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Mrs. Croft
Mala is the arranged Indian wife of the narrator. She is younger than her husband by nine years. Mala knows how to cook, knit, embroider, sketch, and recite poetry, but she is not conventionally beautiful, and her family feared she might never get married. Her laugh is described as full of kindness, her eyes bright—but during the brief time she and the narrator spend together in Calcutta before his immigration to Boston, she weeps nightly, missing her parents. As she waits for her green card to be ready, she writes a letter to the narrator. She writes in English in “preparation” for her new life but also expresses loneliness and worries about Boston’s cold weather. She follows the traditions of a new bride: wearing decorative dye, a bindi on her forehead, and draping her sari over her head to indicate bridal modesty. The narrator worries about her naiveté and emotional vulnerability, sometimes worrying she might be like his emotionally fragile mother. Yet Mala proves herself generous—bringing her new husband homemade gifts like knitted sweaters—and polite, complimenting the apartment and the egg curry he has made. She is dedicated to creating a more comfortable and clean home. adding traditional Indian touches, but also listens to the narrator’s preferences, even if they might be strange to him. It is when Mala is being regarded by Mrs. Croft that the narrator is able to connect his own feelings of alienation and awkwardness as an immigrant with what his new wife must be feeling, and this begins to lower the barriers between them, a fact indicated by the smile they share after Mrs. Croft announces that Mala is “a perfect lady.” Over the ensuing years, she and the narrator grow closer and she becomes more comfortable in America. Eventually, she becomes an American citizen, and no longer drapes her sari or weeps for her parents. She does worry about her son and tries to keep alive some Indian traditions within him, and she can’t remember a time when she and her husband were strangers. At the end of the story, she is “happy and strong.”
Mala Quotes in The Third and Final Continent
The The Third and Final Continent quotes below are all either spoken by Mala or refer to Mala. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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The Third and Final Continent Quotes
Apart from our jobs we had few responsibilities. On weekends we lounged barefoot in drawstring pajamas, drinking tea and smoking Rothmans, or set out to watch cricket at Lord’s. Some weekends the house was crammed with still more Bengalis . . . and we made yet more egg curry, and played Mukhesh on a Grundig reel-to-reel, and soaked our dirty dishes in the bathtub.
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In this passage, the narrator describes the time he spent studying in London during his late twenties and early thirties, living a bachelor lifestyle with his Bengali housemates.. In the first, in London, the narrator is student, living communally with other students of a similar background, remaining immersed in his cultural practices because of his surrounding community. These young men all hope to “establish themselves abroad.” This ambition shows how the narrator strives for success, hoping to better his life, but it also shows how at this stage he is just in preparation: he has “few responsibilities” and often just Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventor
My wife’s name was Mala. The marriage had been arranged by my older brother and his wife. I regarded the proposition with neither objection nor enthusiasm. It was a duty expected of me, as it was expected of every man.
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The narrator’s views on marriage offer a window into his views on emotion and personal connection more generally at this point in the story. As was common in India at the time, his marriage arranged by his family. His lack of input might certainly play a role in the narrator’s apathetic feelings about this marriage, and his more general belief that marriage is just a “duty” rather than an emotional union or connection. Yet it’s also possible to believe that other newly married men might be excited about marriage, even if it was arranged. The narrator’s sense of marriage as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto volupta
…a week later we were still strangers. I still was not used to coming home to an apartment that smelled of steamed rice, and finding that the basin in the bathroom was always wiped clean, our two toothbrushes lying side by side, a cake of Pears soap from India resting in the soap dish.
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A week after Mala’s arrival in the United States, the narrator still cannot get used to her and feels his wife is a stranger. This efficient description captures multiple overlayed reasons for the narrator’s discomfort. Mala’s arrival marks the first time as an adult that the narrator has not lived as a bachelor, alone. That the narrator is disconcerted to be part of a couple is implied by the fact that he’s unused to the “toothbrushes, lying side by side.” Living with Mala forces the narrator out of the lifestyle to which he is accustomed. For years, he’s prepared his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas s
Mala rose to her feet, adjusting the end of her sari over her head and holding it to her chest, and, for the first time since her arrival, I felt sympathy. I remembered my first days in London . . . Like me, Mala had traveled far from home, not knowing where she was going, or what she would find, for no reason other than to be my wife. As strange as it seemed, I knew in my heart that one day her death would affect me, and stranger still, that mine would affect her.
