Reading Analysis Week 17: Rushdie

This was a very interesting story and had a pretty different plot than what we have read so far in the class.  One of the things that I could not stop thinking about though was the timing of Saleem's birth.  "On the stroke of midnight, as a matter of fact.  Clock-hands joined palms in respectful greetings as I came.  Oh, spell it out, spell it out; at the precise instant of India's arrival at independence" (1131).  Before reading the story, the introduction explains the significance of this, saying "Saleem is born at midnight, between August 14 and 15th, 1947, the moment at which India and Pakistan became separate nations; as a "child" of that historic hour" (1130).  Based on Saleen's comments, he does not seem to like being born during the independence.  He mentions a few times his displeasure, "I had been mysteriously handcuffed to history" (1131).  What he is saying here is that he is always connected to the independence event that happened when he was born.  He also adds, "for the next three decades, there was to be no escape" (1132).  He was unable to break the tie that he was born with to the independence event and it was always something he was associated with.  

If I was him, I would get annoyed and would also be displeased with always being connected to an event like that.  People would look past the person and just always go back to the time he was born. I feel this would discredit him and and be disrespectful.  
"The Perforated Sheet" Salma Rushdie 1131-1143

Reading Notes Week 17B: Devi

"Giribala" Mahasweta Devi Page 1149-1165

Girabla- Not thought highly of, "nobody ever imagined that she could think on her own, let alone act on her own thought" 1149
-Described as just being average "like so many others, was neither beautiful nor ugly, just an average looking girl" 1149

-Aulchand- Bounces from marriage to marriage, not stable. Doesn't own anything.
--Takes objects that are given to him and sells them to buy a new fair.

Aulchand pays Giri's father to have her hand in marriage. They get married and he leaves Giri

Week 17A: Rushdie

"The Perforated Sheet" Salma Rushdie 1131-1143

"On the stroke of midnight, as a matter of fact. Clock-hands joined palms in respectful greeting as I came. Oh, spell it out, spell it out: at the precise instant of India's arrival at independence" (1131)

''Saleem is born at midnight, between August 14 and 15, 1947, the moment at which India and Pakistan became separate nations; as a "child" of that historic hour, he finds that his destiny is entwined with India's fate as a nation, so that his life unfolds as a precise parallel to the country's collective history thereafter" (1130)

Feels lost- "if I am to end up meaning- yes, meaning- something" (1132)

"Tai had been young.  He had been playing this same boat, standing in the same hunched position, across the Dal and Nageen Lakes...Forever. As far as anyone knew." (1135)

"You know what this is, nakkoo? It's the place where the outside world meets the world inside you.  If they don't get on, you feel it here.  Then you rub your nose with embarrassment to make the itch go away.  A nose like that, little idiot, is a great gift.  I say: Trust it.  When it warns you, look out or you'll be finished.  Follow your nose and you'll go far" (1138).

Week 16 Analysis: Soyinka

Recitatif by Toni Morrison started out as a very heartfelt story.  In the beginning of the story when the narrator, Twyla was talking about being dropped off at the orphanage, I felt very sad for Twyla and also the girl that Twyla rooms with, Roberta. Twyla did not want the reader to feel any sympathy for her thought.  This can be seen on page 1174, "People want to put their arms around you when you tell them you were in a shelter, but it really wasn't that bad".  Twyla's experience at the shelter was not as bad as most people make it seem.  Twyla and Roberta did have issues with the age group older than them however.  They were bullied by them and never were able to get along with them.  Roberta and Twyla eventually left the shelter and each went their separate ways.  I again felt sad for Twyla after she left her friend, and also when they had a run in years later.  While she was serving at a restaurant, Roberta walked in and seated with some friends of hers.  Twyla was excited but her run in with Roberta was not what she was expecting, Roberta pretty much blew her off and didn't want any part of her.  

The way this story was told, I was able to connect to it and feel the heartaches. Toni Morrison did an excellent job connecting the readers emotions to the characters in the story by using Pathos.  The part of the story that really caught my attention was when she didn't want any sympathy for being in the shelter.  It made me think of her as some sort a tough, independent young girl.


