An Analysis Of Chameleon By Ranbir Sahota

Chameleon by Ranbir Sahota

What is it being an Indian girl living in the UK? And should it be any different? Why do we have such a screwed view on the life of people being religious, such as Muslims and so to speak, Indians?

The narration in the text is very in depth and detailed, it’s also a first person story, where we follow Rita through her struggles as an immigrant. We got up close and personal with her, her opinions and not at least her emotions throughout the text.

She is being very controversial in her point of view, as she is constantly questioning and doubting the many traditions in the religion of her. It is kind of obvious, early in the text, to notice that she is definitely not a fan of her religion that she has been born into.

'If we were in India, I'd be married with children, but instead I'm here and I want more'’

The text is using her narrating as a point of view, to highlight the many big and controversial differences of each country and religion. If you would look at it from a bigger perspective, we could question our actions and behaviours in society by the way the narration technique is being used. That is a critical part of the narrating.

As I said before, we get to know her from the inside, meaning that we can read her thoughts, know why she does what she does.

The language and the set-up are very casual for a first person-narrator taking us through her life. It is very casual and formal, almost like she is telling us about her “everyday-life” so to speak. But when she isn’t telling us and getting us through her everyday life, she is usually talking about her parents, sharing thoughts about them. The thoughts and comment on her parents are a bit different. She is at some moment confronting them and their belief. They can’t grasp why she wont go back to India, and she can’t grasp why they’re so intimately focused on their religion. And that’s is the set-up for the more controversial and sensitive style of language in the

Somebody would argue that it is a normal relationship between a teenage daughter and her parents. But in a situation where she is doing everything the opposite way of her parents, I wouldn’t say it is a normal behaviour.

‘'No,’ Dad, he doesn't know how to write Hindi. Sorry.'


The message in the text is easy to understand. The main issue in this text is that her relationship with the English guy, who is catholic, isn’t the relationship the parents wanted for her.

And know to the core of the text, the message. I don’t think I will make much of a disagreement, if I put my opinion out there, as the message comes down to diversity through religion and region. Boiling it all down, the big issue in the text is that she is with an English guy, preaching another belief than her parents, and they’re to said the least not impressed by it. They’re super religious and they minds were all set on taking Rita back to India to get her married with an ideal guy, with good intension, values and not at least the right