Free Blog 4: America

          As Jasmine enters the country in which she expects to perform her culture rituals, she is met by an America that is not the land she has heard of. Americans view themselves, “as the embodiments of liberty, openness, and individualism” yet that is not the America that Jasmine arrives to (Mukherjee 32). When her husband, Prakash, talked of America he talked of opportunity and wealth. The aerogram in which he brought home about America to show Jasmine read, “TRAVEL…THE PERFECT FREEDOM” (Mukherjee 83). But when Jasmine arrives she is faced with discrimination and a culture in which she cannot relate. Unlike India, Jasmine sees Americans as dirty and full of greed. The women of America are not modest like the women in India but rather the American women openly display their sexuality for all to see. Jasmine states that the women of New York have, “no concept of shame” (Mukherjee 171). This contrasts the role for women that she has been taught. Jasmine cannot relate to the way in which these women act. She recognizes that because of the culture she was raised in, she would rather die than reveal the personal side of her (Mukherjee 170). Despite the contrasts of cultures, especially America’s, “flimsy invisible lines of weak gravity”, Jasmine relies on her culture to discover who she is in a land that is foreign.


         The ways in which Jasmine discovers who she is is by the contrasting ideas in America about motherhood, wifely responsibilities, and self-reliance. As she observes the American way of life, she resorts back to her cultural customs and compares the two cultures. For example, motherhood. While Jasmine was growing up, their family was a tight-nit circle. Their mother raised them, their father provided for them, her brothers looked out for her, and they taught each other how to live. Their mother was concerned for their well-being and finding a husband. The American family that Jasmine lives with and observes first hand is in New York with Taylor, Wylie and their daughter Duff. This family is very different from what Jasmine is used to. They hire an outsider to watch after their daughter. Wylie, the mother, works outside of the home. Ultimately, the Wylie leaves her husband, Taylor, which is something that would not happen in Indian culture. As Jasmine tries to sort our this American family, she returns to what she knows. First of all, Jasmine's maternal instincts immediately take charge. She refers back to her Hindu upbringing of familial closeness. She states that she could, "not imagine a small child sleeping alone" (Mukherjee 172). This difference in culture shapes the way in which Jasmine views motherhood. She sees the difference between the cultures and prefers to mother a child the way she was raised. Ultimately, Jasmine decides to stay with Duff in her room, keeping with her cultural traditions. 


Mukherjee, Bharati. Jasmine. New York: Grove, 1989. Print.


Mukherjee, Bharati. "Beyond Multiculturalism: Surviving the Nineties." Journal for Modern Literature 20.1 (1996): 29-34. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 01 May 2012.

Free Blog 3: Hindu Culture

The Hindu culture has defined guidelines, which they expect their women to follow, adhere to, and obey. These guidelines are made in order to protect the women from people, circumstances, or knowledge that the Hindu men believe the women should stay away from. Throughout the novel, Indian men take charge of situations, provide for the family, protect their families, and even die for their families. Though the Hindu society is patriarchal in nature, it is done so in a way that makes the men of the society believe their role is protecting the women of the community. These ideas of men and women in society are completely altered once Jasmine comes to America. American women are immodest and greedy. American women do not look to their husbands for protection, but rather as an equal, a friend, a companion. Learning the ways of this new culture, Jasmine must rely on her own culture to understand and cope with the American culture.
            The culture in which Jasmine has grown up in, specifically the Indian culture, has certain expectations that they put upon her as a woman in her community. Susan Wadley, a professor of Anthropology, has researched the Indian culture. Her article, “Women in the Hindu Tradition”, outlines the expectations of women in the Indian community. Wadley states that women in the Hindu tradition are faced with a type of duality in which women are held up to either one of two role models. She states, “on one hand, she is fertile, benevolent-the bestower; on the other, she is aggressive, malevolent-the destroyer” (Wadley 113).
            These views of women are taken from the Hindu religion which is the predominant religion practiced in India. These two role models for Indian women are based upon examples of Hindu goddesses. These two goddesses are Laksmi and Mariyamman. Laksmi is the Hindu goddess who is, “the embodiment of female virtue” (Hinduism Gender and Sexuality 1). This goddess is the woman who Indian women should inspire to be like. Laksmi depicts the way in which women should rule the home, for example, Laksmi is a “subservient wife”, the “model mother”, and “the bringer of prosperity” (Hinduism Gender and Sexuality 1). While the goddess Mariyamma embodies, “both death and life, destroyer and bestower” (Wadley 113). This goddess is whom the Hindu society use as an example of what the women in the Hindu culture should aspire not to be like. Mariyamman conveys images of a woman who is out of control. She does not better society, but rather is a detriment to society.




