In Q & A by Vikas Swarup, Ram has a recurring dream of a tall woman with black hair that obscures her face. At what moments does he have this dream,...

Ram's dream of
this woman happens multiple
times throughout the book. Sometimes this dream occurs when he's
about to do
something reckless, such as smell glue, or when he tries to recall any memories
of
his mom.

The identity of the woman is never given, but
it can be speculated
that she is Ram's mother. Ram grew up motherless and has
no real memories of his mother, as
Father Timothy helped raise him after he
was dropped off at the orphanage.

The dream does seem to
symbolize abandonment, as the women appears whenever he tries to
imagine his
mombut because her face is hidden, Ram never gets a full glimpse of her. Just
like
his mother, the woman in his dreams is closed off to
him.