Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Movie Review Question 2.
Watch this scene. Why is this scene sad. Identify where this scene is taken from. What is the dramatic significance of this scene?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pky1BVTEJm8. Which movie version do you prefer.
Excellent Review for King Lear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a6Vs3sbAW8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVgMaPjPRGg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22MuYbhrWk4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD-PQPOw5cU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVgMaPjPRGg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22MuYbhrWk4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD-PQPOw5cU
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Polictical Situation in Clear Light of Day written by Lisa Grup
"Much of the conflict in India during the time of Anita Desai's novel Clear Light of Day centers upon religious tensions between the Muslims and Hindus. Desai, while mentioning the events that were caused by the religious tensions, neglects to address the religion issue in any great detail. While there is little mention of religion, language, which in India is divided along religious lines, is brought up many times. As Desai demonstrates in her novel, language can have a profound impact on people's lives. It can divide people who otherwise share similar backgrounds, or it can unite people who are extremely different. By studying the language usage in Desai's novel, similarities can be drawn between certain aspects of the Das sibling's relationship and the political situation in India; Urdu and Hindi, the native languages of India, divided the Das siblings as well as India in a time of turmoil, while English was able to unite them.
Unlike the native languages of most countries, the language of India is quite fragmented and divides its people. Hindi and English are the co-official languages of what is now India, while Urdu is the official language of Pakistan. The government of India recognizes 112 mother tongues. From 179 to 188 languages have been tabulated, and as many as 544 dialects identified. The Indian constitution recognizes 18 state languages, including Urdu (Encarta 1). Despite their separate names, Hindi and Urdu are actually slightly different dialects of the same language. The main differences lie in their vocabulary sources, scripts, and religious traditions. Hindi is spoken mainly by Hindus; Urdu is predominantly spoken by Muslims; in India as well as throughout Pakistan (Encarta 2). The Das siblings, excluding Baba, who did not communicate well, were deeply affected by these language differences.
In school the Das children were forced to learn different languages, as the political situation in India changed. Before the Partition, Raja was allowed to choose which language, Hindi or Urdu, he wanted to study. Whether chosen by the Das parents or by Raja himself, the choice was made because of what social class the family was in, or wanted to be in. As Desai tells us, "Urdu had been the court language in the days of the Muslims and Moghul rulers and had persisted as the language of the learned and the cultivated" (Desai 47). Raja's obsession with Hyder Ali also could have had an impact on his choice although Desai does not mention when Raja started to learn Urdu or if he even knew Hyder Ali at that time. By the time Bim and Tara got to school, they were forced to study Hindi because of the political turmoil of the time. "Hindi was not then considered a language of great pedigree; it had little to show for itself in its modern, clipped, workaday form, and its literature was all in ancient, extinct dialects" (Desai 47). Raja thought that Hindi was a horrible language and wondered how one could even think, let alone compose poetry in Hindi. Raja loved to compose poetry in Urdu and to also read poetry by his favorite Urdu poet, Iqbal. Sir Muhammad Iqbal was a "Pakistani philosopher, poet, and political leader. His poetry and philosophy, stress the rebirth of Islamic and spiritual redemption through self-development, moral integrity, and individual freedom" (Encarta 3). Bim and Tara could not understand this poetry with which Raja's life was consumed.
By learning Urdu, Raja separated himself from his family and Hindu friends and connected himself to the Hyder Ali family. Going to the Hyder Ali's garden parties brought him close to Muslims and their conversations, and he began to view things the way they did. "When the boys at the Hindu College found that Raja was one Hindu who actually accepted the idea of Pakistan as feasible, they changed from charmed friends into dangerous enemies" (Desai 57). This caused his Hindu friends to think that he was a traitor to the Indian cause. "When he spoke to them [fellow students] of Pakistan as something he quite accepted, they turned on him openly, called him a traitor, drowned out his piping efforts at reasonableness with the powerful arguments of fanatics" (Desai 57). Eventually Raja marries into this Muslim family that he had visited so many times in his youth. Raja's reading of Urdu and Iqbal separated him from his siblings, while uniting him with the Muslims.
English, while it was an imposed language, united Raja, Bim and Tara in an intellectual way. Most people were able to speak English, so even though they spoke different native languages, this product of colonization was able to bring them together. Bim and Raja were able to share in their joy of poetry and reading when it came to English literature. Most of the quotes in the novel are from English authors because both Raja and Bim could understand and appreciate them. Being able to read English literature together was a bond that Raja and Bim would have for the rest of their lives, even if they didn't want to admit it. Tara also benefited from the English language; her goal was to escape from her childhood and the house that never changed. Knowing the English language allowed her to do this. Because she knew English, she was able to marry Bakul, who was a very cultured man and would have to travel all over the world.