This section of my paper is going to be contrasted with American society in order to show how Jasmine's identity is based primarily on her Hindu background. 


Kinnard, Jacob. "Library." Hinduism Gender and Sexuality. Patheos.com, 2008-2012. Web. 03 May 2012


Wadley, Susan S. "Women and the Hindu Tradition." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 3.1 (1977): 113-125. Print.

Finding Herself

            Throughout Mona in the Promised Land by Gish Jen, the main character, Mona, goes through a series of events in which she is attempting to discover who she is. Mona’s parents are from China but have raised their daughters in America in order to give their daughters the best possible life they could. What grabbed my attention in this novel was the disconnect between the daughter, Mona, and her mother, Helen. Throughout the novel, Mona describes how she is the “favorite”, yet, as the novel progresses, it seems that Mona has fallen out of graces with her mother. For example, after Mona’s parents fire a cook at their restaurant, Mona is worried that her parents are being racist and attempts to talk about the problem with her mother who only responds with accusations such as, “What kind of daughter. How could you”( 220).  When Mona explains her reasons for wanting to help Alfred, she explains that she helped him in order to “find herself”. Mona’s mother does not understand. Helen says, “What you talking, find yourself?” (221). There is a disconnect between the mother and daughter. Mona finds it necessary to be able to define herself. Whether it is by religion, race, or acts of kindness, Mona wants to know who she is. Helen cannot understand this. Helen knows she has raised her daughter in a Chinese household, where first of all, daughters respect their mothers.
            The part that I find interesting is that it turns out, Helen did a little self-discovery of her own when she was younger. Mona discovers through her Aunt Theresa that Helen was a “young woman not sure what mattered, someone a little like Mona herself, except quiet, and full of secrets”(299). Here Mona discovers that her mother was a lot like herself, except quiet. Maybe that is what Helen did not understand. That Mona was vocal about “finding herself”. The difference is in the way these women dealt with growing up. Helen had “secrets” while Mona was verbal and acted on her emotions. As Mona begins to realize that Helen also “discovered herself” at one time, she begins to understand her mother more, and also long for a better relationship with her mother.
            The book does not really address these differences in how each woman “finds herself” but one difference I can see is the difference in their cultural upbringing. Helen was raised in China where the cultural is much different than American culture. Mona and Helen’s differences could easily be due to the difference in culture. What brings the women together in the end is also interesting. Marriage. It would seem that this ceremonial act of two becoming one is the ground that unites, not only Mona and her boyfriend, but also Mona and her mother. It was a very interesting way to end the book. Despite their cultural differences in the upbringing, they are still able to connect through a ceremonial event that is shared across cultures.

Jen, Gish. Mona in the Promised Land. Vintage Books. 1996. Print. 

Research Plan Blog

          My plan for my research paper is to take a close look at the Indian culture and the Hindu religion and look at how it affects the women in the culture, specifically looking at Jasmine and how she changes what she feels and believes after she was taken out of her culture. The primary text I will consult with be Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee. The main questions that are guiding my research are “How does a woman’s culture affect her? Her life? Her ideas of family, social life, work?” and also, “How do these cultural expectations depict the way she thinks and handles herself? And if she were to leave her cultural society, would that identity change? Why or why not?” While these are a lot of questions I believe that as I do more research my topic will narrow significantly. In order to answer these questions I will need to research the Hindu culture/religion and be able to knowledgably discuss the Hindu culture in my paper. I also want to be able to define terms that are necessary to understand the angle from which women see, observe, and life their life. I will also be looking for articles that discuss these topics about women’s cultural identities and become more aware with what arguments are being made about this topic.
            Some secondary sources I plan to work with are patheos.com, which has an article entitled “Hinduism Gender and Sexuality” and explains the woman’s role in the Hindu community. It also explains certain terms such as “dharma” which is a belief that some outside force controls actions and destinies and takes a look at the role that goddesses play in the Hindu culture. I also want to look at the article that Ashford presented in class in order to look at ways that women adapt or react to situations they are not familiar with, such as violence to themselves and others.

