Between Worlds and Wages of an Import

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In examining, “The Import” through both a Marxist and feminist lens, the story’s exploration of power dynamics, class, and gender roles reveal the underlying social structures that shape the characters’ interactions and perceptions. As Marxism illuminates the economic forces between Raj, Bethany, and Rupa’s relationship as Rupa stands out as their hired nanny which ultimately reflects on the exploitation of labor and the inherent class divide. Meanwhile, the feminist lens highlights the gendered dynamics within the household and focuses on Bethany’s discomfort with Rupa’s presence. In ways this shows how women navigate societal expectations and power imbalances. By analyzing “The Import” through these two critical lenses, the deeper societal issues that influence the characters’ choices and relationships are uncovered which offers insights into the economic inequality and gendered power struggles.

In “The Import”, the relationship between Raj, Bethany, and Rupa highlight’s themes of class and gender, especially through Marxist and feminist lenses. Rupa’s role as a nanny is shaped by her lower social status, as reflected in her worn sari upon arrival, marking her as a figure of economic and cultural difference. This dynamic underscores the class divide, with Rupa’s labor largely invisible and taken for granted. Bethany’s nickname for Rupa, “the import,” reinforces her objectification, reducing Rupa to a mere commodity brought in to serve their needs, a name used behind her back to maintain distance and power. This reflects a Marxist view of exploitation, where Rupa’s humanity is overshadowed by her role as a caregiver. The feminist perspective highlights the gendered expectations placed on Rupa, a woman whose emotional needs are ignored, and whose labor is expected without question. When Raj learns of Rupa’s daughter in India, it challenges his assumptions and forces him to confront Rupa as an individual beyond her utility. In this way, the story critiques the dehumanizing effects of class and gender inequality

Rupa’s experience in America highlights the class struggle and economic inequality she faces as a working-class woman from India hired to care for a wealthier family in the U.S. Upon arriving, she is struck by the material comforts that define the privileged lifestyle of Raj and Bethany. She “marveled at the many settings of the dishwasher and the washing machine” (Chakrabarti 3), technologies that symbolize the ease and convenience afforded to those in higher social classes. Similarly, she is amazed by the “wide variety of snacks that were available to Shay at any time” (Chakrabarti 3), which contrasts with the scarcity she may have experienced in her own life. These moments emphasize the vast economic divide between Rupa’s life in India and the affluent world of her employers, illustrating how her labor is not just economically exploitative but also embedded in a larger system of global inequalities. The dehumanizing nickname “the import” further reinforces her role as a tool to restore Raj and Bethany’s domestic tranquility, highlighting the commodification of her labor. This is further revealed when Raj’s mother suggests sending Rupa back to India after he learns about her daughter. Raj’s immediate reaction to this, “‘Oh,” he said, feeling a shiver run through his heart. Besides Molly Choi, he’d planned a host of activities that were to be timed with Rupa’s visit. The potential loss of those afternoons at the bar, or at the beach, or winding his way through the couples’ intimacy workshops he’d signed himself and Bethany up for, was too much to bear” (Chakrabarti 7). This showcases Raj’s selfishness and his disregard for the emotional and personal labor Rupa contributes. His concern is not for her wellbeing or the fact that she has a life beyond her duties but for how her potential departure will inconvenience him. This moment highlights the stark dehumanization Rupa faces, reinforcing her role as a tool to serve the desires and comforts of her privileged employers. Through these dynamics, the story critiques the economic disparity that separates social classes and exposes the objectification of individuals like Rupa to sustain the lifestyles of the wealthy.

Additionally, Rupa’s role as a nanny highlights the Marxist ideas of ideology and false consciousness. Rupa, a working-class woman from India, is hired by Raj and Bethany to care for their child. Her labor is exploited, as she is seen only as a tool to restore the couple’s life before having children. Rupa’s true needs and emotions are ignored, reflecting the false consciousness she initially has, where she accepts her role without fully realizing her exploitation. However, when she reveals that she has a daughter in India and misses her, it shows that Rupa has her own life beyond being their nanny. This moment challenges the false consciousness of her role and exposes the gap between how the privileged see her and the reality of her personal struggles. Through this, Chakrabarti critiques the system that uses and ignores people like Rupa, urging readers to recognize the emotional and social realities of those marginalized by race and class.

