For those of us who grew up as part of a Western society and have never known anything else, Brick Lane tells the story of a woman who must reconcile living in Western society with her own cultural beliefs. Nazneen is not representative of a whole country, as some have protested, but she is representative of women who come from an isolated area and who learn to live in a culture that is very different from the one in which they grew up. Brick Lane is a story not just of Nazneen, who comes to London from Bangladesh with her husband, but also that of her sister Hasina, who remains in Bangladesh. The contrast between the women's lives highlights the role of Fate in Nazneen's decision-making process; Hasina is defiant, choosing her own path through life, while Nazneen accepts changes in her life as part of the path chosen for her. As the novel progresses, Nazneen comes to challenge this belief and it is Nazneen's growth as a woman, wife, and mother that drives this novel.