            The layout of my argument will be most likely to look at specific Hindu beliefs/practices that Hinduism teaches and then apply these ideas to the novel, Jasmine, and then look specifically at how she changes or adapts to the differences between her culture and American culture. There is still a lot of work and reseach that needs to be done.

Carter-Sanborn, Kristin. “We Murder Who We Were: Jasmine and the Violence of Identity.”                  American Literature, Vol. 66. Num. 3. Sept. 1994. Duke University Press. 573-592. Print.

"Dharma." The Free Dictionary. Farlex. Web. 27 Mar. 2012

"Hinduism Gender and Sexuality." Balanced Views of Religion and Spirituality with Faith. Web. 27 Mar. 2012

Mukherjee, Bharati. Jasmine. New York: Grove, 1989. Print.

Blog 7: Dharma

         According to thefreedictionary.com, “dharma” represents, “the principle or law that orders the universe” and “the essential function or nature of a thing” (AHD). Dharma is what governs the Hindu religion. Hindus in India rely on this belief for their social structure, political agendas, and relationships. It is dharma that determines the way in which women in a Hindu society are allowed to conduct themselves. Hindu women are seen as “hierarchically inferior to men” and “entirely subservient to men” (patheos 1). This cultural view of women translates into what women are allowed to do, wear, and act within society. While this may be true of mortal women in the Hindu community, the same does not apply for Hindu goddesses. Hindu goddesses are viewed as powerful, and “cannot be controlled by any male god” (patheos 1). These goddesses are important for the Hindu culture in that they restore order, defeat evil nemeses, and are more powerful that any other god. While the two roles of women as goddesses and mortals are not parallel, the belief that women are complex and do have important roles in society does exist. The main role for mortal women in a Hindu society is based on love, wealth, righteousness, and salvation but only within the limits of dharma (patheos 1).

            As a Hindu, Jasmine is expected by her society to marry young, bare children, support her husband’s endeavors, be modest, keep house, have a servant mentality, and be true to her Hindu religion. All of which she does to the best of her ability while she is in India. But after her world is turned upside down by her husband’s death, Jasmine decides to travel to America in order to honor her husband’s death. In America, everything she has been taught to practice in her Hindu culture is challenged and slowly her own ideals about a woman’s place in society change. She is introduced to immodesty in New York when she sees naked girls with men in their rooms through the tall windows of Taylor’s apartment and states, “truly there was no concept of shame in this society” (Mukherjee 171). The longer she is in America her ideas of being subservient begin to change as well. It is in America that she first begins to make decisions for herself. Such as her move to Iowa in order to escape the danger she feels in New York, she says, “In my life, I have never dithered. God’s plans have always seemed clearly laid out. I said to him, ‘I’m going to Iowa’” ( Mukherjee 189).  This decision was made for her benefit alone, not to please a deceased husband or to comply with the social norms India had expected of her. She also changes her view of individuality. In her Indian village a man once predicted her future, telling Jasmine that she would live a life of unhappiness. As she is in American, she realizes that she can shape her own future. She does this several times with her move to Iowa and again when she decides to leave Bud. She states, “I am caught between the promise of America and old-world dutifulness” (240). While she struggles with her cultural upbringing, wanting to do the right thing, she is conflicted with the American ideals of individualism and self-fulfillment. She chooses to leave.

            The way in which America shapes Jasmine is undeniable. She respects her cultural upbringing but chooses to discard it in hopes for a better future. The book ends with Jasmine believing in hope for her future. She has done far better than the man in India predicted she would, and she aims at living a full and happy life.  She looks at dharma in a new light. It may still guide her, but it does not control her.

 "Dharma." The Free Dictionary. Farlex. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.

Mukherjee, Bharati. Jasmine. New York: Grove, 1989. Print.

