Mira Masi's Significance

Aunt Mira was both married and widowed at an early age. She was forced to work at her late husband's famly's house as their maid and became aged beyond her years. After an invitation to live with the Das family, she moved in and began a new life although she could not remarry. She formed a bond with the four children but mainly with Tara. Along with the "well", Aunt Mira can be said to be a strong symbol of death, since her husband died, then the cow and both Mr. and Mrs. Das. It seems as though she was trying to get away from this terrible torment but it finally caught up with her in the Das' family home as there ws no where else to run. She bacame the caretaker for Baba but grew increasingly frustrated with his condition. She saw Tara as the daughter she never had but after Tara left it was even more frustrating to her. It was like everyone was "dying" and leaving her alone. Aunt Mira also saw Raja as her husband because, in essence, under her outward appearance, she was very young at heart. With him being constantly gone, she began to feel the loss of her husband all over again; to her it was like Deja Vu. Bim cared for Aunt Mira physically but not emotionally so that she could stop the emotional suicide of Aunt Mira before her final demise.