As a result of their complex cultural backgrounds, Raj and Shay experience significant cultural alienation. Raj is caught between his Indian heritage and his life in America and feels disconnected from both worlds. He longs to return to his life before having children, but his cultural background makes him feel out of place. Shay, growing up in a privileged American environment, is even more disconnected from his father’s culture. This alienation shows how cultural, and class differences create tension in their family, with Raj torn between his past and his present. Their struggles highlight how capitalism and colonialism can lead to a loss of cultural identity, making people feel isolated and conflicted as they try to fit into different social systems.

While Rupa and Shay build a closer bond through language and culture, Rupa’s role as a caretaker is shaped by cultural and gender expectations, particularly through her responsibility to teach Shay Bengali, a task Raj’s mother wants Rupa to take on, even though Raj himself speaks the language. This highlights how women, especially immigrant women like Rupa, are expected to maintain cultural traditions while also doing domestic work. As she bonds with Shay and is “speaking Bengali to him,” Rupa fulfills this cultural duty (Chakrabarti 3). Over the span of the summer, she also begins to adjust to life in the U.S. by improving her English and getting to know her neighborhood, like when she becomes friendly with a local bodega owner (Chakrabarti 4). While she starts to fit in more with the English-speaking culture, Rupa’s role as a nanny and her immigrant status keeps her on the outside, showing the tension between fitting in and the limited, often devalued roles women are expected to take.

As the story goes on, the representation of women and their roles within family structures becomes more complex, particularly in the contrast between Bethany and Raj’s dynamic. While Bethany does not fit the stereotypical image of a work-from-home mother, Raj works part-time, allowing him more time at home with their son, Shay. However, this arrangement also enables Raj to have an affair with Molly Choi, a woman he meets during a run. Although Molly is “neither as pretty nor as worldly as Bethany,” he finds her “better in bed” (Chakrabarti 7), and their encounters are casual, with no “expectation of further intimacy.” (Chakrabarti 7). Molly’s role in Raj’s life reflects a more objectified view of women, where she is valued only for physical satisfaction, in contrast to Rupa and Bethany, who are expected to fulfill emotional and nurturing roles within the family. This contrast highlights how women’s roles are often shaped by men’s desires, with emotional labor falling on some women, while others, like Molly, are reduced to fulfilling men’s physical needs without any deeper connection.

Furthermore, women’s voices are represented in distinct ways that reflect their roles and relationships within the family. Rupa, the nanny, is quiet and compliant, focusing more on performing domestic duties than voicing her opinions. This contrasts sharply with Bethany, who is outspoken and assertive, demanding to be heard on matters that concern her and her family. Bethany’s disapproval of Rupa becomes evident when she says, “You will go into that boat… You will bring my boy back. I don’t care if you leave her there,” (Chakrabarti 13), showing her determination to protect her son at all costs, regardless of the consequences for Rupa. This sense of control and frustration is additionally shown when Raj suggests leaving Rupa alone with Shay for the weekend. She yells, “She hardly speaks English! What if something happens? How will she communicate?” (Chakrabarti 27), throwing a shoe in her frustration. Bethany’s anger stems from her belief that Rupa is not capable of handling the responsibility, reflecting her deeper fear and resentment of the nanny’s presence and role in their household. Through Bethany’s sharp words and actions, the story reveals her strong resistance to the power dynamics that place Rupa in a position of care over her son, exposing the tension between women in different roles within the same household.

