Mrs. Sen's

Eliot is an 11-year-old boy and the main protagonist of the story. Lahiri’s third-person narration follows him. He is smart, observant, and kind. Eliot forms a bond with Mrs. Sen based in part on the coldness of their primary relationships: Eliot’s with his mother and Mrs. Sen’s with her husband. Eliot lives at home with his mother, and his father is absent from the story and, it seems, from his life. He is reserved and well-behaved. His mother’s emotional unavailability leaves him longing for deeper connections. After Eliot goes through two caregivers, one who went to college and the other who abuses alcohol, his mother is desperate to find him a new sitter. Although Eliot’s mom is wary of Mrs. Sen when she first meets her, Eliot forms a connection with Mrs. Sen. Eliot admires Mrs. Sen for talking to him and paying attention to him, as well as for her openness about Indian culture and food. Eliot is in some ways the most developed character in the story because Lahiri’s third-person narration emphasizes his point of view. Yet his quietness and good nature leave him somewhat obscure. Because he does not provoke strong reactions from any of the other characters, few direct or indirect characterization devices reveal his personality. Although he is the main protagonist, he functions as a lens for investigating the Sens’ cold marriage and his mother’s cold parenting.

Mr. Sen is a mathematics professor and husband to Mrs. Sen. Mr. Sen is callous and sometimes cruel toward his wife but friendly with Eliot. He becomes frustrated with Mrs. Sen due to her inability to learn how to drive a car. Mr. Sen finds it inconvenient when asked to drive Mrs. Sen to the fish market. Mr. Sen is interested primarily in his job and puts no effort into his marriage, which he treats as a given. When Eliot starts staying at Mrs. Sen’s, Mr. Sen drives his wife and Eliot a few times a week to the fish market. Soon after, he stops driving her and insists that she drive herself and not bother him at work. Mr. Sen expects Mrs. Sen to meet his material needs, such as cooking dinner and cleaning the apartment. And he meets her material needs by providing for her financially. But he seems to have no interest in an emotional connection or in giving and receiving attention or affection. Mr. Sen is a flat character in the sense that he focuses on his job and seems indifferent to other activities and other people, including his spouse. Yet Mrs. Sen’s difficulty adjusting to life in America suggests that Mr. Sen may have similar challenges as an immigrant. In portraying him as distant and cold, the narration gives no access to his inner life.