Thorne does not appear extensively but looms large in Pom’s memory. He abandons her upon learning of the pregnancy. Later, he tries to claim Hannah, not out of love but because his British wife cannot bear children.
She represents the evangelical colonial impulse—saving bodies and souls while reinforcing hierarchy. Pom learns to play along but never internalizes the subservience. 7. Shrimati Dutt – Pod’s Mother Role: Traditionalist obstacle. Background: A high-caste Bengali widow, deeply concerned with family honor and reputation. cast of the sleeping dictionary
Fleming is not a villain but a realist. He shows how even “well-intentioned” colonials are complicit in systemic injustice. His character complicates any simple colonizer/colonized binary. 6. Mrs. Hamilton – Head of the Missionary School Role: Paternalistic reformer. Background: Runs a Christian missionary school for “fallen women” and orphans. Thorne does not appear extensively but looms large
Hannah is raised by Pom with the help of a nanny. She becomes a point of tension: British society sees her as illegitimate, while Indian society sees her as foreign. Pom’s determination to raise her alone, without revealing the father’s identity, drives much of the plot’s second half. without revealing the father’s identity