Amaral 1

Mathew Amaral
LCS 121
8 March 2017

Mistaken Love

Often times, a flawed or prejudice assumption can greatly influence a first encounter. In

the play, “Mistaken Identity” by Sharon Cooper this exact scenario occurs. Both of the main

characters, Kali and Steve, make previous judgements about who each other are. These

assumptions bring down the level of uncertainty they have with each other, no matter how

accurate or inaccurate the assumptions are.

Steve’s prejudice assumption of Kali creates the overarching conflict that is common

throughout the play. Steve gets set-up to go on a date with Kali by her brother Rashid. Since

traveling abroad, Steve has been looking for someone to call his wife. He knew that Rashid and

Kali have Hindu heritage, therefore he guessed that maybe Rashid could assist with an arranged

marriage. Steve’s only knowledge of the different culture is what he has seen in movies or other

pop-culture shows. So, Steve went into the date with an open heart hoping to find himself a wife.

Kali on the other hand, agreed to the date and thought that Steve seemed desperate. Also,

Kali thought that he would be similar to a cowboy since he was from the south. Once the date

began, Kali saw that Steve was bombastic, or had no filter when he spoke. Also, she noticed that

he was awfully uneducated when it comes to other cultures. For Steve, getting a first impression

on Kali would be difficult. Kali is not an open individual who shows her character easily. Unlike

Steve, Kali has kept some of her true characteristics to herself. One of these characteristics is her

sexuality.
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As the date progressed, Steve made little efforts to get to know Kali and instead was

focused on whether or not he wanted to marry her. Yet, right as he asked, Kali admitted that she

was gay (Cooper 829). Enduring this conversation from Kali’s point of view would be full of

anxiety and uneasiness. Kali had no idea how Steve would react to her telling him her sexuality.

Would he be angry? Or would he be understanding? Also, Kali knew that she is not heterosexual

before she went on the date, therefore, from her perspective she didn’t have any real reason to be

on this date. She isn’t looking for a lover like Steve is, so she might not desire to show off a good

first impression. The only reason she went on the date was to hide her sexuality from her brother,

Rashid.

During the date, Steve made little effort to get to know Kali. Instead, Steve believed in

what he has already seen of the culture. Steve claimed that he has seen the movie Slumdog

Millionaire, “three times!” (Cooper 828), therefore he has a solid grasp on Kali’s culture. From

Kali’s point of view, this must have been very demeaning to her. Someone she has never met

claiming that he knows about her heritage because he has seen a movie. Not a great start for

Steve if he is really trying to find a wife. Steve’s statements about understanding Kali’s culture

made Kali saddened about Steve’s cultural knowledge.

The differences in personality developed into the main conflict once Steve acknowledged

that Kali is a lesbian. At first, he is taken back and confused on why she has not told her own

brother and instead has told him. Kali explains that she has not come out of the closet to her

family because she is not certain how they will react. Kali was worried that her family would

reject her for being homosexual. This fear is identified when Kali expresses, “…you just don’t

know how they’ll react. I’d run the risk of not being allowed to see my nieces. I’m so exhausted

from hiding, I can barely breathe.” (Cooper 829) Clearly, Kali has dealt with this problem many
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times before. On any date that her brother has set up for her, this conflict may have risen. This

may be why it was so hard for Steve to get a first impression as she was not showing any interest

in him, but neither was she showing any negligence.

At first, Steve is upset when Kali admits to being gay. He notices the whole reason on

why he is there has become obsolete. He was looking for an arranged marriage and obviously

that is not attainable if she is a lesbian. Quickly, Steve recognizes that it is not his fault nor is it

Kali’s fault that this is happening. He understands Kali’s position in that she must keep her

sexuality a secret to her family so that she is not neglected. Any kind of anger from Steve

dissolved quickly once him and Kali begin to talk about other matters. He moves on from her

sexuality because at the end of the day, he knows it does not matter.

The conflict comes to end when Steve comprehends that a person’s sexuality is over

analyzed. Whether someone is gay or straight does not make a true friendship weaker. Steve

went into the date looking for a marriage but quickly was faced with the fact that finding a wife

would not happen. Prior to having a conversation, both characters made flawed and prejudice

assumptions about one another. Steve was under the impression that Kali was straight and easy

to marry because of her heritage. Kali thought that Steve was desperate and also would be

similar to a cowboy since he is from southern United States. These assumptions influenced how

they acted towards each other when they first met. Steve was open and looking for a relationship

with Kali while Kali was just the opposite. Steve believed he had an understanding of Kali’s

culture when in reality he had no such clue.

In conclusion, making assumptions before meeting someone can negatively affect a first

impression. When flawed assumptions are made, someone may expect one thing when instead

they encounter something completely different. In communication, assumptions can possibly

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alter interpretations of what someone says. By assuming someone else’s behaviors or intentions

one may put having a thorough understanding at liberty. In the play “Mistaken Identity” by

Sharon Cooper, Steve makes an initial judgement about Kali’s sexuality and her culture which in

turn creates the entire conflict of the play.