Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Passage from FASTING, FEASTING
The assigned passage is taken from Fasting, Feasting, a novel published in 1999 by Indian novelist Anita Desai. In the excerpt, Arun, an exchange student from India, joins members of the American host family for an afternoon at the beach. Analyze how the author uses such literary devices as speech and point of view to characterize Arun's experience.
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Mario Jaimes
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In the first paragraph of the passage, you can already tell that Arun doesn't want to go to the beach through his body language. As Melanie is being introduced in the passage, she gives Arun a mean look. This adds on to why Arun feels so hopeless, and the reader can feel that he is homesick through his and Melanie's actions. Since Mrs. Patton feels the need to leave home, Arun has no choice but to go to the beach with his host family.
In line 20, the dislike between Arun and Melanie shows because they don't want to follow eachother, and Arun breaks away from her to end the awkwardness. As the three walk into the woods, Arun notices how the houses of the town intrude into the wilderness and he gets a feeling of warning on the back of his neck, which was described as if he had an animal instinct. The author used figurative language to make Arun seem like he was one of the animals mentioned earlier in the passage. The speaker also says "insidious" twice to add emphasis on how the woods are full of life and beauty. When Arun trips on the root, he's brought back to reality and he continues toward the beach.
In line 24, what does "she can lag even better" mean? Did the author mention that so Arun could sound more dominant?
In line 53, I also don't get what "so bright or else so pale" means, but I originally thought it meant something along the lines of something beautiful and yet so deadly. . .
J.Mamaril
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I agree with Mario in that through the description of Arun's body language, it becomes clear that he is uncomfortable or feels out of place. It can be compared to a foster child coming into a family with kids in it, neither of them are used to each other..hence the look Melanie gave Arun.
Also, I brought the culture into this. When I saw that Arun was a foreign exchange student from India, I immediately took some things into consideration: patriarchal society and the adjustment the exchange student may have had to make when it comes to conflicting backgrounds. I'll elaborate on my thought of the partriarchal idea, in line 22, "...Arun stops trying to lag behind her-she can lag even better.." This was the first step that Arun made to taking charge between him and Melanie. Also, to answer Mario's question, I thought that when the speaker says, "she can lag even better" it was an insult to Melanie.
In addition to this, after Arun leaves Melanie and catches up with his host mother, Mrs. Patton, I felt that her being his 'mom' he went to her for comfort, he was like a cub that goes to the mama bear for protection.
Overall, I believe Arun's experience started out uncomforting and he showed uneasiness, but like Mario said, when Arun trips on the root, it could represent a bringing back of reality.
Florencia Etcheverry
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I also agree that throughout the passage, Arun expresses a feeling of uncomfort, but I interpreted the last sentence differently. This is because the last paragraph mostly shows Arun’s negative viewpoints of America. It seems to me that Arun’s uncomfort towards American culture begins to grow stronger the more he thinks about it until it turns into anger. This is because the author includes 50 words in only one sentence (line 48-53). The sentence also says that Arun “prefers its post office…to this creeping curtain of insidious green.” This shows that Arun would rather be anywhere else than going to the beach in America. While Arun is thinking about this, he trips on a root but “steadies himself so as not to spill the contents of the basket.” I think the author was trying to say that Arun almost tripped and caused his anger and frustration to “spill out” but “steadied himself” and pulled himself together before he showed his discontent attitude.
I also realized that the point of view of Mrs. Patton contrasts significantly with that of Arun’s. In the third paragraph, the author shows that Mrs. Patton is happy and joyful by writing, “with that new and animated prance galvanizing her dwindles shanks, she leads the way…” This differs with Arun who simply “follows silently.”
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ReplyDeleteFood for thought, ones questions often reveal more of their character than the answers themselves.