"Hinduism Gender and Sexuality." Balanced Views of Religion and Spirituality with Faith. Web. 27            Mar. 2012

Blog 6: The House on Mango Street

          For my presentation tomorrow, I will be focusing on the stories, “And Some More,” “Bums in the Attic,” and “Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes.” The article I will be presenting is:

Petty, Leslie. “The ‘Dual’-Ing Images Of La Malinche And La Virgen de Guadelupe in Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street.” Melus 25.2 (2000): 119-132. MLA International Bibliography.Web. 12 Mar.             2012.

This article focuses on the Mexican culture and the stereotypes in projects onto Mexican women. As you re-read the stories above, think about what type of stereotypes Sandra Cisneros could be claiming are projected onto women.

            Also, do a little research and Google La Vergin de Guadalupe and La Malinche. These two women represent the two choices that Mexican women have to follow. These women play a major part in the feminine culture in the Mexican community and are used to classify certain women. The article shows that these stereotypes are used to show a positive/negative, good/bad, clean/dirty type of stereotype for women. Sandra Cisneros tries to overcome this stereotype of women and give a third option; the artist. This third option is seen through the narrator, Esperanza, while La Vergin de Guadalupe is seen through Aunt Lupe and La Malinche is depicted through Marin’s characters.

           

            There are other characters that represent these stereotypes as well. See if you can come up with other examples besides Aunt Lupe and Marin. At the beginning of “And Some More” we see an argument between Esperanza, Lucy, and Rachel concerning snowflakes. Esperanza makes the observation that Eskimos “got thirty different names for snow”. Lucy argues, “there ain’t thirty different kinds of snow” and goes on to say, “There are two kinds. The clean kind and the dirty kind, clean and dirty. Only two.” According to the article by Leslie Petty, this argument between the two girls, “highlights a conflict that is at the heart of Cisneros’ work.” (119) What do you consider that conflict to be?

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage, 2009. Print.

Free Blog 2: Our Contrary Talents Bred In Our Bones

               Joyce Carol Oates’ story, Three Girls, tells the story of two young girls who are in a used bookstore that they frequent regularly when one of them happens to spy Marilyn Monroe tucked away in the back of the store reading and sifting through books. Both of the girls are mesmerized by their discovery of her in the quaint, small, unglamorous bookstore and the story centers around their observations of Marilyn Monroe as they follow her and watch her, from a distance, as Marilyn peruses through the books. Throughout the story the narrator mentions many different books that can be found in this bookstore, all by male authors. The narrator comments on how her and her friend are enamored with the books, picking favorites and commenting on books that are not so dear to their hearts. At one point in the story the narrator is talking about her friend and comments on the differences between the two of them stating, “our contrary talents bred in our bones.” While the narrator is referring to herself and her friend, I believe this statement can be taken to mean contrary talents between the girls and Marilyn Monroe as well as contrary talents between male and female poets.
            Marilyn Monroe is known for her risqué roles, modeling, acting career, and undeniable beauty. Her talents were much different than those of the girls in the bookstore. The narrator and her friend were college students, “girl-poets”. The girls do not know how to react about Marilyn Monroe, a world famous movie star, being in a local bookstore and the friend states, “She thinks she’s like us!”  These girls were so different from what Marilyn Monroe represented and had achieved, however, there they were, all three of them in a bookstore enjoying the same passion. While they bred different talents, there was still something that connected them in that bookstore, a love of books.
            Lastly, I believe the contrary talents statements can also be a reference to the male versus female author ratio present in the bookstore. The two young girls mention Yeats, Eliot, Darwin, Pound, and Kierkegaard with a sense of reverence and respect, stating, “we were girl-poets passionately enamored” with these poets. What seems to be a striking contrast and blatant reference to contrary yet equal talents, is the choice of book in which Marilyn Monroe chooses to give to the two girls upon her departure, a book of poems by Marianne Moore. Marilyn chooses a female author to share. A stark contrast from what the young girls have admired. It shows that the female poet has as much to share in the way of talent as a man does. And this other girl, this actress, who has talents much different from the two young girls, has chosen this different and unique way of expressing to the two young girls thank you.

Oates, Joyce Carol. “Three Girls”. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 8^th ed., Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston. 2008.