Rita

Outer characterization

The outer characterization reveals that Rita is a 24-year-old Indian woman (p. 1, ll. 1-7), brought up and educated in the UK. She has a University degree in French (p. 8, l. 2), but also speaks “fluent Hindi” (p. 1, l. 7). She has younger siblings (p. 5, l. 3) and dates an English man named Mark (p. 1, l. 20).

An interesting element of Rita’s appearance is her desire to have lighter skin: “Instead of moisturiser, I applied Fair and Beautiful bleaching cream. Since discovering it in an Indian shop in Southall, I’d rub it into any exposed part of my skin” (p. 1, ll. 8-11). This is a direct link to the title of the story. Like a chameleon, Rita tries to change her appearance according to the environment she lives in – in this case, Britain, which is primarily populated by white people. However, during the meeting her parents set up with a potential suitor, Rita wears a traditional sari (p.6, l. 21), which becomes a symbol of her acting like an Indian woman to please her parents.

Rita’s language is another way of conveying character traits. Colloquial and slang words such as “shit” (p. 1, l. 7), “pissed” (p. 2, l. 26), “bloody” (p....