The introduction to the novel definitely lets us truly know the characters. From what I know it seems like Ashima and Ashoke come from typical Bengali households and they definitely aren’t like the typical American family for sure, their lifestyles as partners are made very clear by Ashima when she talks about how the lady outside is talking sweetly to her husband and she recounts how that display of affection isn’t accepted except for in Bollywood movies. From the start of the novel we also learn a very traumatic accident occured to Ashoke involving a train. Though he is injured and has spent most of his life with family the talk with the man about traveling the world and doing more than just reading in a way puts him on the route to decide to migrate outside of the world he’s only known. It makes me kind of curious as to what is going to happen as a result of their departure from their native land, it seems that Ashoke sees it as a way to explore the world but Ashima feels alone without her family and the only world she’s ever known.