Perspectives

This part of the study guide will help you put into perspective the short story “Red Sari” by Amanthi Harris by looking at the literary period and similar works.

Literary period

Published in 2004, the short story belongs to the literary period we call Postmodernism which started developing in the second half of the 20th century. Because Postmodernism encompasses a long period of time, it is also a very diverse literary movement which cannot always be described according to fixed characteristics.

Features associated with Postmodernism that you can find in Amanthi Harris’s story are the fact that it is set in a contemporary context and explores contemporary issues (identity in the context of immigration) as well as the rather unexpected ending (the resolution reveals the daughter never wore the sari) and the use of the first-person narrator.

Works with the same theme

 If you want to expand your discussion of the short story, you can consider comparing it with stories that share similar themes...