Bahmanpour

Bahmanpour’s  “Female subjects and negotiating identities in Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies” analyses females culture identity conflicts in the book Interpreter of Maladies. The author defines three ways of assimilating or dealing with other cultures then compares them to four short stories in Interpreter of Maladies where females take the protagonist role. The three approaches of viewing one’s own assimilation to another culture are: self and other, hybridity, and liminality. The author then analyses each of the short stories and compares them to each of these views. Mrs. Sen’s who is a first generation immigrant who looks after a little boy. She struggles with adapting to American society and continues to withhold her traditions, which is more like the liminality view. In This Blessed House the female in the story, as a second generation immigrant, does not struggle with assimilating to the American culture. This is shown in the story when she finds Christian icons and chooses to display them in her house even though she is Hindu. The Treatment of Bibi Haldar on the other hand takes place in India where the protagonist struggles to fit in to her own culture. Sexy is a story about an American woman in the United States who has an affair with an Indian man and is inclined to know more about the culture. These women all lead lives which deal with other cultures and whether they try to assimilate or keep their own culture it still, at times, presents a conflict to them.

This blessed house Lahiri

This Blessed House

The short story “This blessed house” by Jhumpa Lahiri is about a couple of newlyweds who move into a house where they begin to find Christian religious items. The first thing they find is a statue of Jesus. Sanjeev, the husband, tells his wife to throw it away. “We’re not Christian” (137) he says to his wife but his wife decides to display it for she thinks it was important to someone and she cannot find herself throwing it away. Twinkle continues to find Christian icons, which causes conflict between her and her husband as she wants to display the items and he wants to throw them away. His wife’s unwillingness to throw away the items and inclination to keep them causes Sanjeev to question their marriage and even his love for her. One night as Sanjeev rakes the lawn, Twinkle finds a statue of the Virgin Mary and wants to display it on the lawn but Sanjeev worries what others will think of him as a Hindu. At their housewarming party some people ask Sanjeev whether he is Christian but it is not made a big deal of.  I think the reoccurring theme of the story is Sanjeev’s worry of what people may think of the Christian displays. Sanjeev wants to keep his cultural traditions even though he lives in the United States now. On the other hand, Twinkle seems to be more flexible to Western culture which leads Sanjeev to become irritated with her. I think Sanjeev’s behavior symbolizes his fear of losing his identity as a Hindu. Throughout the story Sanjeev conflicts with his wife but in the end of the story when Twinkle is showing the guests around he feels that love he felt for her at the beginning. This makes me think that he realizes that she is confident of who she is and that the Christian icons do not change them or their identities.

When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine

When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine

Short story When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine in the book Interpreter of Maladies takes place in Boston. The story is narrated by Lilia who talks about a man from Dacca that was sent to United States to study foliage from Pakistan.  Mr. Pirzada lives in the dormitories at the university. He has left behind, in Dacca, a wife and seven young girls. Lilia’s parents invite Mr. Pirzada for dinner every day because of his financial situation. Lilia grows so accustomed to Mr. Pirzada’s presence at dinner that one day while taking out an extra cup for their guest Lilia’s father tells her “Mr. Pirzada is no longer considered Indian… Not since the partition” (25). Lilia is surprised by this division since she can distinguish almost no differences between her parents and Mr. Pirzada.  Every afternoon Lilia’s parents and Mr. Pirzada watch the news and learn that there is a Civil War between Pakistan and India. Throughout the book Lilia becomes in touch with her roots and learns the ignorance of the ongoing war in her school.  Lilia worries for Mr. Pirzada because she knows he is concerned for his family. After the war Mr. Pirzada travels back to his hometown and reunites with his wife and children and sends a postcard. When Mr. Pirzada travels back home Lilia misses him and she mentions how her family sits quietly at dinner which shows that Mr. Pirzada brought a taste of home to her family. I think this short story shows strong symbolism of unity and sense of community.  Even though Mr. Pirzada was no longer considered Indian and Mr. Pirzada and Lilia’s parents’ hometown were at war, they still had dinner together because of their shared homelands even over thousands of miles away.  I think Lahiri points out that even though you may be thousands of miles away from your homeland you will have a shared sense of identity with individuals who share same customs and culture.

Children of the Sea

“Children of the Sea” by Edwidge Danticat is narrated by two people that are in love that write letters to each other about their daily hardships and experiences. The male is on a boat heading to Miami because he was part of a revolutionary group that was being chased by the military. The female tells writes from Haiti and tells of the violence going on in their homeland. These letters are never delivered. As the boat begins to sink the male is forced to throw his journal in the sea. The story starts with the quote: “They say behind mountains are more mountains…I also know there are timeless waters, endless seas, and lots of people in this world whose names don’t matter to anyone but themselves” (3). This has great significance as it gives the reader the understanding that even if they escape there is still never ending problems as the sea they are travelling in holds countless bodies of people who also tried to escape. Even though the boat itself symbolizes hope and faith, the fact that many have died in their attempt for a new life contradicts the significance of the boat. For example, the male narrator often writes about the pregnant girl on the boat, Celianne. She gives birth to a dead baby and to prevent the boat from sinking has to throw her baby in the sea results in her throwing herself in the sea. This to me gives the understanding of new life yet since the baby is born dead it also gives the understanding of no hope. The female narrator often talks about how butterflies can give messages: a black butterfly symbolizing death. In the end of the story the male narrator accepts his fate by saying “I know that my memory of you will live even there as I too become a child of the sea” (28). On the other hand, the female refuses to accept reality as the black butterflies come to her. The story gives the theme of how hope can make accepting reality can difficult.

