August
16
Cultural Encounter in Jasmine Novel by Bharati Mukherjee
Jasmine is the name of the main character. She lived in India. When she was in Hasnapur, India her name was Jyoti. Jyoti came from poor Hindi family. At the fourteen years old, she married to her brother’s friend, Prakash. Prakash was a modern, smart, and visionary man. He was an engineer. Prakash change Jyoti’s name into Jasmine. Prakash had a dream to continue his engineering study in America. A chance came to him, his professor, Vedhara who lived in America sent him a letter. The professor asked Prakash to prepare himself to go to America also promised him to pay his tuition fee in America. On his preparation, a Sukhi shot him at the sari store. Prakash died in front of Jasmine. Jasmine lost her beloved husband, a person who she respected to and admired.
In my point of view, that circumstance is the reason why the writer choose Jasmine as the title. The death of Prakash when the main character being named Jasmine is the point break of the story. From that circumstance the story developed, it is also very influential to the Jasmine’s life in the future.
Jasmine talked to her grandmother, Dida. Jasmine said, “ If God sent Sukhi to kill my husband, then I renounce God. I spit on God” Dida’s response was blaming the Muslims because of the Partition Riot at Lahore. If the family did not move from Lahore, Jasmine could be married to a prince. Jasmine said, “Blame the Mahatma” Dida answered, “No, God maybe, the Mahatma never”. We can see in this dialogue how Indian people admire and adore Mahatma more than God. Mahatma is a legend, patriot, politician who fought the British colonialism.
Jasmine planned to continue Prakash’s dream, go to America. She brought many Prakash’s clothes to be burnt in America. Burning stuffs of the death people is an Indian culture especially Hindi belief. In order to, the next life of the death people will not lack of life needs. Bringing stuff of the death people to the place where the death people dreamt is equal to reaching the death people’s dream.
America is the represent of an ideal place to live with a mindset like Prakash has. The place where the feudal is not exist. Jasmine went to America with Prakash’s spirit and passion. Professor Vedhara was the destination. She believed in herself and Prakash always beside her. On the trip to America, Jasmine being raped by the captain of the ship, a black people called Half Face. Jasmine killed him brutally. This action was not her decision or conscious choice. It was her fury emotions.
Landed on Florida, met a kind person, Lilian Gordon. Jasmine went to professor Vedhara’s house in New York. Devinder Vedhara was the name of the professor, in New York his name was changed into Dave Vedhara. It sounds like David O’Hara. It might be cross cultural, this Indian man was not so proud with his Indian name.
Jasmine left the Vedhara’s family, Lilian Gordon’s daughter, Kate Gordon. Kate introduced Jasmine to Taylor and Wylie Hayes, a marriage couple. Jasmine helped Taylor’s family by took care their child, Duff. Duff was an adapted child. Jasmine lived with them and slept in one room with Duff. For Jasmine, it was exaggerated and amazing, a maid slept with the house owner’s daughter. For Taylor and Wylie, it was a sorry because could not give a room to their maid. In addition, they called Jasmine “caregiver”. This is a cultural differentiation. When in India a maid is a employee and the house owner is a boss, in New York a maid and the house owner interact and ignore their status. Taylor loved Jasmine so much, more than love between friends.
From New York to Iowa, lived with Bud Ripplemeyer. Bud was a widower. Jasmine changed into Jane Reipplemeyer. They had an adopted child, named Du Thien. He was originated from Vietnam. Du was seventeen years old.
By the time, Taylor tried to find Jasmine. Taylor caught his missing love. Wylie left Taylor for another guy. In America it was not a big problem a married woman left her husband for another guy. The woman has power in the family more than the power of mother role because the woman is working too. It is different in India or another Asia country where the women do not work or just stay at home to take care their children.
From Hasnapur to Jullundhar, from Jyoti to Jasmine, she had Prakash. From New York to Iowa, from Jasmine to Jane, she had Bud Ripplemeyer and Taylor. And the bad man on the trip to America, the Half Face. Jyoti , Jasmine, Jane, and Jase seemed the represent of Eastern to the Western in colonial era. She was exotic, seductive, and mystical that there were many men attracted by her.
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