The Management of Grief

by

Bharati Mukherjee

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Pam is Kusum’s older daughter who is “always in trouble.” She “dates Canadian boys and hangs out at the mall,” unlike her “goody goody” younger sister, who was killed in the attack and was on the plane on her way to spend time with her grandparents because Pam wouldn’t go. Pam would rather spend her time working at McDonald’s and accuses Kusum of wishing that she, Pam, had died on the plane instead of her sister. After the attack, Pam sets out for California but ends up in Vancouver, where she works in a department store.
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Pam Character Timeline in The Management of Grief

The timeline below shows where the character Pam appears in The Management of Grief. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Management of Grief
Managing Versus Experiencing Grief Theme Icon
Hope, Duty, and Despair Theme Icon
Navigating Cultural Difference Theme Icon
...her neighbor, Kusum, whose husband and youngest daughter were on the plane. Kusum’s other daughter, Pam, runs by to tell her mother that she needs to get dressed to meet a... (full context)
Managing Versus Experiencing Grief Theme Icon
Secular vs. Spiritual Theme Icon
...tragedy brought them together, “melted down and recast [them] as a new tribe.” Kusum’s daughter, Pam, has left for California. Dr. Ranganathan calls Shaila twice a week from Montreal but has... (full context)
Managing Versus Experiencing Grief Theme Icon
Secular vs. Spiritual Theme Icon
Hope, Duty, and Despair Theme Icon
...she envies Kusum for having been able to see her daughter again. Kusum’s other daughter, Pam, never made it to California. Instead, Pam writes Shaila letters from Vancouver, where she works... (full context)