Rebirth

Hello Everyone,

It's so weird that this is our last blog post! I feel like we have online just started class. First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for your comments and the in depth discussion.

I thought that "Jasmine" was an excellent novel, and an excellent end to the course. I thought it was interesting and inspiring how Pujabi decided to come and reinvent herself in America. I feel as though everyone reaches a pivotal point in their life in which they decided to re-evaluate and rediscover who they are. Reinventing yourself is hard to begin with, but moving to a foreign country and trying to rediscover who you are would be very difficult. I admire Pujabi for that. What did you guys think?

The opening to the novel begins with phrase "lifetimes ago.." which I believe sets up a major theme to the novel (self recreation). Becoming someone else, evolving, discovering. The first phrase of the novel seems to indicate that the reader will be looking to the past at former self, and gaining insight into the transformation of the characters. "There are no harmless, compassionate ways to remake oneself." And, "I picked [Sam] up and held him. Truly I had been reborn." What do you guys think about that? Do you think that transformation is a big factor underlying the entire novel? Which characters did you love, which did you hate? Which do you think fit the idea of recreating self? Jasmine herself goes through multiple transformations while trying to survive in America. When did you relate to her best in the novel?

Here is another students interpretation of the novel, I thought it was kind of interesting.

Death Thoughts

Hello Everyone,

Today I’d like to talk about the short story “Beccah” in particular. I thought that this was a very interesting read. The characters all seem to have multiple layers to unravel. However, one thing I would have liked would be to hear more about the Father in the story. A flashback or perhaps some background story on he himself as a character as well as the relationship between the Father and the Mother. Towards the end of the short story, Mother states that she wished every day for the Father to die. But, why? Why did she wish death upon him? There must be something more to his character and their relationship that truly intrigues me as a reader. It doesn’t seem as though the speaker and her Father had a particularly bad relationship, and she even still to this day places offerings to the dead as a result of her Father’s death (as well as to protect her mother) “Please, God- please, spirits, and Induk- please, Daddy, whoever is listening: leave my mother alone” (p. 194).  What do you think the relationship was between the Mother and the Father?

The speaker of the story intrigues me the most perhaps, out of all the character. She seems to care deeply about her Mother, even refusing to call the police during her Mother’s episodes “Whenever the spirits called my mother to them, Auntie Reno insisted I dial her beeper, punching in 911 to let her know my mother had entered a trance” (p. 199). Instead of calling the police, the speaker called her Aunt in order to protect her Mother for fear of people thinking that she was crazy. So, the speaker seems to deeply care about her Mother, as well as how others view her Mother, so why then, on the last page of the short story does she state that all along she had been wishing for her Mother to die “And I think: It has taken me nearly thirty years, almost all of my life but finally the wishes I flung out in childhood have come true. My mother is dead” (p. 202). The only time that this is mentioned (the speaker’s ill intentions towards her Mother), is at the end of the short story. These characters are complicated. What do you guys think about the last paragraph of the short story? Did it confuse you? Any insight on it?

Also, what do you think about the Mother? Do you think she was really possessed by spirits, or in fact just crazy? Do you think she actually did kill the Father during one of her trances?

On one last note, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this quote “I’m teaching you something very important about life. Listen: Sickness, bad luck, death, these things are not accidents. This kind of stuff, people swish on you. Believe me, I know. And if you cannot bloc these wishes, all the death thoughts people send you collect, become arrows in your back. This is what causes wrinkles and make your shoulders fold inward” (p. 202). I thought that this quote was the most intriguing line in the short story.  So, if you have any thoughts, and reactions, or insight, let me know!

Hello Everyone,

Today I’d like to talk about the short story “Beccah” in particular. I thought that this was a very interesting read. The characters all seem to have multiple layers to unravel. However, one thing I would have liked would be to hear more about the Father in the story. A flashback or perhaps some background story on he himself as a character as well as the relationship between the Father and the Mother. Towards the end of the short story, Mother states that she wished every day for the Father to die. But, why? Why did she wish death upon him? There must be something more to his character and their relationship that truly intrigues me as a reader. It doesn’t seem as though the speaker and her Father had a particularly bad relationship, and she even still to this day places offerings to the dead as a result of her Father’s death (as well as to protect her mother) “Please, God- please, spirits, and Induk- please, Daddy, whoever is listening: leave my mother alone” (p. 194). What do you think the relationship was between the Mother and the Father?

The speaker of the story intrigues me the most perhaps, out of all the character. She seems to care deeply about her Mother, even refusing to call the police during her Mother’s episodes “Whenever the spirits called my mother to them, Auntie Reno insisted I dial her beeper, punching in 911 to let her know my mother had entered a trance” (p. 199). Instead of calling the police, the speaker called her Aunt in order to protect her Mother for fear of people thinking that she was crazy. So, the speaker seems to deeply care about her Mother, as well as how others view her Mother, so why then, on the last page of the short story does she state that all along she had been wishing for her Mother to die “And I think: It has taken me nearly thirty years, almost all of my life but finally the wishes I flung out in childhood have come true. My mother is dead” (p. 202). The only time that this is mentioned (the speaker’s ill intentions towards her Mother), is at the end of the short story. These characters are complicated. What do you guys think about the last paragraph of the short story? Did it confuse you? Any insight on it?

Also, what do you think about the Mother? Do you think she was really possessed by spirits, or in fact just crazy? Do you think she actually did kill the Father during one of her trances?

On one last note, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this quote “I’m teaching you something very important about life. Listen: Sickness, bad luck, death, these things are not accidents. This kind of stuff, people swish on you. Believe me, I know. And if you cannot bloc these wishes, all the death thoughts people send you collect, become arrows in your back. This is what causes wrinkles and make your shoulders fold inward” (p. 202). I thought that this quote was the most intriguing line in the short story. So, if you have any thoughts, and reactions, or insight, let me know!