What are the motifs in The Management of Grief by Bharati Mukherjee?

Assimilation versus multiculturalism is a recurring idea in the book. "The Management of Grief" supports a vision of assimilation. Although the word "assimilation" in today's parlance has negative connotations, Mukherjee's conception as expressed in this story is progressive and productive. In particular, it is positioned against the idea of "multiculturalism," Canada's official cultural policy. In interviews and other writings, Mukherjee has criticized Canada's vision of its country as a "mosaic," preferring the "melting pot" model of America.