Tuesday, 28 March: Indian & Pakistani American Literature Chitra Divakaruni, “Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs” (70-83); Tahira Naqvi, “Thank God for the Jews” (IA 229-236); Bharati Mukherjee, “A Wife’s Story” (IA 57-69); Bharati Mukherjee, “Love Me or Leave Me” [handout]

·        Text-objective discussion leader: Marina Collier

South Asian, Indian and Pakistani American Literature

            The two texts that I would like to discuss are “Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs” by Chitra Divakaruni and “A Wife’s Story” by Bharati Mukherjee.  The first story in our text was very intriguing.  I gained somewhat of an insight of this young girl just by reading the story and looking on the faces of Indian women around campus as well as the city.  This young girl came to America to have the opportunity to attend college.  She left behind a prosperous life in Calcutta to come to America.  She moved in with her Aunt and Uncle who she had been told owned a nice car business. As it turned out, they were not living the American Dream.  Their business had been vandalized and they had fallen on hard times.  The American Dream of becoming a millionaire was not as easy as it seemed.  Aunt Pratima and Uncle Bikram had an arranged marriage and left their home country to find prosperity in America. It seemed that what they did find was poverty and Budweiser beer. When their niece came to stay the summer with them before entering college she learned of the abuse that sometimes comes with these types of arranged marriages.  The young girl knew that she wanted more for herself.  She wanted to know that she would be able to fulfill a relationship with a prince from a far-off land. 

            In the second story in our text, “A Wife’s Story”, the Indian woman has come to America for an education as well.  Except she is already married and she leaves her husband behind to fulfill her dream of becoming a Doctor in Special Education.  After sometime apart her husband realizes he misses her and wants to come to America for a visit and perhaps an opportunity to retrieve his wife. In this story the wife is somewhat Americanized and is in control. The husband is at her mercy in finding places and things in America. This is a complete role reversal.  He enjoys his visit in America as well as the cuisine in America but learns a different role.  Things are not the same as they were in Bombay.  In the end, he wants his wife to return with him to their home country.  His wife’s desire is to finish her schooling and become a Doctor.  He respects her wishes and together they form a different relationship.  One of equal respect and love, she wants to be with him physically and they make a connection intimately as equal counter parts--husband and wife.  Not one of ownership as in their country of arranged marriages. 

Questions: 

How do you feel about arranged marriages?

Do you feel they can be successful?

Do you think that the younger South-Asian girls of today would agree to arranged marriages?

How do you think the role changes in “A Wife’s Story” made the husband feel? 

Do you think this made him have more respect for his wife, perhaps because she was independent?