The Namesake

The Namesake trailer (2007)

Throughout The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the relationship between Ashima and Ashoke (immigrant parents) and Gogol (an American-born child) is often difficult due to the lack of understanding for one another. Gogol, a child born in America to two immigrants from Bengali, openly embraces the American lifestyle. His parents, however, struggle with assimilating to their new life. This is much due to the fact that they left behind their native land and culture, not necessarily cutting all ties with it. Ashima continues to always wear a sari, yet allows her children to dress how they please, and even fixes them American cuisine on occasion. "At his insistence, she concedes and makes him an American dinner once a week as a treat. . ." (65). Gogol was born in America and does not understand why his parents so desperately hold on to their old lifestyles. "When the family travels to Calcutta, Ashima is excited to spend time with the ones she loves. "'We have no relatives in this country,' Ashima informs the guidance counselor. 'That is why we are going to India in the first place'" (79). However, this same trip does not excite Gogol the way it does his mother: "Gogol and Sonia know these people, but they do not feel close to them as their parents do" (81). Where his parents feel loved and at home, Gogol feels out of place. There will always be a bit of difficulty in the relationships between immigrant parents and American-born children, but it is nothing more than love and an open mind that ultimately allows each to understand one another.

Check out this video on the culture gap between American-born children 

and their immigrant parents. The speaker makes known that immigrant parents cannot expect their children to live and behave as they did in their native land because they are in fact, not part of that culture but are part of the American culture. The relationship between immigrant parents and their American-born children often becomes distant and difficult when children begin to grow and want to explore the world on their own. Family traditions and culture become lost because the children are not raised in that atmosphere. As the speaker says, it is not the child's fault that their parents moved to America. It can not be expected for them to continue traditions they do not know.

The Buddha of Suburbia

The novel The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi demonstrates how hybrid identities are always in motion through the life of the character Karim. From the beginning of the novel Karim's hybrid identity is brought to the reader's attention: "My name is Karim Amir, and I am an Englishman born and bred, almost. I am often considered to be a funny kind of Englishman, a new breed as it were, having emerged from two old histories" (3). Karim was born English, yet is tied to his Indian roots everywhere he goes. He gets into acting and is cast-typed in every role, even though he has never even been to India. No one seems to see him as an Englishman, although he is. This shapes his identity and is able to change with each person he comes in contact with. McLeod states "They [hybrid identities] are border subjectivities, no longer reliant on fixed notions of home identity to anchor them to a singular sense of self" (254). Just as in Karim's case, he has no sense of "home" or belonging to one group, whether it be the English or the Indian. Karim's back and forth sexuality throughout the novel also plays a part in demonstrating how hybrid identities are always in motion. He never picks one gender over the other, never revealing his true sexual preference. This is just another reflection of not belonging to one place or the other. McLeod claims that "hybrid identities are never total and complete in themselves. . ."(254). Hybrid identities are always changing and never settling, and Karim's life is a perfect example of such.

 

What is hybridity?

Hybridity is a cross between two races or cultures. Hybridity plays a huge role in the lives of young people across the world. It affects every aspect of their lives, from relationships to work to family life. It often leads to internal struggles, as young people strive to find who they are and where they fit in the world.

 

 

This book examines the different lives and lifestyles of youth across the globe. It takes a close look at hybrid identities among young people today, and uses this to understand their actions and choices. "Showcasing previously unpublished youth research from outside the English-speaking world alongside the work of well-known researchers such as Huq and Holden, these accounts of youth cultural practices highlight much that is predictably different, but also a great deal of common ground. This book goes inside creative cultural formation of youth identities to critically examine the global in the local. Bringing together an internationally diverse group of researchers, who describe and analyze youth cultures throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania, this volume presents the first comprehensive review of global youth cultures, practices and identities, and as such is a valuable read for students and researchers of youth studies, cultural studies and sociology" (Amazon). Take a closer look at the book at Global Youth

 

 

 

The White Tiger

In Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger, Balram Halwai is a man who committed murder in order to become an entrepreneur. Adiga uses language and the concepts of capitalism to tell Balram's "success" story. He does this with a great humor and sarcasm. Throughout the novel Balram speaks as if everything is a business deal. He is trying to sell himself to the Premier of China by playing up his entrepreneurship: "Don't waste your money on those American books. They're so yesterday. I am tomorrow" (4). It is as if he is throwing out a sales pitch and waiting for Mr. Jiabao to fall prey to it. Balram goes on to say "(But if you absolutely must find out more about me, just log on to my Web site . . . That's the URL of my start-up!)" (38). Adiga uses this type of framework to poke fun at the capitalist ways. Balram achieving success in business through theft and murder, and him believing this is a moral and valid way to get ahead in life, shows the dark side of capitalism. The shadiness is within, yet everything on the outside seems perfect.

