The book Out on Main Street, provides a contextualization of the customs and history of people in a generalized fashion. The book goes against the generalization that often occurs when discussing people. I think that this work is very useful at breaking down the barriers that can form when the stereotypes of people are broken down. It is much better that there is information about the various challenges associated with stereotyping.

Mootoo describes much of the history that is present in relation to her Trinidadian rituals, rites and customs. These are specifically in relation to the cultural and religious ideas of the Indo-Trinidadian minutiae, and how they take hold in the context of Canada. She is trying to protect her own identity, which is distinctly brown. It goes through her interactions with what is considered to be Indians who are deemed to be actually from India. She looks like she wants to avoid confusion and she has bitter comments that are directed towards her feminine girlfriend.

The issues that are raised in the novel not only related to cultural identity and the stereotypes that come up in relation to that, it is also concerned with the sexual orientation of women and with the gender identity. The story really sheds light on what is believed to be true in the case of race and gender, and it depicts other sides to these stories that are not as often told to the public. Thus this novel challenges the status quo.