Recitatif - Toni Morrison - 1174-1187

Reading Notes Week 16B: Kenzaburo

The Tree at night is only present by the sound of water drops hitting the ground.  There is not much detail described about it other than its silhouette

Rain Tree is destroyed in a fire

Rain tree a symbol? Metaphor for something?

The tree is always talked about during the night, when it is dark?

Relation to Indian Folk Art- this black tree Krishna has climbed is undoubtedly what would be called an Indian in my country.  It has certainly been no tree through the sensibility and techniques of Indian Folk Art style" (1119)

Reading Notes Week 16A: Soyinka

Recitatif - Toni Morrison - 1174-1187

Narrator doesn't want sympathy for being in an orphanage. "People want to put their arms around you when you tell them you were in a shelter, but it really wasn't that bad" (1174).

Twyla- Narrator, telling her story
Roberta- Person she roomed with in the shelter

Twyla and Roberta have a conflict with the older group of girls. They bully them. 

Roberta leaves Twyla-1178

Twyla becomes a waitress, and Roberta is seen in the restaurant.  Twyla goes up to say hi and reconnect but the interaction is not what she was hoping for.  1178-1179

Twyla runs into Roberta again, years later at a grocery store.  This time Roberta is excited to see her and wants to know what she has been up to.  Twyla has one boy, Roberta has four step children.

Racial Strife- 1183- she describes it like an animal - "all day it screeched and at night it slept on rooftops"

second meeting with Roberta at a protest.  This time they do not get along and they have different view points on the subject.

Third Meeting and they are talking now, remembering times they had at the orphanage

Week 15 Reading Analysis- Girl

"Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid consists of numerous sentences that are only separated by semi-colons.  The author narrates her mother's advice that she has received growing up as a young woman.  Even though the mother is giving her daughter advice, the mother seems to be lecturing her, almost threatening her daughter to follow the guidelines that she has mentioned.  In addition to the advice, she is given specific instructions on how she is expected to carry out day-to-day housework along with how a young woman should act.

I noticed this story was broken down into three main ideas.  The first idea the young woman was receiving are the roles that are passed down through generations.   Her mother states, "don't squat down to play marbles-you are not a boy, you know" (1146).  Her mother in this phrase is telling her how to act out in public and to not objectify herself and be labeled as a slut.

The second idea I received from the text was that the mother is reminding the young woman how to be a woman.  This lecture from her mom is a code for women to live by, it is a list of duties that woman are expected to do and to perform them a certain way.  She states, "this is how you set a table for tea, this is how you set a table for dinner; this is how you set a table for dinner with an important guest" (1146).  The mother is explaining to her daughter how she is expected to set the table for different dinners, and now to perform regular household chores.

The third idea are life lessons from the mother.  The mother wants the young woman to abide by the rules to become a successful woman.  She does not want her daughter to be an ordinary woman, but she wants her to work hard to be the best that she can be.  Additionally, the mother feels that if theses rules are not followed, the daughter will not be successful in life.  The mother signifies the importance of these rules by using repetition of the phrase, "this is how you".

-Patrick

"Girl" Jamaica Kincaid. Pages 1144-1146.

Reading Notes Week 15B- Girl

Girl Jamaica Kincaid 1144-1146

I remember reading this story in a previous english class, I think English 100?

Girl by Jamaica Kincaid at orders for a young girl that she must abide by as she grows up. Societal norms. “Always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn someone else’s stomach” 1145
This is how you...
This is how you...
This is how you...

I think this is written from a mother's perspective and she is lecturing her daughter on how she needs to act and what duties she is supposed to fulfill.

Reading Notes Week 15A: Yellow Woman

Yellow Woman - Leslie Martin Silko 1030-1036

Told from the perspective of Yellow Woman

Yellow woman cheats on her husband with Silva

Her family is down the mountain, she has a husband named Al, a child and her grandparents.

Silva steals Cattle to sell the meat to the Mexicans in Marquez. He lies though to yellow woman and tells her he hunts the cattle.

Yellow woman returns home, lies to her family and told them she was kidnapped.