Lifetimes ago, under a banyan tree in the village of Hasnapur, an astrologer cupped his ears- his satellite dish to the stars- and foretold my widowhood and exile.
Jasmine is the st
ory of an Indian girl who is widowed at 17 and comes to America on a mission to find her identity. Jyothi, a young village girl, is married to Prakash, a forward-thinking city-dweller, who renames her ‘Jasmine’. When her husband is killed by Sikh terrorists, Jasmine ventures to America on her own to accomplish her husband’s dream and escape the typical fate of a widow. She has to deal with a difficult journey, rape, and murder before she finally ends up in NYC. As a day nanny for a young couple, she becomes ‘Jase’, the confident and happy caretaker. But a sudden appearance from her past forces Jasmine to relocate, this time to Iowa. There she becomes ‘Jane Ripplemeyer’, her assimilation almost fully complete.
The only thing I don’t like about this book is that it feeds common misconceptions about India and immigrants in general. Like the villagers having backward customs and misogynistic views that make them hate the fact that they have daughters. I mean, I know it is like that in some parts, but it is so easy to read a book like this and think that such descriptions apply to all parts of India. And the idea that in order to fit in, an immigrant needs to abandon their past. Even though I know her writing is fueled by her own experiences as an immigrant, I really don’t agree with Mukherjee’s idea of assimilation or fusion or whatever she calls it. There’s so much culture lost even from one generation to another (like from my immigrant parents to me) that I think even if the easier or preferred route is to conform, you should do whatever it takes to retain the other culture inside of you. After all, it’s the past that makes you who you are. Even with Jasmine’s multiple rebirths, I think she finds it difficult to let go of her former self; forgetting your past, traumatic or not, is never easy. But maybe I’m just overanalyzing the author’s intentions 
.
Overall though, this is a pretty good read. It has a fast pace, a gripping plot, and a unique writing style. The use of different names for the main character effectively portray her rebirths and her changing self. The circular narrative structure works really well since you start out wondering why the hell Jasmine is called ‘Jane’ and lives in a farm town, and by the end, you are left with a satisfying (if somewhat abrupt) ending. Jasmine is a fascinating character, a survivor of horrors I can’t even begin to imagine. With her strength and independence, she is able to take charge of her life and find what she is looking for. And that, I think, is something everyone can get out of this book.
No comments:
Post a Comment