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When the narrator takes Mala to visit Mrs. Croft, Mrs. Croft examines her carefully Mala head to toe. As Mala is being evaluated in this way, the narrator has a sudden surge of sympathy for his new wife. This is the first time he reacts to Mala emotionally. In this moment as he watches his wife being looked over, he realizes that, like himself, Mala is negotiating the difficulties of immigration, and particularly how her Indianness is seen by others. Earlier in the story, the narrator observed an Indian woman, who’s sari is dragging on the street. A dog attacks Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et
At night we kissed, shy at first but quickly bold, and discovered pleasure and solace in each other’s arms. I told her about my voyage on the SS Roma, and about Finsbury Park and the YMCA, and my evenings on the bench with Mrs. Croft. When I told her stories about my mother, she wept. It was Mala who consoled me when, reading the Globe one evening, I came across Mrs. Croft’s obituary.
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Mala and the narrator’s movement toward greater intimacy occurs after the couple’s visit to Mrs. Croft’s and the older woman’s declaration that Mala is “a perfect lady!” Mrs. Croft’s excited declaration recalls her earlier declarations about both the moon landing and the narrator being a gentleman, and refashions Mala as extraordinary. Through these correlations, the story implies that marriage is a new territory for the couple, much like the moon, or the continent of America, and that the narrator is on the brink of discovering Mala’s splendidness. This passage—which follows that earlier moment—shows the ramifications of the narrator’s changed understanding Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem harum. Omnis vel voluptatum. Assumenda officia maiores. Voluptatem sint velit. Quod quia sapiente. Cum sunt quo. Accusamus veri
While the astronauts, heroes forever, spent mere hours on the moon, I have remained in this new world for nearly thirty years. I know that my achievement is quite ordinary . . . Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.
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At the very end of the story, the narrator’s thoughts come full circle. He immigrated to Boston thirty years prior on the day of the moon landing, and now he thinks of the astronauts one more time. While the astronauts are considered extraordinary heroes for spending just a few hours navigating new territory, the narrator is in awe that he has survived and thrived for thirty years in America. Although he insists twice that his achievement is “ordinary,” he also realizes it is “splendid.” The landscape of life might, like that of the moon, be one of “desolation,” full of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore
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Mala Character Timeline in The Third and Final Continent
The timeline below shows where the character Mala appears in The Third and Final Continent. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Third and Final Continent
The narrator’s wife’s name is Mala. Their marriage was arranged, and the narrator has neither “objection nor enthusiasm” for it—it’s simply...
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At the end of August, just before Mala is set to arrive, the narrator receives a letter from her. It doesn’t have a...
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...briefly bites the sari, and the narrator suddenly realizes that it’s his “duty” to protect Mala from this kind of thing—to welcome her, care for her, and protect her. Irritated, he...
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...narrator is used to America by now: his cornflakes and his evenings with Mrs. Croft. Mala will be the only thing that’s unfamiliar, but he nonetheless rents a bigger apartment before...
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At the airport, Mala is dressed in the way customary for brides. Instead of touching her, the narrator asks...
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On Friday, the narrator suggests they go out. Mala dresses up as though they’re going to a party. This makes him regretful, as he...
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...the bell, Helen opens the door, explaining that Mrs. Croft has been hurt. He and Mala go to the parlor where she is lying down, and Mrs. Croft treats the narrator...
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Glaring at Mala, who has settled on the piano bench, Mrs. Croft asks who she is, and the...
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...seen a woman in a sari before. He assumes Mrs. Croft will find fault in Mala, but instead the old woman declares with delight that Mala is a “perfect lady.” The...
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This moment in Mrs. Croft’s parlor is when the “distance” between the narrator and Mala “began to lessen.” Afterwards, they explore the city together, make friends with other Bengalis, take...
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Mala also who consoles him when he learns in the newspaper that Mrs. Croft has died....
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In the thirty years since the narrator arrived in Boston, the narrator and Mala have become American citizens. They own a house on a tree-lined street like Mrs. Croft’s....
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...Croft’s house and is transported back to that summer of 1969, amazed that he and Mala were ever strangers. Whenever he worries about his son’s future after he and Mala have...
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