A Wife's Story

" A Wife's Story"
This story is about the culture differences between America and India. The main character is first offended by David Mamet's play, Glenngary GlennRoss, when they use racial slurs as "Polish jokes, Patel jokes" and "Their women, he goes again, They look like they've just been fucked by a dead cat"( Mukherjee 26). She is very offended by these slurs and wants to write to David Mamet. But she never gets around to writing Mamet because things start to happen in her life to make her realize the actual distance and different she is from home when her husband visits. She has been in New York for a while getting a degree in Special Ed, while her husband is at home with a well paid job and a rich hesitance. This is mainly why she is offended at the play because they are stereotyping foreigners because they are poor and unwilling to buy property when in actuality she has money back home and comes from a wealthy family. She realizes how removed from her culture she is when her husband comes to visit. He is amazed at the new modern lifestyle as seen, " He picks up hair rinses and high protein diet powders. There's already so much I have taken for granted" ( Mukherjee 34). He tries all new types of foods and buys things that he has to smuggle back on the plane. She almost feels ashamed when she says " I know I'll not be able to describe any of this to Charity, or to Imre. I'm too proud to admit I went on a guided tour" (Mukherjee 37). He wants her to come back to India with him, but she refuses as she is set in her new American ways. Then she gives in to him the night before he leaves. Her husband makes her realize how different her views and culture have become since she has been in the U.S and she may slightly understand why Mamet uses those slurs in his plays.
Magyara- member of the ethnic group, of the Finno-Ugric stock, thatforms the predominant element of the population ofHungary.
Opalescent- having or emitting an iridescence like that of an opal.