In 'Mrs. Sen's minor character (pp. 111–35), Eliot, serves as an obstacle to demonstrate Mrs. Sen's inability to assimilate into American culture. Although Mrs. Sen dominates the story, Eliot becomes a significant figure who not only illustrates the imbalance and differences between cultures, but also develops as a character who grows substantially through experiencing other customs and traditions. Eliot is an eleven-year-old white American boy, while Mrs. Sen, the next in a long line of Eliot's after-school "babysitters" (p.111), is hired because she is a "teacher's wife, responsible and kind" ( p. .111). Of course she is much more than that, as Eliot will soon discover. She is a traditional Indian wife who feels isolated and lost in the foreignness of American culture. We perceive Mrs. Sen through the eyes of Eliot, who notices and analyzes the striking differences between the domestic life of Indian immigrants and his own American childhood. Through his thoughts, we are given detailed descriptions of Sen's apartment, suggesting that he perceives the family as strangely different. Indeed, his ability to absorb and enjoy the differences present in this alternative way of life becomes a rich learning experience for him. Eliot, in fact, favorably compares Mrs. Sen's flamboyance and beautiful attire – "she wore a shimmering white sari with orange paisley motifs" – to "her cropped hair... her knees shaved and her thighs too exposed" (pp.112 ). –3). Unlike Eliot's house, Mrs. Sen's is cozy and her apartment is warm. It provides a raw and exotic departure for Eliot from what he is accustomed to. Soon he can't wait to see her cutting things up, sitting on newspapers in the middle of the paper, the children as minor characters going off on their adventures. It is interesting to consider that Lahiri makes evident in all her stories the stress felt by all her characters due to the cultural divide. He highlights all the hard work Mr Kapisi has put in to learn foreign languages ​​while fearing that his own children already speak more fluent English than him, simply by watching TV. The cultural differences are further explored as the children are revealed to be far removed from their Indian culture. The explanation Lahiri gives for this cultural break is that they experienced their childhood years growing up in America. Thus, once again, the minor characters, especially the younger ones, help highlight and support the main character's flaws, further helping Lahiri convey her overall theme of the rift between cultures highlighted by immigrants..