Davis “Oral Narrative as Short Story Cycle: Forging Community in Edwidge Danticat’s Krik? Krak!”

 

Rocio Davis, author of “Oral Narrative as Short Story Cycle: Forging Community in Edwidge Danticat’s Krik? Krak!” states her thesis at the beginning of her article in the second paragraph. “This article will explore the short story cycle as a vehicle for the development of ethnic literature by analyzing Haitian-American Edwidge Danticat’s Krik? Krak! to show how the drama of identity and community is mediated through a genre that is linked to the oral narrative, itself a way of fostering imaginative communities and developing identities” (Davis 65). Davis begins by defining what a short story cycle refers to: a set of short stories within a book each telling its own distinctive story yet still connecting to the overall theme of the book. The author places particular emphasis on oral narrative. Davis then informs the audience of the importance of oral narrative which is that it helps the reader feel better connected with and part of the story. Throughout the article Davis tells the audience the many themes of the book and supports them with quotes from the book or from a book that has a similar theme. Davis points out one of the most important theme in the book, mother-daughter relationship. This symbolizes hope for the future as supported by the quote in the book, “Our mothers were the ashes and we were the light…Our mothers were the flames and we were the blaze” (Danticat 41) but also remembrance of the past. History is also an important theme in the book it helps each character identify who they are. Butterflies as mentioned by Davis are also an important symbol. They signify death and life; in the book a black butterfly symbolizes death. Davis concludes that Danticat turns to her roots, community and family as a source for her stories which indicates transformation and growth.

Nineteen Thirty Seven (Krik?Krak!)

Nineteen thirty seven begins with the Madonna porcelain doll crying as Josephine is in her room.  The next day she travels to Port-Au-Prince to visit her mother at the prison.  Josephine’s mother was in prison for being accused of flying with wings made of flames, for being a “witch.” Josephine tells of three times she visits her mother..” The third time Josephine visits her mother she realizes her mother is very sick. The day after Josephine visits her mother a woman stops by her house in Ville Rose and once Josephine recognizes the woman she informs her that her mother may or may not have passed. As they arrive at the prison and ask for Josephine’s mother the guard tells them that she will be ready for burning in the afternoon.  The narrator often reminisces of the visits her and her mother made to the massacre river. She tells how thousands of Haitians were murdered and thrown in that river including Josephine’s grandmother. One day as Josephine and her mother visit the river Josephine thinks she will see all the blood and bodies but all she can see is her reflection.  Josephine’s mother tells her that she was born the day of the massacre as she had been able to escape leaving her mother behind. Josephine’s mother tells her “At least you came out at the right moment to take my mother’s place.” Relationship between mother and daughter seems to be emphasized a lot throughout the story. It is as if they mother and daughter kept each other going and supported each other. The massacre river is also has an importance significance. The river signifies remembrance for the history but also hope for the future this can be seen when Josephine does not see blood but only her reflection.  Throughout the story the Madonna is always emphasized; Josephine always takes her everywhere and I think this signifies religion, spirituality and hope as well because it is passed on from mother to daughter as if mothers were saying when I am not here it is as I will still be here if you have the Madonna.

The toughest indian in the world

Sherman Alexie’s short story The Toughest Indian in the World focuses on the character that the author refers to as “the fighter”. The author begins the story by stating that he is Spokane Indian and due to that he only picks up Indian hitchhikers. Alexie tells how his father would always pick up Indian hitchhikers and would say “make room” for what was usually fifteen to twenty Indians at a time. The narrator’s job as a reporter for a newspaper sets him on highway 2 for an interview he has to do which is where he encounters “the fighter” for the first time.  The author describes the Indian with “Long, straggly black hair. Brown eyes and skin. Missing a couple of teeth…A few whiskers masquerading a mustache” (26). As the Indian enters the narrator’s vehicle the narrator automatically know that he is a fighter. The narrator asks the fighter a couple of questions which lead him to know that the fighter is headed back to the rez (where many Indians were raised), that he had money from the fights he had won, that he was a Lummi Indian and that his last fight was the reason he decided to head back home. The narrator seems to have developed a certain type of admiration for this character and invites him to stay with him at his hotel since it is late. As the fighter and the narrator first enter their room the fighter sleeps on the floor and the narrator sleeps on the bed. Later that night the narrator realizes that the fighter has gotten into bed with him and was completely naked with his penis hard rubbing up against the narrator. The narrator and the fighter then proceed to engage in sexual relations. The narrator then walks into the bathroom and as he is surprised by what just happened the fighter asks him if he can stay the night, the narrator tells him he should probably leave. As the fighter walks out the door the narrator takes a hot shower then afterward falls asleep. The situation that happened between the fighter and the narrator leaves him feeling confused as he has never engaged in this type of situation with another man but also leaves him feeling like a stronger man.