Week 1

[Julia kang]

For the Week of 4/15/2013

[stephie1296]

Passage Picker: Stephanie Seo

1. Prologue-Pg 5
1. "'Why does everybody have to choose the railway tracks only for dying?' grumbled another. 'No consideration for people like us. Murder, suicide, Naxalite-terrorist killing, police-custody death- everything ends up delaying the trains. What is wrong with poison or tall buildings or knives?'"
2. What is the significance of the fact that this man on the train shows no emotion at all for the unfortunate man who just committed suicide? What could be the reason for this kind of apathy?
2. Ch. 1- Pg 34
1. "Dina was happier meeting him without the bicycle. She felt he should give it up altogether, it was too dangerous in the city traffic.
2. How could this passage be foreshadowing what happens in the future?
3. Ch. 1- Pg 63
1. "'You know, ma-ji, once we had a bag of wheat in the storage room. Someone had murdered the owner to steal it. There were bloodstains on the jute sacking. By the time the case came to court, the rats had chewed through it and eaten up most of the wheat. Judge dismissed the case for lack of evidence.' He laughed carefully as he finished the story, hoping she would see the funny side of it"
2. Why is he joking about something so grim and serious? What allows him to make jokes about these kinds of situations?
4. Ch 1- Pg 65
1. "'Who wants to deal with union goondas if it can be avoided? especially these days, with so much trouble in the country. and leaders like that Jay Prakash Narayan encouraging civil disobedience. Simply at all creating problems. Thinks he is Mahatma Gandhi the Second.'"
2. What does this opinion say about Mrs. Gupta?
5. Ch 1- Pg 68
1. "Then he brightened suddenly. 'The thing is, you have come to the right place. I have two wonderful tailors for you. I will send them tomorrow.' 'Really?' she asked, skeptical about the change of heart. 'Oh yes, two beautiful tailors, or my name is not Nawaz. The thing is, they don't have their own shop, they go out and work. But they are very skilled. You will be so happy with them.'"
2. What caused his sudden change of heart? Could he be hiding something?

[Julia]

Discussion Director: 

1. The prologue does not start from the beginning, but rather from a point where we will come across, further in the book. What do you think is the significance of how the prologue is written?
2. There are many times where Nusswan expresses aggression towards Dina, but there are also a few times where he expresses love. What do you perceive as the real Nusswan? and, ultimately, what are his intentions for the way he acts?
3. How is the way that Dina is treated, reflect the role of women in society?
4. Dina goes against Nusswan’s will and marries Rustom. Ironically, Rustom dies shortly after their wedding. Do you think this is Karma for going against Nusswan? Should Dina have married one of Nusswam’s friends?
5. As mentioned in the book, Dina seems to be in the same situation as her mother, widowed. Will Dina also fall into a depression, lose her memory or be unable to perform everyday tasks? Why or why not?
6. Throughout the book, Dina seems to differ from all the other women. She is defiant, headstrong, and knows what she wants/needs. Will these traits help her further in her life, or will it only cause her trouble?

[stephie1296]

Passage Picker: Stephanie Seo

1. Ch 2- Pg 82
1. "And what do we have? A stinking shack in the slum. We'll never collect enough to go back to our village."
2. What may have caused them to leave the village? Why do they want to go back?
2. Ch 3- Pg 115
1. "He observed bitterly that at least his Muslim friend treated him better than his Hindu brothers."
2. Why does Ashraf treat Dukhi better than the other Hindu men do?
3. Ch 3- Pg 148
1. "For the next two days, Ashraf kept the shop closed, crushed by the helplessness he felt- what words were there for such a loss, and for an injustice so immense? The best they could do was weep with them. On the third day, Ishvar asked him to open up the shop, and they began sewing again."
2. How do you feel about how Ishvar asked to open the shop again so soon? What importance do you think sewing holds for them?

