South-Indian American Women Writers

Issues of Cultural Identity and Gender

Migrants and their Cultural Identities

Immigration and its Push and Pull factorsFive kinds of diaspora:

Victim(e.g. Jews, Africans, Armenians), Labour (Indian, Chinese), Trade (Chinese and Lebanese), Imperial (the British, etc.), Cultural/Economic diasporas (the

Caribbean).

Middle Passage

Routes of Recent Migrations from Indian Subcontinent

Rushdie, Imtiaz Dharker (back to India)

Air India

H. Bannerji;

B. Mukherjee, India-- U.S. –Canada -- U.S. Sujata Bhatt India – U.S. -- Germany

B. Mukherjee, Sujata Bhatt, A. AppachanaC. Divakaruni

Immigrants and Cultural Identity

Possible Choices But do they have a choice?

Assimilation the myth of melting pot; self-hatred (Pam, second-generation)

Separation/isolation Discrimination, Exclusion (.g. the elderly couple in M)

Hyphenation (In-Between positions) Multiculturalism = Ghettoization (Sheila)

Cultural Identity: Multiple Influences

N ation; Patriarchy父 系 社 會 國 家 機 器 e.g.Laws (b irth contro l)

意 識 形 態 Ideology; R acismN ational C ulture and Econom y

Personal Identity:C ultura l,G ender,

N ational, and O thers

BodyD esire and the U nconscious

Experience and Mem oryW ork and Education

Identity

Family and other social unitsFamily and other social units

Cultural Identity and Gender Identity: Issues Related to

South Asian American Women (1)Cultural Identity in between country of

origin and the host nation – potted plant, empty baggage, umbilical cord

buried in the host nation -- how/whether to look back -- hyphenated or not (e.g. B. Mukherjee–

refused to be hyphenated)Experience of Racism: Visible Minorities e.g. Sari, food, religion, need for resistance “We the Indian Women in America” “Paki Go Home” “To Sylvia Plath”

Cultural Identity and Gender Identity: Issues Related to SAAW

(2) Cultural Identity influenced by Sexism of both

places (“Her Mother”)Experience of Racism and Sexism Combined in

both places. e.g. “Her Mother” “Management”Racism:

can happen because of lack of understanding,

subtle ones in the questions, harsher ones in racist slurs

Individual institutionalized Intensify or weaker mother-daughter bonding and

sisterhood

“Her Mother” : Gender issues

What makes the mother similar to our mothers?Which parts of the mother make her “traditional”

mother? What aspects of her are “feminist” and unconventional?

How is the mother related to the daughter and her husband?

“Her Mother” : Contradictory Gender identities

“traditional” mother—1. Views about marriage & Concern with the two

daughters’ 2. Motherly advice: Eat, Bathe, Oil your hair,

stay with Indians, go meet the good buy.3. Her own dream and collections “feminist” – 1. teach the daughter independence2. Views of her husband, Indian men and

American culture

“Her Mother” : Contradictory Gender identities (2)

-How is the mother related to the daughter and her husband?

The daughter’s being closer to the father, p133; different feminist views p. 135

The husband’s double standard; his sense of betrayal p. 138

“Her Mother” : Cultural Issues

How does the mother and the father look at the U.S. and India differently?

What are the mother’s stereotypical views of “Westerners”?

“Her Mother” : Gender + Culture Issues What pre-occupies the mother? How does the mother feel about

the daughter’s hair-cutting and leaving?Why does the daughter see going abroad as an escape? Escape

from what? How does the mother get to understand the daughter?

Grief + memory Significant clues: midnight encounter, Rapunzel,

handkerchief; pinched look Sisterhood and Mother-daughter bonding: can they

be strong enough support in a society dominated by men?

Bharati MukherjeeBorn in Calcutta, India, in

1940, she grew up in a wealthy traditional family.

Went to America in 1961 to attend the Iowa’s Writers Workshop

Married Canadian author Clark Blaise in 1963, immigrated to Canada

Found life as a "dark-skinned, non-European immigrant to Canada" very hard and moved to the U.S.

Sees immigration as a process of reincarnation, breaking away (killing) from the roots.

“The Management of Grief”: Background

June 22nd., 1985 Air India flight 182, leaving from Vancouver for India, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic ocean off the Coast of Ireland.

329 people died. Suspects: Two Sikh nationalists.

But investigation still goes on. Consequence: p. 162

“The Management of Grief”

First question:

What’re the meanings of the title?

“The Management of Grief”: Different Ways of Management

Characters: -- The narrator (Mrs. Shaila Bhave), p. 160, 164, 169,

170 -- Pam, escapes, feeling neglected, ends up serving

Orientals. p. 161, 174 -- Kusum, accept fate, 163, 164, 173 -- Dr. Ranganathan, another kind of escape, while

keeping the connection p. 169, 170, 174 -- the elderly couple leave it to their god; insist on

their own way and believe themselves "strong."

“The Management of Grief”: Different Ways of Management

The Canadian government -- evasive 159, indifferent 160.

<--> Irish 163-164, 165, 166 giving flowers and showing sympathy

<--> not blaming on the whole group of people because of some individuals 167

Judith Templeton--considers them ignorant, a mess.

“The Management of Grief”: Different Ways of Management

Theory:

1. Rejection, 2. depression, (Depressed Acceptance) 3. Acceptance, 4. reconstruction (p. 170)

What is not considered?

guilt/regret, hope,

prefers ignorance, or their own versions p. 163

mourning process: searching, waiting.

Different cultures’ views of grief and mourning.

Cultural Identity and Gender Identity: Issues Related to

South Asian American Women (3)Two mothers experience different kinds

of loss; Carry on what they cherish and are

given.

Cultural Identity and Gender Identity: Issues Related to

South Asian American Women (4)Another example—from the daughter’s

perspective Desperately Seeking HelenHelen, like the stove, or biting in the

food, is a sign of rebellion. Only she is also a role model, a vamp (the opposite to heroine) who turns out to be a combination of mother figure and Eisha Marjara’s need for resistance.