The language division had the same effect on the country as it did on the Das siblings. Hindi and Urdu, which represented Hinduism and Islam, literally split the country into two countries, India and Pakistan. "The plan for federation proved unworkable for a variety of reason, including Muslim claims that the Hindus would have excessive influence in the national legislature. As an alternative, the Muslim League advocated the creation of an independent Muslim state, Pakistan" (Encarta 5). The country was not just divided by Hindi and Urdu, but also by the fact that there were so many Hindi dialects. The many Hindi dialects made it difficult for Hindus in the same country to communicate with each other. When trying to gain its independence from England, India was bogged down by internal divisions caused by language and religion. "Between 1922, the year of the initial imprisonment of Gandhi for sedition, and 1942, when he was placed into custody for the last time, the fight of Indian independence was marked by serious setbacks, including the renewal of dissension between Muslims and Hindus" (Encarta 4). Hindi and Urdu were both languages that were beginning to decay, just like the government and the unity between people fighting for the common goal of independence.
The English presence in India produced many changes, including the widespread use of the English language; people from all over the country and from numerous backgrounds were able to communicate in this common language. Not only has English broken down religious barriers, but it has destroyed social lines as well. "The stringency of the caste system of the Hindus was broken down greatly during the period of British rule in India. The obligation of the son to follow the calling of his father is no longer binding; men of low castes have risen to high ranks and positions of power; and excommunication, or the loss of caste is not as serious as it may once have been" (Encarta 6). English was able to break down the social stratifications that the Indians had maintained for centuries. This gave the country more people that were educated and were able to help the country in this time of turmoil; English was able to unite the people that were fighting for their independence against the English.
Language can be used as either a means of dividing or of uniting people. It can be used, as in Clear Light of Day, as a way to reinforce religious divisions, or, as in present day Quebec, Canada, it can be the sole reason for separation. A common language, among different people can be used as a way to unify them, as it was this novel. Language, as you may have guessed by now, can be very paradoxical. In America, slight variations of the same language can drastically separate people socially, while at the same time uniting them as Americans. The languages used in Desai's novel represent the conflicts in the Das house as well as in India"(Lisa Grup, 2000).
Witten by Lisa Grup
2/21/00
English 124 Section 13
Unlike the native languages of most countries, the language of India is quite fragmented and divides its people. Hindi and English are the co-official languages of what is now India, while Urdu is the official language of Pakistan. The government of India recognizes 112 mother tongues. From 179 to 188 languages have been tabulated, and as many as 544 dialects identified. The Indian constitution recognizes 18 state languages, including Urdu (Encarta 1). Despite their separate names, Hindi and Urdu are actually slightly different dialects of the same language. The main differences lie in their vocabulary sources, scripts, and religious traditions. Hindi is spoken mainly by Hindus; Urdu is predominantly spoken by Muslims; in India as well as throughout Pakistan (Encarta 2). The Das siblings, excluding Baba, who did not communicate well, were deeply affected by these language differences.
In school the Das children were forced to learn different languages, as the political situation in India changed. Before the Partition, Raja was allowed to choose which language, Hindi or Urdu, he wanted to study. Whether chosen by the Das parents or by Raja himself, the choice was made because of what social class the family was in, or wanted to be in. As Desai tells us, "Urdu had been the court language in the days of the Muslims and Moghul rulers and had persisted as the language of the learned and the cultivated" (Desai 47). Raja's obsession with Hyder Ali also could have had an impact on his choice although Desai does not mention when Raja started to learn Urdu or if he even knew Hyder Ali at that time. By the time Bim and Tara got to school, they were forced to study Hindi because of the political turmoil of the time. "Hindi was not then considered a language of great pedigree; it had little to show for itself in its modern, clipped, workaday form, and its literature was all in ancient, extinct dialects" (Desai 47). Raja thought that Hindi was a horrible language and wondered how one could even think, let alone compose poetry in Hindi. Raja loved to compose poetry in Urdu and to also read poetry by his favorite Urdu poet, Iqbal. Sir Muhammad Iqbal was a "Pakistani philosopher, poet, and political leader. His poetry and philosophy, stress the rebirth of Islamic and spiritual redemption through self-development, moral integrity, and individual freedom" (Encarta 3). Bim and Tara could not understand this poetry with which Raja's life was consumed.