ReplyDeleteEric Hum
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I agree with Ms. Mamaril and Ms. Etcheverry in that Arun feels out of place. In my opinion, Arun’s experience to the beach is all characterized by how out of place he feels in this new society. First off, Arun does not want to go to the beach. He attempts to “plead work” and “find excuses” in order not to go to the beach. Arun may find that the American ideal that going to the beach is a favorite pastime is weird and not exactly for his own personality. Also, notice how Arun is left with the women in the household, while the men “Rod and Daddy” are out sailing on the lake, another American pastime. Arun may see that going out and experiencing the world outside is weird, and he simply just feels awkward when having to go to the beach. Another awkward situation is the walk to the beach while Arun and Melanie are trying to figure out how to walk. They obviously do not like each other, or at least enjoy the company of the other, and they have trouble trying to figure who should follow whom. When the author mentions “she can lag even better,” I believe that the author is criticizing the lethargy that Americans have. Don’t forget that Arun attempted to stay home and do work. Indians on the other hand are hard working and willing to work. Melanie exemplifies that she can lag well by not working hard. This point is further proven by the fact that Arun helps Mrs. Patton carry the baskets to the beach. The final paragraph just looks pretty important. Arun begins criticizing nature and how out of place he feels in it. First off, the “bird shrieks” and “there are no birds to be seen, nor animals” in the woods. Arun feels as if the woods are lifeless, is not harmful to the living animals. Arun begins criticizing why people must live so close to the “benighted wilderness” and become a part of it. By saying that, Arun states that he does not understand the beliefs and thinking of Americans living out in the woods. Arun enjoys the town and the city, a place where civilization grows and a place where he feels more in place. However, Arun’s questioning of the habitants shows his discomfort he feels in the woods. Arun further proves his dislike by mentioning “benighted” and “insidious.” Arun believes that the woods are unintelligible and secretly harmful. The tripping, through my outlook and interpretation, further shows Arun’s feeling of being out of place. The root, a part of the woods, in simplicity attacks Arun, a foreign thing in the woods. Arun stumbles, and has to steady himself. The steadying himself might prove his ability to adapt to the new environment so as to not feel out of place, but that is hard to prove.
Overall, I think that Arun is overall feeling strange in a new world and new culture. Arun is an exchange student from India, and he is accustomed to the environment and culture of India that he was taught while growing up. However, when put in a new environment, the character actually discovers his true self and who he actually is (Thanks Professor). But that may be to stretchy for a short passage like this. Right now, Arun does not enjoy living in the new environment and culture of America. I think I’m a little more confident in this one. Good Luck
Live Huminationed
Andrew Garcia
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In addition to culture one may also take into consideration climate, summer in India is much different than summer in Massachusetts (Lake Wyola Shutesbury, MA 01072) "Sweating, palms becoming puffy and damp", its almost as the weather and his body himself is reflecting his displacement. Now this is ironic because Arun is from India, and Eastern suburbs and coniferous forest seem like wilderness to him. The imagery Anita Desai uses is full of negative connotations, which further emphasizes his "Discontent attitude" as my colleague Florencia put.
Eric Hum
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Another quick word. I believe point of view may be essential to learning the meaning of this passage. Remember that the author of this book is Indian, just as Arun is. To mention very quickly, If Arun does not enkoy the new environment he is trying to get accustomed with, it is most likely because the author had similar attitudes towards the American life. As Mr. Garcia mentioned, the Eastern terrain is extremely different to a boy from India, especially with all the coniferous forests and the beach. In India, Arun may have lived in rain forests, or in the city. That's why Arun feels more in place when he is in the city (stretch don't use). Overall, with respect with Arun's point of view from an Indian boy, Arun's experience can probably be described as awkward, overwhelming, and maybe a bit of suspense, (hair on neck raised, hands sweating, don't know what to expect(again, a stretch, but useable)) Good luck
Live Huminationed
Carly Hintz, Period 4
ReplyDeleteAfter reading, my understanding of this story is that Arun feels out of place in America because it is a new place to him and he feels awkward around Melanie since Mrs. Patton is her birth mother instead of her foster mother like she is to him. I agree with Eric that the lines "and goes ahead to catch up with Mrs. Patton" shows his comfort around her because when things got very awkward between Melanie and him that was his reaction. I think this can also be supported by, " We're all three of us going". This line show Mrs. Patton's care toward Arun. Line 42 states, " Arun finds the hair on his neck begin to prickle, as if warning". I see this as personification, comparing his feeling of nerves because he is in a new place to the feeling of nerves an animal may feel if feeling in danger. Many students have made a comment about lines 53-55. I think those lines mean Arun has had a rough time adjusting to American but he "steady's himself", meaning he gets used to it.
Dino Digma
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I completely agree with Eric in that point of view played a large role in created the awkward atmosphere that Arum was experiencing. I also noticed that the point of view may have slowly shifted from a third person limited to omniscient as the story progressed. At the beginning, the speaker is giving readers only little if any insight on Arun’s thoughts. But by the last paragraph we are given full access by the speaker to all of Arun’s thoughts, feelings, and observations. This slow shift in point of view seems to slowly intensify and worsen Arum’s uncomfortable and uneasy situation.
