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It is through the experience of Tommy and Anirudh that Ravi Mangla emphasizes the detrimental effects of narrow-sighted views of other cultures (Evan,2019). Tommy and Anirudh learned a lot from each other’s culture. Besides, the two boys became very close even after they were through with the assignment. That is, the task opened up opportunities for the boys, which are discussed hereunder.
The short story by Ravi Mangla reveals that Tommy and Anirudh knew little about each other’s cultures before they became pen pals. Tommy is from America, while Anirudh is from India. Therefore, the cultural difference is clear and significant in this sense. This aspect is a new possibility that was made available for the two boys by the exchanging of letters between them.
Also, Anirudh and Tommy grew through writing and communicating with each other. This exchange means that both Tommy and Anirudh learned a lot from each other through their continued communication. This exchanging of ideas and cultural beliefs and practices was made possible by the assignment involving writing letters from one culture to another devised by their teachers. The two boys were, therefore, resourceful in terms of knowledge about the two cultures in the end. At the same time, each of the two boys had one more friend, which is also a considerable opportunity seized by them.
Tommy and Anirudh had practical experience of each other’s cultures through exchanging letters. Most people in the world only know a little about the cultures of other people because they do not have any practical knowledge or experience to draw reference. The short story by Ravi Mangla proves that this truth can be made better, and new possibilities can be made available for everyone.
Therefore, it can be said that having pen pals or writing and receiving letters to and from people belonging to other cultures can open up incredible opportunities, just like it happened with Tommy and Anirudh.
