An Unknown Girl – How Successfully The Writer Of ‘An Unknown Girl’ Presents Her Feelings About The Countries She Visited
‘An Unknown Girl’, a poem detailing an English women’s experience in India, focuses on the themes of cultural identity and the contrast of east and west. The Englishwoman whom this poem is centred around appears to be fascinated by the native Indian culture she encounters during her time in the country.
The western invasion of the east is a key theme in this poem and is produced by regular contrast of tradition. For example the writer describes the dummies in the shop windows to have ‘western perms’. The dummies, which are designed to display desirable and new style, all have ‘western perms’ showing that this new style is now considered not only normal but fashionable in India, despite it contrasting with more traditional hair styles. The personification of these dummies also helps to further the point of the west invading the east.