Discuss The protagonists in “Clothes” and “Birdsong”, Sumita and the Nigerian Woman, both make critical choices that affect their lives. The choices not only change the direction of their lives but affect their self-identity. Both women take steps to move from being defined by their cultures, respectively, to self-definition. I would suggest a four paragraph essay: an introductory paragraph on how the power of choice affects the lives of the protagonists, one long paragraph devoted to each character’s choice and self-identity, and a concluding paragraph on the role of self-definition in the United States.
