Week 5
Julia
mike.ing17
Michael Ing
Reference Researcher
POST 1
1. Kara (pg. 573)-A steel or iron band worn around the wrist of an Amritdhari Sikh, and is thought of as an unbreakable bond to the Guru. It is worn by Maneck's taxi driver, who want to hide it to protect himself. http://sikhism.about.com/od/glossary/g/Kara.htm
2. Sherpa (pg. 578)-Expert mountaineers, especially among the Himalayas, and used even today as guides in tough regions. Maneck's father, once cremated, wanted his ashes strewn everywhere, and suggested that Maneck and his mother hire a Sherpa to help. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherpa_people
3. Sari (pg. 583)-A strip of cloth that is unstitched, up to 9 yards long, and is worn by women, draped around the body. Avinash's sisters used these to tie knots and commit suicide. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sari
4. Darshan (pg. 591)-In Sanskrit, this term means "sight", and often means the sight or vision from a great deity or saintly person. People can receive Darshan or blessings from a great person, as Rajaram was trying to do with his new personage Bal Baba. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darśana
5. Paisa (pg. 603)-The monetary subunit in India, with 100 paise in a rupee. They are worth about 1/75 of a penny each, and these are what Ishvar and Om are now begging for on the streets. http://www.150currency.com/convert-INR-USD.htm
achangj
The chapter begins when Maneck returns home from Dubai after eight years to attend his father's funeral. After stepping out from the airport, Maneck struggles to find a taxi driver who will drive him to his home in the mountains. Maneck does not know why he cannot find a taxi driver. After several unsuccessful tries, Maneck offers one taxi driver double the rate if he drives him. He agrees. On the taxi ride, the driver explains to Maneck why there has been rioting in the country between the Hindus and the Sikhs. They also talk about politics. Toward the end of the journey, the taxi driver reveals to Maneck that he is a Sikh, and is unable to take off his kara. When Maneck returns home, he reunites with his mother. Aban Kohlah begins to cry on site of Maneck's arrival, commenting on his appearance and why he had left for so long. Maneck is rather cold toward his mother, refusing to talk about his life in Dubai. Aban Kohlah convinces Maneck to visit his relatives while he is still in town. At night, Maneck relives his childhood through his dreams. The morning after the cremation, Maneck and his mother set off with the wooden bow to scatter his father's ashes on the mountainside where he requested to be scattered. While on the mountain, Mrs. Kohlah trips and falls, injuring herself. At home, Maneck prepares food for his injured mother, then reacts angrily saying that "You sent me away, you and Daddy. And then I couldn't come back. You lost me, and I lost-everything." Later that night, Maneck goes to the store, where he finds old newspapers in the cellar. There, he reads one, serendipitously finding one newspaper that writes about Avinash's family, specifically Avinash's sisters committing suicide. Afterwards, Maneck decides to take a rain-soaked walk. The next day, Maneck decides to listen to his mother and visit his relatives in the city. After spending the afternoon with his relatives in the city, Maneck sets off to find Dina. Before he arrives at Dina's house, he finds Rajaram in a new fortune telling business, withe Mr. Valmik sitting outside the building. When he finally reaches Dina's house, Maneck finds out that Ishvar and Om are now beggars, and that she has lost her apartment. Saying he cannot stay for long, Maneck leaves Nusswan's house with Avinash's chess set in tow. Seeing the two beggars on the street, they recognize him, but Maneck says nothing. Next, Maneck goes to the Vishram Vegetarian hotel. There, he orders two coffees. When he leaves, he goes to the train station, where he jumps off the waiting area onto the train tracks, leaving his depressing life behind. The book concludes with Om and Ishvar consuming chapatis at Dina's house and Dina reminiscing the good times before Maneck left for Dubai.
Julia
1. Why do you think Maneck is so mad at his mother? Why do you think he is unable to let go of the past after all these years?
2. Why do you think Rohinton Mistery would characterize Maneck's actions as similar to his father's in the epilogue?
3. An almost instant transformation occurred after Maneck read the article about the death of Avinash and his three sister. Why do you think Maneck killed himself? Could it have been the new paper? When do you think Maneck offically decided to commit suicide?
4. The character Rajaram is reported to go to the Himalayans to meditate and return with magical, spiritual powers. What are your opinions towards Rajaram's fate, especially in comparison with the other characters?
5. After hearing what happened to Om and Ishvar, Maneck decided to not meet or talk to them. Why do you think Maneck behaved the way he did?
6. The story ended in an very interesting way. Did you like the way author finished off the story? After digesting the events in epilogue, do you think the events are completely unpredictable or expected?
stephie1296
Passage picker
Pg. 570
"'Dont you know? People are being beaten and butchered and burnt alive.'"
Do you think that the driver is exaggerating, or do you think that this is a true representation of reality?
Pg. 590
"Maneck felt suddenly oppressed in the house, exhausted by the visit. He thought he would collapse if he spent any more time with his relatives. He rose and held out his hand."
What pushes him over the edge of tolerating his relatives? Is It the fawning and pestering, or the re surfacing thoughts of his fathers death?
Pg. 601
"Maneck's last thought was that he still had Avinash's chessmen."
What importance does the reference back to Avinash have? Does this reference reveal any more about his own situation compare to Avinash's?
Pg. 602
"'We saw him passing half an hour ago. We knew him in spite of his beard,' said Ishvar."
How did you feel when you realized that Maneck and Ishvar and Om all recognized each other but then pretended not to? What does this say about the a person's perception of the changes in another person as opposed to his or her own?