Feminist issues often highlight the intersection of gender, power, and societal expectations, and throughout “The Import”, Rupa’s experience reflects broader struggles of Indian women, particularly in terms of access to work and education. Much like the feminist movements in India during the 1980s, which sought to reclaim spaces traditionally controlled by men, Rupa’s role as a nanny showcases her efforts to navigate a system that restricts her freedom, enduring hardships for a better life for her daughter. Her quiet nature contrasts with her resilience, asserting her agency through her labor, much like the shift in Indian feminism from focusing on women’s suffering to celebrating their strength. However, her economic limitations in the family she serves reflect the broader societal constraints that keep women like her in subservient roles. The story also critiques how women’s rights and access to work in India are entangled with religious and political battles, as seen in the 1980s when Muslim religious leaders pushed for laws that denied divorced Muslim women financial support, leaving feminists divided on how to respond (Kumar). This mirrors Rupa’s struggle in “The Import”, where her personal aspirations are constrained by political and cultural landscapes. Additionally, the backlash against feminist movements in India—labeled as Westernized and disconnected from traditional values—highlighted the tensions between modern feminist ideals and entrenched cultural practices, such as child sacrifice and widow immolation. Rupa’s experiences mirror these contradictions, reflecting her quiet resistance and determination to improve her life for her daughter, while facing both personal and societal resistance.

In an interview with David Naimon, Chakrabarti discusses how his stories explore themes of family, race, and privilege, often focusing on how families are made through biological connections or choice. For example, in “The Import”, a mixed-race couple, Raj and Bethany, hire an Indian nanny, Rupa, hoping to return to their pre-children life. However, they are shocked to learn that Rupa has a daughter in India, revealing her own emotions and life beyond being their nanny. Chakrabarti compares this to other stories, such as “Daisy Lane,” where an American couple’s adoption process shows how the lives of those they intend to “help” is more complex than they expect. These stories challenge ideas of privilege, race, and class, revealing how privileged characters are confronted by the consequences of their actions. Chakrabarti emphasizes that his stories are not just about love, but also about race, nation, and capitalism, encouraging readers to see people as more than just roles or tools to fulfill personal desires. This perspective shifts the focus of the story from simple domestic narratives to deeper reflections on identity, power, and exploitation, especially through the lens of race and class. It urges readers to reconsider how characters, particularly those from marginalized groups, are often reduced to mere functions in someone else’s story, and to recognize the emotional and social realities they face beyond their assigned roles. Chakrabarti reflects on his own experience growing up in a middle-class household in India, where domestic help played a significant role. He wanted to explore this concept in a different cultural setting, specifically a Brooklyn apartment, to see how the dynamics of having a nanny would shift. By doing so, he aimed to examine how these familiar concepts from his upbringing could resonate and evolve within a very different cultural context, affecting the characters in the story. Chakrabarti then focuses on how he thought “a lot about the privileges as it related to parenting and being able to have a child. I was thinking about people in the world who cannot have a child for economic reasons, financial reasons. These questions of class and who can have a child in this world, how that child’s experience is going to be informed by their parents, and where they live in the country in which they’re born felt deeply important to me in this collection.” (Chakrabarti). All in all, Chakrabarti focuses on the complexities of privilege, race, and class in order to share how societal power structures affect individuals’ identities and experiences especially in family and parenthood type roles.

Overall, after analyzing “The Import” through a Marxist and feminist lens, the complex ways in which class and gender intersect to construct the characters’ lives and interactions are thoroughly revealed. The Marxist perspective focuses on the economic disparities that define Rupa’s role as a nanny and reflects the broader societal issues of labor exploitation and class divides. Meanwhile, the feminist lens illustrates the gendered power struggles within the household, particularly the tensions between Bethany and Rupa, who are rooted in societal expectations and norms. Combining these two critical lenses offer a deeper understanding of the story and reveal how both economic inequality and gendered power dynamics influence the characters’ decisions and relationships, which ultimately reflects the larger societal structure.

Works Cited:

Chakrabarti, Jai. “The Import.” Ploughshares, vol. 49, no. 1, Spring 2023, pp. 19–32. EBSCOhost, doi-org.cwi.idm.oclc.org/10.1353/plo.2023.0024.Kumar, Radha. “Contemporary Indian Feminism.” Feminist Review, no. 33, 1989, pp. 20–29. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1395212. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.