There are some parts of the passage that I am a bit unsure about. I still do not clearly understand the purpose of Mrs. Patton’s singing after the third paragraph. Does Desai use the quote to lighten the mood? Or to create an irony of Arun’s uncomfortable experience? Also, after reading the passage multiple times after I wrote my essay, I am unsure about how Arun really feels about nature. In the third paragraph, Arun provides countless observations as he is walking through the woods with his host family. At first, it seemed to me that Arun had a negatively toward nature because he uses words with negative connotations like “shriek“ to describe the sounds he hears. Although, after reading it a few times, it seems that its not that he doesn’t like nature, he is just disturbed at the way the houses are coming too close and ruining the beauty nature. So can anyone confirm how Arun really feels about the nature of the woods?
Jose De Soto IV
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While reading this short excerpt from Fasting Feasting i noticed that the host family and Arun are going to the lakeside to go swimming and do a picnic. I noticed that i can sense that strong change will happen to Arun because he will be in the presence of water. I remember that because in "How to Read Literature like a professor" it states that in the presence of water a change will happen in the novel. After line 45 i noticed the change that happened to Arun when he started liking America and it's culture and preferred it to India.
I interpreted that the Arun is Muslim because the title of the book is called "Fasting, Feasting". Because fasting in mentioned i believe he is Muslim because during the month of Ramadan Muslims are supposed to fast from sunrise to sunset. And according to wikipedia India's population is 13.4% Muslim, so there's a good chance Anur might be Muslim. Furthermore, Anur's beliefs might see women such as Mealaine in swimsuits as wrong.
This is my interpretation....
I agree with everyone's interpretation of Arun's awkward relationship with Melanie and his discontent at the idea of the trip to the beach and woods. The progression through the poem reveals little negative experiences and observations of arun's surroundings. (Like the awkward walk with Melanie and the creepy woods that discomfort him.) It is at least somewhat apparent that Arun prefers his lifestyle and environment in India better. (Judging by the fact at how awkward and unsettling this whole experience was for him.) It makes sense that Arun is fearful of the woods when he loves the city so much. The woods and the city are foils, almost opposites. The city is bustling with activity and people and you can hold a sense of security in that environment since so many others are going about their day around you. The woods he described as "Insidious" and having "Poisonous Berries" (all creepy things). Overall you can infer that Arun misses or prefers India more than America, and that his host family makes him uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteSabrina Evans
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I agree with the previous posts in that Arun feels uncomforatable and out of place within this American family. I also agree that when it says, "Arun finally stops trying to lag behind her-she can lag even better-," it shows that Arun and Melanie are competing with each other. By coming from India, Arun comes from an extremely patriarchal society in which women are subordinate to men and therefore, he feels the need to show dominance over Melanie. Since Arun gave up trying to beat Melanie at 'lagging,' he is accepting that perhaps she is equal to him at some level. Another basic interpretation of that line could be that Arun and Melanie are being extremely immature, acting in a 'Anything you can do, I can do better' sort of attitude.
Through Arun's experience, I came to the conclusion that he feels that it is unnatural for people to live in close proximity to the wilderness, which contributes to his discomfort as he wishes to be in a more civilized environment.
Did anyone else figure out how the point of view specifically characterizes Arun's experience?
Unzi Park
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I agree with the previous posts about Arun feeling discontent and uncomfortable towards the event planned by Mrs. Patotn. I actually had a different outlook than some of the other posts regarding Arun and Melanie's actions. When Arun was conflicting over who should walk ahead or behind, I simply saw it as a sign of nuisance since Arun was paranoid about the trip to begin with. I thought that this action emphasized the awkwardness that was already there between members of the host family and Arun.
I did have a question regarding lines 39-43. "Perhaps they have because the houses of Edge Hill do intrude and one can glimpse a bit of wall here or roof there, a washing line hung with sheets or plastic gnome, finger to nose, enigmatically winking." I was confused by this section of the paragraph and could not come to a clear conclusion of its implications. Can any one explain confirm the implications of these lines?
Adrian Navarro
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In response to Unzi, I believe Arun is trying to convey that the birds are flying away from the beach for they have better place to go like a suburban area which is described in the text.
I overall agree with everyone's comment about Arun's feeling of discomfort and confusion about the American culture. Arun seemed to imagine America with city life filled with businesses like he described in the last paragraph rather than the isolated beach.
In conclusion, Arun didn't want to be at the beach for it was not what he had hoped for when coming to America. He appeared to be un-open minded and fearful of trying something out of his comfort zone.
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