Until a child turns eighteen, parents have full responsibility. They provide a stable and loving environment for their children. As leaders of a household, caring and loving parents also maintain the bonds that hold the family together. However, the absence of loving parental guidance can create tension between family members. Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai shows how war, particularly the partition of India, affects a particular family. The partition of India in 1947 created the separate countries of India and Pakistan, tearing families apart. Partition, initiated by India's independence from Britain, attempted to reconcile irreconcilable religious differences between Muslims and Hindus by forming Islamic Pakistan. In Clear Light of Day, the Das children's relationship with their parents provokes an enduring sibling conflict that reflects this social and political upheaval in India. The Das parents' neglectful relationship with their children in Clear Light of Day reflects India's independence from Britain. Before their deaths, Mr. and Mrs. Das were preoccupied and inattentive to their four children, Raja, Tara, Bim and Baba. They spent most of their time at the club, playing “their daily game of bridge” (Desai 50). This hobby is so important to them that they neglect taking care of their children. For example, Mrs. Das tires of “washing and powdering” Baba, her mentally handicapped baby, and complains, “My bridge is hurting” (103). Mr. Das also does not focus on his children and “he [goes] through the day without speaking a word to them” (53). Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Das are unable to form a loving relationship with their children because they have both passed away. After Ms. Das stumbles into the middle of a paper, Clear Light of Day sheds light on how a war affects a family and a nation. In the novel, parental absence worsens the conflict between siblings, which leads to the character running away, ultimately resulting in Bim's anger. While some readers may think that Clear Light of Day simply represents the struggle of a single family, the novel clearly represents the struggle of India as well. India's independence from Britain consequently led to the formation of Pakistan and continued religious and political conflict. This novel is an allegory that explains the political struggle in an accessible way because everyone is part of a family. This novel not only models the reasons for conflict in India, but also in other nations and even within families. Clear Light of Day shows how understanding family dynamics and creating strong family bonds can help reduce conflict and promote world peace..