Cultural Analysis of Salman Rushdie's . Mecir and Mary become fond of one another and resort to forms of non- verbal communication in order to convey their feelings for one another. Like Mary, Mecir also speaks in broken English and appears to be extremely accommodating to others in order to avoid confrontation and not to attract problems. One ominous form of universal communication for Mecir is the game of chess. By teaching Mary how to play, Mecir was able to solidify his bond with Mary. The strategy he used, the (Nimzo- Indian Defense), is a chess opening move utilized on the master levels of chess. This alluded to the fact that despite all appearances, Mecir possessed a high intellect coupled with intense humility—something that Rushdie, at a very young age, couldn’t quite grasp because of his immaturity. Mary was able to grasp the concept of the game quickly because she saw it as a harmless endeavor and wasn’t intimidated or awed by it as Rushdie was. Mecir and Mary’s personalities appear to be forged as the direct result of their upbringing, which may have consisted of poverty, lack of privilege, classism and racism.
Rushdie, having privilege, was unable to see the worth in these old people, so he made fun of them and gave them funny nicknames. After a severe beating from the both of them in the game of chess, he found out that Mecir was a published Grand Master and Mary, despite her caste (thusly, her education), was able to quickly grasp the concept of chess on a master level and beat Rushdie, a skilled player. Before head.’(Rushdie 1. This passage gives way to the universal understanding that elders, no matter what their class or distinction, deserve the utmost respect—if not for anything else, at least for their wisdom. By the text, one can assume that in India, elders are shown respect regardless of their caste. Mary also alludes to this fact when she explains how she is able to deal with his father during his difficult, drunken dispositions when no one else can. She said it was because she was nine years his senior, she could tell him to show due respect. Unlike the nicknaming and the acceptance of pop culture for the sake of fitting in, the need to connect to the “old country” reflects a desire to be accepted as who one is. The immigrant doesn’t want to lose touch with who they are and where they come from. In Indian culture, Mary would be considered the “help” or a servant. This denotes a lower caste. Instead of sleeping with the family, she sleeps on a mat outside in the hallway. However, she is highly regarded as part of the family in that she is seen affectionately as a “grandmotherly” figure or ayah. The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary. A product of both worlds, Rushdie builds a safe passage over the seemingly unbridgeable with generous insight. East, West: Stories Salman Rushdie Limited preview - 2014. Amlethus asked Atta Auctioneers Beatle began Bombay called caravan Certainly-Mary Chekov Chekov and Zulu chess Columbus courter. Following Ayatollah Khomeini's 14 February 1989 death fatwa against author Sir Salman Rushdie, Yusuf Islam, previously known as Cat Stevens, made statements that were interpreted as endorsing the killing of Rushdie. In this respect, the family holds on to some of the cultural morays of their homeland. The father also displays some personal dissatisfaction with his life in London. According to Rushdie, his father (Abba), initially, was always in a bad disposition, drank heavily and isolated himself from his family. The fact that this man was “an old India hand” denotes that he may have served in the military there under British rule. The nicknames that Rushdie gave him (Suffolk of Field Marshal Sir Charles Lutwidge- Dodgson and “The Dodo”) carry various meanings. Field Marshal denotes military rank. Sir Charles Lutwidge- Dodgson was the writer of Alice in Wonderland in which The Dodo was a character. The Dodo could mean “prince” or an awkward bird. Either way, this was one of Rushdie’s many disrespectful nicknames for the adults around him that was a clear reflection of their character. The Dodo, according to Rushdie, appeared to be awkward in his British surroundings. Rushdie described the man’s situation as “hell” because he “didn’t fit” in his own surroundings. Personal Identities Amid the Melee. Right before the family’s exodus, it seems that the decadence of Western society is having a damaging effect on the family unit and its solid foundation. Rushdie’s sister becomes violent towards her family members, her father in particular. Mecir is mercilessly attacked by dangerous hoods looking for other tenants. Certainly- Mary and Amma, Rushdie’s mother, are accosted by the same dangerous hoods described as looking like the Beatles with their mop top haircuts. The hoods in both cases represent the racist attitudes of the dominant culture towards minorities in their land. In the latter case, especially, the hoods see the two Indian women as the same as all the rest. They may envision them as exotic because of their dark skin, alien culture and gender. Because of the actions of a few, these two decent women are herded in with all the rest and treated accordingly. We are decent ladies; fleas.’ The second Beatle had taken out something from an inside pocket. A blade caught the light. Why don’t you fucking fuck off to fucking Wogistan? Fuck your fucking wog arses. Now then,’ he added in a quiet voice, holding up the knife, . She doesn’t see that in Western culture, so she must leave Mecir and return to India. The family tried to cheer her up by “play acting” like they were happy and enjoying the new culture they were within, but even the family wasn’t truly happy trying to buy into something they weren’t native to. In the end, everyone followed their personal happiness—the father and the family move to Pakistan and Rushdie stays in London and experiences the freedom he so desires- -to make choices on his own, independent of his father and at the risk of losing touch with himself—his soul. You aren’t listening to his voice speaking through your mouth, you don’t see how your gestures already mirror his; you don’t see him in the way you hold your body, in the way you sign your name. You don’t hear his whisper in your blood. As an African- American woman and lesbian, I can understand the need to be acceptable to a larger, more dominant society, all the while white- knuckling my individuality—my authenticity. Like Rushdie and his siblings, I learned early on the art of code- switching on many levels. However, when the doors are shut and the lights are off, one has to concede to their innermost self who they really are and what truly makes them happy. If that person is wise, like Rushdie and Certainly- Mary, they will make the hard choices and follow their bliss. This, in turn, would ease the schizophrenic insanity that comes with social and racial oppression and would be a catalyst in the quest for true personal and spiritual advancement. Works Cited. Brizee, Allen and J. Post- Colonial Criticism (1. Present). Retrieved from https: //owl. Charters, Ann. The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. Copyright 2. 01. 1 by Bedford/St. Martin’s; Boston/New York. Hanggi, Kathleen. Salman Rushdie Biography. Copyright August 2. Retrieved from http: //postcolonialstudies.
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