According to Wikipedia, an epigraph is a phrase, quote, or poem found at the beginning of a document. In other words, “An epigraph is a literary device in the form of a poem, a quotation or a sentence usually placed at the beginning of a document or a simple piece containing a few sentences but which belongs to another writer” (“Epigraph”, nd). It serves as a preface, a summary, a counter-example. And the use of such a quote at the beginning hints at its theme. Similarly, Anita Desai, an Indian novelist, used two epigraphs in her novel “Clear Light of Day” (1980) by Emily Dickinson and TS Eliot. Through the novel's use of its excellent imagery of nature and symbols, its epigraph at the beginning gives the reader insight into the theme the novel is concerned with. Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai is set in Old Delhi, India. The novel weaves the story of the Partition of India with an upper-middle-class Hindu family, the Das family. It focuses on their struggles and fragmentation. Furthermore, it depicts the changing and changing relationships of the Das siblings (Kinna, 2011). The central figure of the family is Bimla Das (Bim), an independent woman. Bim's childhood memories dominate his barren existence and thus replay his memories in the decaying family mansion in Old Delhi. The entire novel revolves around the theme of memory and the passage of time; vividly symbolized by the two epigraphs at the beginning of the novel. The sisters in the novel attempt to reconcile their childhood dreams with their adult lives and resolve lingering guilt from past family conflicts. Thus, this essay attempts to show the significance and implication of Desai's epigraphs in the novel. As seen in the novel, ...... middle of paper ...... filled in at the end for them to reunite. Darkness with time becomes richer and brighter with time itself: "Even though it was dark and gloomy, Bim could see as well as in the clear light of day that she felt only love and desire for them all” (Desai, 2001). Finally, Bim is able to look beyond the darkness and screaming silence that surrounds her and accepts that she only feels love for her family, regardless of all the battles she has been through. Memory and the passage of time act as a treasurer that helps the Das siblings lead a bright life filled with love, understanding, forgiveness and above all, the importance of family relationships in all times to come. “Bim, who has struggled with anger and bitterness, now realizes that she must make peace with herself and the ghosts of her past in order to live a full and meaningful life” (Sannrud, 2008).