[Julia]

Discussion Director:

1. Why do you think the author decided to focus on a different character's story for each chapter? Do you think this is an effective way of writing?
2. What were Mrs. Gupta's views regarding the Prime minister? And what does the political situation in the book tell us about society?
3. How does Dina's relationship with Ishvar and Om reflect the caste system in India?
4. How is Ibrahim's character towards Dina different than the character depicted by the author prior to his encounter with Dina?
5. The children are stripped of their childhood due to the caste system. Do you see any future dangers/benefits if the children are continued to be raised this way?
6. What does Narayan try to do at the elections? What can we gather about society from his actions?

[achangj]

  The novel begins with the author introducing Maneck Kohlah, Ishvar Darji, and Omprakash Darji Ishvar and Omprakash are looking for work in a sewing factory, while Kohlah is looking for a place to stay. The first pertains to Dina Dalal's life, the woman who employs the Darjis. Dina led a easy childhood life as the daughter of a hard working doctor. Dina's father, Dr. Schroff, never indulged in any fun, other than his profession. One day, while off treating the sick in a village away from home, Dr. Schroff gets bitten by a cobra. The bite ends up being a fatal. With his death, Nusswan, the eldest son in the Schoff family, takes over the duty of raising his sister Dina, and their increasingly delusional mother. Dina's mother loses her sanity following her husband's death. At first, Dina's mother would cooperate when given formal rules to abide by, however, Mrs, Schoff ends up in a vegetative state, incapable of free thought or self care. Like her late husband, Mrs. Schoff dies soon after her husbands death. The new head of the family, Nusswan makes very reasonable demands at first, requesting that all take ownership over chores. However, he becomes increasingly hostile, especially toward Dina. In particular, he does not allow Dina to talk with her friends, to cut her hair, or have a say in her clothing choices. Nusswan even lashes out at his sister on multiple occasions.The arguments between Dina and her brother culminate with Nusswan threatening to pull Dina out of school.Soon, Nusswan marries his wife, Ruby, and they have two children, Xerxes and Zarir. With Ruby in the family, Dina finds that her sole enjoyment in life is at the library, listening to the likes of Brahms, Mozart, and Schumann, than at home with the hostile Nusswan and his wife. Not long after, Dina begins to find solace attending free concerts in and around the town. After the first few concerts, she begins to recognize the same familiar faces at the concerts, such as Rustom Dalal, After their first conversation, Rustom and Dina recognize their mutual chemistry, and begin their relationship. While she meets Rustom, Nusswan begins to bring eligible bachelors to meet his sister in hopes of finding her a suitable partner. None of Nusswan's choices appeal to Dina. Soon, Dina and Nusswan get married. Nusswan throws a lavish party, After the party, Dina and her new husband go off to his apartment. Dina and Rustom's relationship continues for several years, meshing in harmony with Nusswan also. On the young couple's third anniversary, they invite Nusswan, Ruby, and their children to their house. There, the children ask for ice cream. While getting the ice cream, Rustom is run over by a car, killed immediately.
  Thus, the funeral plans are set. Rustom's aunt and uncle attend the funeral, as does Dina and Nusswan. Following the funeral, Dina moves back to her brother's place, in an effort to not live alone. Increasingly, Dina feels lonely at the loss of her husband, imagining that he is still with her, Soon, Nusswan begins to bring back the bachelors, in hopes of his sister remarrying, Following an argument with his brother about remarrying, Dina decides to move back to the edifice she once inhabited with her late husband. She also consults with Shirin Aunty and Darab Uncle about finding a job. Shiin Aunty quickly takes Dina under her wing, helping her learn how to sew. She also provides interesting profiles on her clients. Soon, Shirin Aunty passes away, followed by Darab Uncle a few months later. Dina is more alone than ever. After working independently as a textile maker for several years, Dina consults with Zenobia, her hairdresser friend from her childhood, who gives Dina a job from one of her clients, Mrs. Gupta. Mrs. Gupta is an export manager who offers Dina a job, provided she finds two tailors. Not long after the job offer, Dina goes on a long escapade, trying to find two tailors, eventually bringing her face to face with Omprakash and Ishvar Darji.


