Clothes By Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Summary

In Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s story titled “Clothes”, part of the collection titled Arranged Marriage, she tells the story of Sumita, an Indian woman placed into an arranged marriage with Somesh Sen. Young and nervous, Sumita journeys across the world to live with her new husband in California. Sumita’s story does not solely focus on her marriage, but also displays the evolution of her confidence and strength. She takes a lesser traveled path to self-discovery, facing hardships of moving to a new country, leaving her family and joining a new one, to becoming a widow. More than just garments, Sumita’s saris and American clothing are key in helping Sumita transition from girlhood to womanhood, to warrior- helping her gain confidence and strength down the path of self-discovery.

In the beginning, the saris reflect the early Sumita, not too confident in herself, or her

beliefs. Sumita’s journey begins while wearing a yellow sari in the women’s lake in India. Her nervousness for the first transition in the story, her bride-viewing with Somesh, is present but beginning to fade. Moments prior to her bride-viewing, Sumita claims that girlhood is in her past. She supports this notion with emphasis on the expectation to fulfil the arrangement, a duty to her family and culture. Sumita notes, “Besides, wasn’t it every woman's destiny, as Mother was always telling me, to leave the known for the unknown? She had done it, and her mother before her” (18). She does not claim that she wants to nor does not want to take part in the arranged married; the decision is already made for her- and she knows it. Her sari for the bride-viewing is pale pink, “the color of transition”, embellished with small, gold stars (19). The new sari brings out a higher level of confidence in Sumita; she believes that “ It [the sari] would dazzle Somesh and his parents and they would choose me to be his bride ” (20). Sumita’s statement that Somesh would choose her, is an indication of change, growing confidence; there is an obligatory connotation to her statement. This new found self-confidence granted by the new sari is a small stepping stone towards Sumita’s transition from girl to warrior.
Both literally and figuratively in transition to Sumita’s next stage of life in America, Sumita is wearing a midnight blue sari, “the color of possibility,” with red trim, “the color of luck for married women (20). This symbolizes not only her current state, on a plane to her new life, but to her future state as well, to be in a lucky marriage. Panic rises for Sumita while on the plane; physically distraught, her nerves are only calmed by remembering the saris in her luggage, protected by the sandalwood sachets her mother made. This memory not only calms her in the moment, but illustrates Sumitas attachment to her clothing. Saris are no longer just an article of clothing, but are physical reminders of her family back home. Furthermore, in a time of transition and new chapters of Sumita’s life, Divakaruni utilizes the sari to reflect upon Sumita’s subtle evolution from girlhood to womanhood, rooting her comfort and strength in the clothing.
Similarly, Sumita’s deeper transition into womanhood comes when she is in California, allowing for her marriage with Somesh to develop. This begins with the American clothing that Somesh purchases for Sumita; first it is a pair of hip-hugging jeans, and a Great America sunrise-orange (which Sumita declares the color “of joy, of her new American life”) t-shirt (25). Sumita learns about amusement parks, and Somesh tells her that they will go to one when they move out. From this gift, Sumita forms a dream- to live in her own home with Somesh. This evokes a new meaning to the tshirt and jeans; they become symbols of her dream, freedom, and joy. Sumita is developing goals, and learning her likes and dislikes. This dream is an early stepping stone toward Sumita becoming more autonomous. Similarly, the description of Mr. and Mrs. Sen’s household expectations furthers the understanding of Somesh and Sumita wanting to move out. She notes how she must cover her head with the nylon sari, and describes her subservient behavior, serving tea for Mrs. Sen and her friends. Though this may shine a negative light on the nylon sari and her in-laws, it still is furthering Sumita as a character along her path discovery. From this, she is learning patience, and a greater longing toward her dream.
During this time, Somesh also gives Sumita a skirt set, consisting of a cream blouse with a long brown skirt; his intention is for the clothing is for when she begins working, after she goes to college for teaching. Sumita was not interested in this, her true dream is to work behind the counter at 7-eleven, Somesh’s gas station. Despite his dream, Sumita is determined in her ability; she states,
“ I want to stand behind the counter in the cream-and-brown skirt set (color of earth, color of seeds) and ring up purchases. The register will glide open. Confident, I will count out green dollars and silver quarters… I will charm the customers with my smile, so that they will return again and again just to hear me telling them to have a nice day. Meanwhile, I will the store to make money for us” (27).
Sumita’s confidence is growing with each piece of clothing she gains. The skirt set creates possibilities for her that were not known before- an outfit for a job interview, or for a job itself. As shown above, Sumita’s diction is definite. She chooses words that have certainty, like ‘will’ and ‘want’. The skirt set inspires Sumita to look beyond being a tea-pourer for Mrs. Sen, she is beginning to see that there are more possibilities out there. And finally, the last piece of American clothing that Sumita receives from Somesh is a black lace nightie. This symbol reveals a skyrocketing of Sumita’s self-confidence. After trying on the clothing, Somesh calls her beautiful for the first time in her life. As her confidence is on the rise, and opportunity becomes more visible, Sumita’s transition into womanhood deepens; she is becoming less of the insecure, nervous, and weak girl she once was. She is standing stronger in her beliefs and becoming more confident, and autonomous.
Right as hope, optimism, and Sumita’s confidence is on the rise, Sumita is faced with arguably the biggest test of her strength so far: the death of her husband.

Marking her appearance as a widow, Samita wears a borrowed, white sari, “the color of endings”(29). This white sari reveals the events that she did not have control over. It marks what has happened to her. While lying on the floor in her sari, thinking about the women's lake and her near drowning experience, she reclaims her future. Not wanting to conform to the cultural expectation to stay with the husband's family, knowing that she must not be a “dove with cut-off wings”, Sumita transitions to a warrior (33). She demonstrates the confidence, and strength that she has gained on her path toward self-discovery. At the end of the story, she says that she is “readying [her]self for the arguments of the coming weeks, the remonstrations” (33). Complete confidence and strength is displayed by Sumita in her decision to not go back to India. She is preparing herself to fight her own battles, and to survive to get what she wants: her Great

America.
Although it is not known what Sumita’s Great America will be. Divakaruni ends the story with Sumita gazing at herself, imagining herself wearing a blouse and a skirt the color of almonds. Sumita is no longer the young girl she was in India, nor the young woman on the plane needing the saris to comfort her, nor the helpless dove in India. She has claimed her destiny, and made the decision by herself. Through finding herself, and learning her desires, dreams, and who she is- Sumita has become her own warrior. She is at the intersection of saris, skirt suits, and self discovery- her past, her present, and her future.