembers] having a certain detached and disbelieving concern in the actions of “Cynthia,” but certainly no responsibility” (Rau, 3). Rau uses the early disconnect between Santha’s idea of who she is and the personality being forced upon her to demonstrate her ability to think for herself, even at a young age. Santha, being a five-year-old, is bewildered when asked to change herself for the convenience of others, stating in class that she does not know who she is. Deciding to be unadulteratedly herself, Santha “put it happily away, because it had all happened to a girl called Cynthia, and [she] never was really particularly interested in her” (Rau, 9). Santha’s ability to simply ‘put away’ her troubles with being pressured to conform indicates a strong sense of self, regardless of age. By refusing to follow convention, Santha strengthens her personal and cultural