The Inheritance of Loss Lesson Plan

How are readers introduced to the theme of multiculturalism and colonialism in the first chapter?

In the opening scene of the novel, the characters are at home in the hills of Kalimpong. Although in India, Sai is reading a National Geographic in English while the judge is playing chess, a European game. They are waiting on the cook to serve them their afternoon tea, another British indulgence. The judge is quick to anger when his tea isn't served with the precise snacks he wants, "never ever was the tea served the way it should be." This scene demonstrates the influence of British culture on post-colonial India. Despite living in India, the judge is baffled why he...