In addition, her urge of becoming part of the Indian culture is given through the use of simile. ‘I am clinging to these firm peacock lines, like people who cling to the sides of the train.’ The peacock is the national symbol for India, which could represent her desperation to be part of the culture. The fact that she ‘clings’ on to these lines shows that her dedication and persistence to discover her heritage is great. She is ‘holding on’ to the henna, as if disregarding it would lead to her losing her identity.
Furthermore, the use symbolism could portray her identity as being temporary and superficial. ‘I’ll scrape of the dry brown lines before I sleep…’ This symbolizes her identity as being artificial. The fact that the henna is her identity shows that this is only temporary, as it will eventually fade away.
Moreover, her cultural differences could represent her not being able to be part of her culture. ‘The evening bazaar studded with neon.’ The girl does not fit in with her surroundings and stands out, as she is not part of the culture. She could be ‘the evening bazaar studded with neon.’ She is the one who stands out. The bright colours represent her as standing out and not being able to discover her identity.
Additionally, the girl sees the Henna as being her identity, which could represent her heritage and her discovering where she belongs. ‘When India appears and reappears.’ The ‘appearing and reappearing’ of India could symbolize the henna as being her identity. This shows that it is temporary and as the henna constantly has to be reapplied, her identity is artificial and a substitute for her true heritage.
To conclude, the uses of metaphors, similes, symbolism etc. implies that her identity as a woman in India is superficial. The whole act of the poem could be a metaphor to acquire and discover a temporary identity.