 

Entrepreneurship is seen in a negative light, not only in The White Tiger, but throughout the business world as well. However, many people have become very successful by starting their own businesses and promoting their ideas. People who are self employed are also considered entrepreneurs. "According to the 2008 reports from the US Census, almost 2,356 people move to entrepreneurship per day. This is a big figure. Even though not all of them succeed, the report puts entrepreneurship efforts of such people at 78% of US small businesses, whereby the overall earnings are estimated at a whopping $951 billion per year!"

Check out these people who weren't afraid to live out their dreams!

Top Entrepreneurs of the Last 100 Years

The God of Small Things

 When Chacko tells the twins that history is a house the Kochamma family is locked out of, he meant that the history and past of the family had been lost. What they once were is no longer understood or remembered. Their heritage and self-pride had been stolen from them. He states that they had become a family of Anglophiles: “They were a family of Anglophiles. Pointed in the wrong direction, trapped outside their own history and unable to retrace their steps because their footprints had been swept away” (51). He compares their history to a house that the family can look inside, yet not see or hear anything. It is just shadows. “And when we look in through the windows, all we see are shadows. And when we try and listen, all we hear is a whispering. And we cannot understand the whispering, because our minds have been invaded by a war” (52). This illustration of the Kochamma family being locked out from their own history helps put into perspective their lack of self-worth and the problems caused by it.

One of the major themes throughout The God of Small Things is that of "small things." The characters in the novel are always so wrapped up in the "big things" of life, such as politics and the caste system. The "small things" are often overlooked and underappreciated. However, Velutha brings to light all the small things. He is in fact the god of small things. While reading this book, I was made to contemplate the "small things" in life that I take for granted or do not pay attention to. It is often the small things that give life meaning in the end. I was reminded of a list of "Things That Really Matter" that I had written 5 or so years ago. I went back and was able to find the list on my Facebook page. Here is what I find to be the "small things" in life that make all the difference.

God. sunrises. hugs. smiles. beauty. pictures. friendship. love. relaxation. peace. rain. kisses. laughter. sleep. compliments. the Bible. fun. rainbows. music. happiness. sunday afternoon naps. cuddles. flowers. surprises. birthdays. joy. family. vacation. blue skies. chocolate. inside jokes. deep conversations. health. dogs. walks. worship. holding hands. sunsets. compassion. paychecks. road trips. freedom. sweet tea. jesus time. dancing. butterflies. prayer. i love you's. honesty. promises.

Slumdog Millionaire

 

 

1. Does the film aestheticize (romanticize, make beautiful) the slums of Mumbai?

I do not believe the film aestheticized the slums of Mumbai. From the very beginning you see the filthiness and poverty of the slums. One particular scene that stands out in my mind is that of Jamal literally jumping into a hole that the people used as a toilet. It was disgusting, but in a way it represented the atmosphere that he lived in every day. The streets and homes of the slums were not shown as being clean or luxurious in any way. One scene that showed a violent side of the slums was the scene in which Jamal's mother was killed. She was killed during some sort of religious attack. This did not aestheticize the slums, but showed it as an unsafe place. Not just one person was in danger, but every woman, man, and child was in need of protection. There was not one time where I felt the slums were made beautiful or romanticized. The film did a wonderful job of capturing the reality of Mumbai and its people.

 

The Real Slums of Mumbai
 

 



According to the United Nations, one billion people worldwide live in slums, and 55% of the population of Mumbai lives in slums, which cover only 6-8% of the city’s land.

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Mumbai is the most populated city in the world with approximately 14 million people living in the proper city itself, not including areas considered the urban area or the metropolitan area.
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With a surface Area of 603 (km²). The Population density in Mumbai is 23,088 (/km²) 

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Approximately 7 million people live in slums in Mumbai.

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It is said that 72.48% of this slum population is literate.
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Dharavi, Asia’s second largest slum is located in central Mumbai and houses a population of between 600,000 and 1 million people.
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Roughly about one-third of the world’s poor people live in India. More than 450 million Indians exist on less than $1.25 a day, according to the World Bank.

