Tribal conflict and religion
In India, many religions coexist and have basically since the dawn of time. But, that does not mean that they always get along. After a long season of peace, recent political turmoil and competition between various communities has led to some instability in the region. Lenny describes this growing conflict between Muslims and Hindus as concerning and unnecessary. The novel analyzes the unfortunate conflict and the complicated truth behind it.
Community and people
Each respective community represents a homogeneous whole to the members of different nearby communities, but within each community, another imagery shows something truer than that. Lenny's community is made up of people, some avidly religious, others less so, some competitive and tribal, others open-minded and welcoming. The tragedy of political instability here is that Lenny knows through her own community that Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs can live together constructively, because she is already in community with people from each group.
Division and unhealth
The nation is frantic and paranoid and soon, a schism emerges. The nation places a Partition in Lahore dividing one community from the other, and the damage is almost immediate. The paranoia only spirals into a full-blown conflict. The wall worsens their relationships by separating them completely. Without having to see the other people, the minds of each group rage against the other, becoming more abstract and unhealthy. Lenny describes this in her limited but still perceptive way.