 1. If your spouse were to die in a sudden accident (like that of Rustom Dalal), would you have taken the news as calmly as Dina?
 2. Have you ever been in a situation like Omprakash and Ishvar, entering into a big new city, trying to make a name for yourself?
 3. Can you imagine yourself in Dina's situation after her father's death, forced to deal with an abusive brother and a vegetative mother?

[achangj]

Summarizer/Synthesizer: Albert Chang:Post#2
Chapter Two begins with the two textile workers Om and Ishvar getting to work. At first, they work very diligently, finishing their work at a very fast pace. however, as time passes, their speed diminishes. Furthermore, Om in particular becomes very critical of their work. He hates the fact that they are being used by Dina for work, because she is the middle person. Moreover, Om wants to know who the company they are working for is, however Dina outsmarts them by ripping off any traces of the Au Revoir Exports logo. One day, when Dina is delivering the finished goods, she locks the two workers in with a lock, While Dina is gone, Ishvar and Om indulge in their bidis, and relax on the sofa, only interrupted when the landlord comes knocking, and threatens to kick her out of the apartment for running a business. When Dina returns from her delivery, she reminds herself that she must be more firm with her workers, as she serves them tea.
  The following chapter describes the life of how Om and Ishvar came to be. At first their was only Ishvar and his brother Narayan. Both Ishvar and Narayan are of the Chamaar caste. The Chamaar caste is very lowly. The Chamaars skinned were leather tanners. Ishvar and Narayan's father is Dukhi Mochi. Mochi married a Chamaar girl named Roopa. Dukhi performed small jobs each day for others, usually for those of the highter castes. In particular, for the Thakur. The Thakur abused the Dukhi, once whipping him mercilessly for falling asleep on the job. Another, for accusing him of breaking his mortar. Soon, Dukhi was out of work, forcing him to take up the job of fixing shoes. Not only was life bad for Dukhi, it was also bad for his children. One day, Narayan and Ishvar entered into an empty schoolroom when the students were outside, and drew on the slates. When the teacher came in, he slapped the two children until he got tired, culminating in a beatdown with a cane. That night, Dukhi went to Pandit Lalluram, a respected spiritual figure in society for guidance. Lalluram told Dukhi that he and his children were of an inferior caste and deserved the punishments that came their way. Not long after, Dukhi sent his children to live with Ashraf, a muslim tailor, to learn his trade. At first the children were homesick, especially Narayan who cried. However, the two soon got over it. Over the next couple of years, Narayan and his brother would return home to visit once every three months. On their first visit, the two boys took measurements of their father. On the subsequent visit, the boys brought home tailored clothing for their parents. As the children got older, the Hindu extremists rose to power. Since Ashraf and his family were Muslim, they feared their lives. Narayan even suggested that the name to Ashraf's store be changed to Krishna Tailors. When the mob of Hindu extremists came, Ashraf and his family hid upstairs, and the two brothers stood their ground against the angry mob, asserting that there were not any Muslims in the building. It worked. The mob soon dispersed. Soon after this incident, Narayan returned back home to his village to start his own shop. There, he was surprised to find his mother disrespecting those of lower castes. Furthermore, Narayan soon got married to a woman name Radha. The son born from Radha and Narayan was Omprakash. he followed his father around, and was later forced to set up join into the caste occupation of tanning. On election day, Narayan, the audacious man that he was, asked to receive a ballot. When Thakur came over, he ordered Narayan and two other dissidents to be captured and taken to his estate. There, they were all killed, later joined by Narayan's entire family, who all burned in a fire. Omprakash and Ishvar escape the conflagration because they were at Ashraf's place. Next, Om and his uncle went to the city to one of Ashraf's friends house to look for work. The friend, Nawaz, was not friendly toward them. He wanted to get rid of them at every opportunity. One day, when a woman came to look for two tailors, he suggested that Ishvar and Om go work for her. They did. Next order of business, Nawaz found the two an adequate house. That is how Om and Ishvar became acquainted with Dina

Can you imagine being consigned to live in the Chamaar caste?
How would you react to your whole family dying at the hands of the Thakur?
Have you ever been in a situation like that of the Darji family, unable to overcome societal roles?