1.Why is Ram afraid of Alice’s early interest in his Brahmin culture? If he is a symbol of assimilation, is he effective in that role?
2.What does samsara signify for Alice? What does it signify for Ram?
3.How is water and drowning imagery used throughout the book?
4.How is Alice’s state of mind reflected by the clothes she wears? What is the significance of shoes?
5.What does the juxtaposition of the cross with the Ganesh chain mean to Alice?
6.How does food reflect the national character? Rituals and celebrations?
7.What does Alice’s anxiety represent to Ram? Does he enable it? Is she really sick or just immature?
8.In what sense does Shiva believe she is godlike? Does she really accept Alice at the end? Is the art therapy believable?
9.Someone told me the women heal each other. Do you agree?
10.In what way is Alice's relationship with Ram an expression of her true self? In what ways is it a search for belonging? Are those the only two options?
11.Why does Alice insist on keeping Nela in the loop? Is the intimacy between in-laws purely cultural? At what emotional cost does Nela’s independence come?
12.Why does Snell title this novel Shiva’s Arms? How does Hindu mythology help structure the book?