When you've escaped from a maximum security prison and crossed an ocean as a fugitive, it's not easy to get back home. And that's the situation of Lin, the narrator of Shantaram, who not only can't go back to his homeland of Australia, but also must live in hiding, on the run, because of his crimes. He changes his name, and has to create a life for himself out of nothing when he arrives in Bombay. He and his international crew of exiles all have different stories but one thing in common: they are strangers in a strange land.
Questions About Exile
- Which characters are exiles by choice, and which are forced into exile? How does this difference affect their lives?
- What is the function of Leopold's in the lives of the exiles and expats in Bombay?
- When will Lin ever be able to go back to Australia? What does he face if he goes back home?
- Why do the exiles group together rather than assimilating into Indian culture?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
In Shantaram, Leopold's is a utopia where outsiders can form a community.
Shantaram shows the way that being an exile is its own type of citizenship.