Rahul's Alcoholism

Although Sudha blames herself for the alcoholic habits of her brother Rahul, it is not her fault.  Handing Rahul his first beer is of no blame.  I blame both Rahul and his parents.  His parents pushed him to maximum lengths to get him into the best college possible.  When Rahul then finds himself at Cornell with a passion for writing and the arts, he is shot down by his parents and told he is wasting their money.  This is one of the saddest parts of the story for me.  College is about finding yourself and creating an identity away from your parents and finding what you love.  When Rahul is shut from his passion, it shows the control that his parents have over him.  I believe that it is this strictness and his own feelings from being so tightly wound that ultimately lead to his alcoholism.