(All data from indiamarks.com)

 

 

Check out this book Beautiful Forevers' to take a closer look at the slums of Mumbai.

 

Shame

shame; noun:

a: a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety

b: the susceptibility to such emotion

c: a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute

 

In the novel Shame by Salman Rushdie, Sufiya Zinobia is a representation of the inferiority and shame of Pakistani women. She is the shame of Pakistan simply by being born female. McLeod states that men are far more superior and of more importance when it comes to the construction of a nation. "The construction of a national people have tended to privilege men as the active agents in national liberation and the chief beneficiaries of political and economic power gained through nationalist struggle" (McLeod 137). From the moment Sufiya was born, her parents were not pleased with her sex. Her mother even asked God why she had to give birth to such a small girl. "Is that all, my God? So much huffery and puffery to push out only this mouse?" (Rushdie 88).  Her birth was seen as defeat because her parents were counting on her to be the reincarnation of their stillborn son. This just further shows how women are seen as inferior and of less value throughout Pakistan than boys and men. Sufiya also becomes mentally handicapped because of an illness. This is a representation of how women are seen as unintelligent in the Pakistani culture. This is also part of her shame. Sufiya's mother states that this is her burden to bear. "That birdbrain, that mouse! I must accept it: she is my shame" (Rushdie 101). This statement ties it together that just being female in a male dominated society is the female's own burden to carry.

 

 

What does it mean to be a woman in Pakistan? Pakistan is the third most dangerous country for women in the world. 90% of Pakistani women are submitted to some form of domestic abuse, and it is reported that 1,000+ women are killed each year. It is a common misconception that Pakistani women are oppressed because of religion; however, this is not the case. "A certain mentality is deeply ingrained in strictly patriarchal societies like Pakistan. Poor and uneducated women must struggle daily for basic rights, recognition, and respect. They must live in a culture that defines them by the male figures in their lives, even though these women are often the breadwinners for their families." Women usually keep silent about the abuse, rape, etc they face in fear of becoming worthless or meaningless in their family and within society. This is a very sad reality that Pakistani women face on a daily basis. You can read the article To Be a Women in Pakistan and get a firsthand look into the lives of real Pakistani women. This article interviews some very brave women.

Orientalist Stereotypes in "Overland Mail"

 

The idea of the Orient is something that many people from the West held true and it was made known through  their art and literature. One piece of literature that possesses Orientalist stereotypes is the poem "Overland Mail" by Rudyard Kipling. Examples of these stereotypes are apparent throughout Kipling's "Overland Mail" from the very beginning and flow through to the very end. In the very first line of the poem, the Empress of India is addressed: "In the name of the Empress of India, make way" (315). This immediately paints a picture of India being full of luxury and wealth. Orientalist stereotypes continue on through the first stanza: "Let the robber retreat-let the tiger turn tail" (315). The Orient is often categorized as being exotic and wild, maybe even dangerous. The tiger could represent the exotic and wild part of the Orient. However, the forth stanza in a whole is the most Orientalist stereotypical part of the whole poem. It illustrates the exotic landscape of the Orient. "From aloe to rose-oak, from rose-oak to fir, / from level to upland, from upland to crest, / from rice-field to rock-ridge, / from rock-ridge to spur" (316). The landscape is full of trees and land and rocks and vegetation, exactly what is stereotypically known to be Orientalist. Finally, in the last stanza, Kipling offers just a few more lines of Orientalist stereotype. The exotic side and beauty of the Orient is illustrated once again. "There's a scuffle above in the monkey's abode, / The world is awake and the clouds are aglow" (316). Monkeys and beautiful clouds above show the exotic, yet peaceful side of the environment surrounding the overland mailman. Orientalist stereotypes are seen throughout Kipling's "Overland Mail", yet these representations and ideas are not uncommon, and can be seen in many other works of art, literature, or poetry.

 

Westerners see the East as exotic, mystical, sexual, dangerous and mysterious. Orientalist stereotypes like these can be seen throughout art and literature. Check out this link that goes into depth about Orientalism and even offers pictures and examples: What is Orientalism?

 

If anyone is an expert on the subject of Orientalism it is Edward Said. In this video he discusses his views and expertise on Orientalism and the effect it has on society and the arts.