Jasmine's Assimilation

Jasmine’s Failure at Assimilation The book Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee touches on many different aspects of the life of an immigrant. From the struggles of traveling, to love, to confusion in identity, Jasmine experiences it all. The most prominent theme though of this book is assimilation. Does Jasmine ever truly escape her old Hindi ways? Or has she really become the American that she desires to be? It is clear throughout the story though, …

…American, she is unable to fully assimilate. She is constantly reminded of her past by others, and constantly reminded of her culture’s duties inadvertently by herself. It is unclear at the end of the book if she is truly American because she is now doing what she wants to do (running off and living with Taylor and Duff), but every other experience of her’s clearly shows that she has yet to become “American.”