By learning Urdu, Raja separated himself from his family and Hindu friends and connected himself to the Hyder Ali family. Going to the Hyder Ali's garden parties brought him close to Muslims and their conversations, and he began to view things the way they did. "When the boys at the Hindu College found that Raja was one Hindu who actually accepted the idea of Pakistan as feasible, they changed from charmed friends into dangerous enemies" (Desai 57). This caused his Hindu friends to think that he was a traitor to the Indian cause. "When he spoke to them [fellow students] of Pakistan as something he quite accepted, they turned on him openly, called him a traitor, drowned out his piping efforts at reasonableness with the powerful arguments of fanatics" (Desai 57). Eventually Raja marries into this Muslim family that he had visited so many times in his youth. Raja's reading of Urdu and Iqbal separated him from his siblings, while uniting him with the Muslims.
English, while it was an imposed language, united Raja, Bim and Tara in an intellectual way. Most people were able to speak English, so even though they spoke different native languages, this product of colonization was able to bring them together. Bim and Raja were able to share in their joy of poetry and reading when it came to English literature. Most of the quotes in the novel are from English authors because both Raja and Bim could understand and appreciate them. Being able to read English literature together was a bond that Raja and Bim would have for the rest of their lives, even if they didn't want to admit it. Tara also benefited from the English language; her goal was to escape from her childhood and the house that never changed. Knowing the English language allowed her to do this. Because she knew English, she was able to marry Bakul, who was a very cultured man and would have to travel all over the world.
The language division had the same effect on the country as it did on the Das siblings. Hindi and Urdu, which represented Hinduism and Islam, literally split the country into two countries, India and Pakistan. "The plan for federation proved unworkable for a variety of reason, including Muslim claims that the Hindus would have excessive influence in the national legislature. As an alternative, the Muslim League advocated the creation of an independent Muslim state, Pakistan" (Encarta 5). The country was not just divided by Hindi and Urdu, but also by the fact that there were so many Hindi dialects. The many Hindi dialects made it difficult for Hindus in the same country to communicate with each other. When trying to gain its independence from England, India was bogged down by internal divisions caused by language and religion. "Between 1922, the year of the initial imprisonment of Gandhi for sedition, and 1942, when he was placed into custody for the last time, the fight of Indian independence was marked by serious setbacks, including the renewal of dissension between Muslims and Hindus" (Encarta 4). Hindi and Urdu were both languages that were beginning to decay, just like the government and the unity between people fighting for the common goal of independence.
The English presence in India produced many changes, including the widespread use of the English language; people from all over the country and from numerous backgrounds were able to communicate in this common language. Not only has English broken down religious barriers, but it has destroyed social lines as well. "The stringency of the caste system of the Hindus was broken down greatly during the period of British rule in India. The obligation of the son to follow the calling of his father is no longer binding; men of low castes have risen to high ranks and positions of power; and excommunication, or the loss of caste is not as serious as it may once have been" (Encarta 6). English was able to break down the social stratifications that the Indians had maintained for centuries. This gave the country more people that were educated and were able to help the country in this time of turmoil; English was able to unite the people that were fighting for their independence against the English.
Language can be used as either a means of dividing or of uniting people. It can be used, as in Clear Light of Day, as a way to reinforce religious divisions, or, as in present day Quebec, Canada, it can be the sole reason for separation. A common language, among different people can be used as a way to unify them, as it was this novel. Language, as you may have guessed by now, can be very paradoxical. In America, slight variations of the same language can drastically separate people socially, while at the same time uniting them as Americans. The languages used in Desai's novel represent the conflicts in the Das house as well as in India"(Lisa Grup, 2000).
Witten by Lisa Grup
2/21/00
English 124 Section 13
The political situation in the country while the siblings are growing up is corrupt and
unstable. However, the children seem to be sheltered from it in their home in Old
Delhi, while the action all seems to happen in the city. How does the political situation affect the outcome of the story? Does it create any tension for the family? Would the story have been different had it taken place with a peaceful backdrop?
unstable. However, the children seem to be sheltered from it in their home in Old
Delhi, while the action all seems to happen in the city. How does the political situation affect the outcome of the story? Does it create any tension for the family? Would the story have been different had it taken place with a peaceful backdrop?
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