The short story “Chameleon” by Ranbir Sahota begins with the main character Rita reflecting on how she has always considered herself white, even though she comes from an Indian family. Rita lives in England and has an English boyfriend named Mark.
They both hide their relationship from their parents. Rita hides the relationship because her parents don’t approve of Rita having a white boyfriend who does not share their values.
While visiting her parents, Rita gets a call from Mark, who tells her that his mother is not happy with him dating an Indian woman. Upset, Rita turns against her parents, teasing them about the possibility of having a white boyfriend.
Chameleon (2003 — Ranbir Sahota)
Has a symbolic metaphor for the main character Rita
A chameleon is an animal which can change the color of its skin according to the conditions in which it lives
The link between the title and the story is made through references to skin color (white or dark): “I was white in every way, apart from my skin color – l listened to white music, wore white clothes and ate white food
Rita prefers to consider herself white because she is immersed in British culture and acts like a white person
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