Discuss the contrast between the two major settings of the story—the Indian household and Hindu culture of Mama and Papa and the American suburban household and culture of the Pattons. How does this contrast help the reader understand the novel’s essential themes? What are two of these themes?

Compare and contrast Uma’s condition in India with Melanie’s condition in America. What common pain and suffering do both characters share in spite of their dramatically different cultures? What is unique about each character’s pain and suffering?

Fasting, Feasting is narrated in third-person-limited omniscient, a story structure revealing only the thoughts and perspectives of certain characters. In Desai’s novel, the story shifts from Uma’s perspective in India to Arun’s perspective in Massachusetts. How does this shifting narrative perspective affect our understanding of the novel as a whole? What, in your opinion, was Desai’s purpose in choosing to narrate her novel through Uma and Arun?