Essay Questions

Why is Yasmin anxious about meeting her future mother-in-law?

Yasmin has been dating Joe, and it is time she plans to go with her parents to meet Joe's mother, Harriet, in the huge Primrose Hill Home. However, Yasmin is nervous about meeting Harriet, a modern feminist famous for writing sexually explicit essays. Harriet lives luxuriously in a stylish home. On the contrary, Yasmin comes from an average conservative family that observes religious teachings seriously. Therefore, Harriet is scared because she does not know how her parents will react when they realize that Joe's mother is a feminist who even posed nude in a 1990s magazine photograph. However, despite being nervous, Yasmin has decided that whatever the outcome of the meeting, she will go on and marry Joe because they love each other.

How does the narrator build the theme of generational conflict in Love Marriage?

The novel is interesting because it intersects the differences in generations. Yasmin’s parents are Hindus, believing in conservative ideologies and strictly observing their faith. On the other hand, Harriet is a modern woman and a feminist who is not ashamed of talking about sexuality openly. Harriet is famous and rich because she is a scholar specializing in matters of sexuality that the older generation considers evil. For instance, Harriet writes essays about sex, which sometimes contain explicit images that the older generation does not want to look at. The generational conflict is made worse when Yasmin decides to marry Joe, and her parents are resistant after learning about Harriet's personality.

Is Yasmin Yasmin suffering from an identity crisis?

The author depicts Yasmin as a young woman who has not made personal decisions to influence the direction of her life. For instance, Yasmin is studying medicine to become a doctor, but her medical father, who wants her to follow in his footsteps, influenced this decision. Similarly, Yasmin is religious because she does everything her family teaches her, but she is not sure if that faith is beneficial to her life or not. At 26, Yasmin still lives with her parents because she must do everything her family asks her to do. Therefore, Yasmin is not an independent woman because her family makes every decision she undertakes.