Week 4
Julia
Julia
Julia Kang
Passage Picker-Post 1
“Ingratitude is not uncommon in the world. One day, you too will forget me-all of you. When you go your own way and settle down, you will not know me.” (455)
Do you think Dina’s prediction is true? How has the tailors and Maneck affected Dina’s life? How would Dina’s life be different if they were to eventually leave her?
“But it he is renouncing the world, why does he need train fare? He can get there on foot, begging his way like other sadhus.” (476)
Rajaram’s actions are extremely suspicious. What do you think he is actually up to? Will Om and Ishvar continue to give him money when he is in need of it?
“So that’s the rule to remember, the whole quilt is much more important than any single square.” (480)
How does this relate to India as a whole? Do you think the characters view their lives in this manner? Should they?
“Then she thought of Om’s wife again. Surely her youth and vitality could use a healthy lot of it. Better save it for now, she thought, happily pushing the shreds back onto the shelf.” (501)
Dina is constantly picturing Om’s future wife in a positive light. Do you think Om’s wife will live up to Dina’s hopes?
mike.ing17
Discussion Director
POST 1
Compare and contrast the customs of marriage between the four people living in Dina's flat. Why does Ishvar feel the way he does, and why are Maneck and Dina so different? What part of their past influences them?
Were you surprised that Rajaram returned and did in fact commit those crimes? And his future, is that a believable idea or just another scheme? How else will he play out in this story?
Do you think the marriage will turn out well for Om? He has a good opportunity, but will it be ruined by the suddenness of the viewings or his attitude towards marriage? And how will it affect their life in the flat? In a positive manner as Ishvar says?
Dina's quilt seems to represent the story thus far. Do you think she will continue to make it, as Maneck wanted, allowing the story to continue? Or will she be forced to stop or choose to stop, possibly foreshadowing for the proximity if the end?
Two very sad deaths take place in this section. Do you think Mistry did this for a reason? Is he trying to suddenly make everything go bad, or perhaps are the two deaths related? What is his reasoning for the sudden news? (Avinash and Shankar)
What are your thoughts on cremation? According to Beggarmaster, it is a pure way to die and be sent off into the next world reborn, with fire as a symbol of rebirth. Do you agree with this tradition, or do you think another method is more suitable?
POST 2
The ready-made shop has a lot of items, yet Om and Ishvar quickly notice the poor make and design. It seems as though quantity is preferred over quantity. Is there a similar situation in our society? Do you prefer quality or quantity?
Although the forced sterilization is criminal, is it effective or efficient? With overpopulation looming over the country, do you think the government has to/should resort to such methods? What else can be done?
What is Mistry trying to say with the student hardship, among all the characters? Is he making a statement about the government of India, or high-ranking officials and corruption? Or is he agreeing with Maneck, that everything will eventually end badly?
Does Beggarmaster really deserve the death he received? Ibrahim thinks he does, saying he has done some questionable things in his life, but on the whole do you believe that he is good? Or is an inherently bad person?
Mr. Valmik tells Dina that life is defined by a chain of accidents strung together. Do you agree with this statement? Is our life dictated by chance events that occur out of our power? Or do we have more of a limited control over our own lives?
Dina seems to have lost her edge, her stubborn spark. Do you think it is gone for good? And if so, why has she lost it? Has the hardship finally overwhelmed her? Is it because she feels abandoned, or has old age become a factor? Or is she possibly forced to, in order to make peace with Nusswan?
Julia
Julia Kang
Passage Picker – Post 2
“Om tugged at the rope, and the castors jolted over the earth of the graveyard. How light is my uncle, he thought, light as a baby, pulling him is no strain at all.” (533)
Is there a role reverse here? How will Om and Ishvar’s lives be different will Ishvar’s new disability?
“By the time it reached the hill-stations, he would have left for the Gulf. Better to save it till he visited next year, as he had written. Dina liked this idea, and tucked away the set among her own clothes in the sewing room.” (541)
It seems as if Dina cannot let go if Maneck. Why do you think this is? Do you think it is bad or good that Dina is optimistic about Maneck possible return?
“Zenobia was right, it was foolish to trust their type of people. They had used her, and discarded her.” (542)
Does Dina deserve an explanation of the true situation? Will Om and Ishvar ever cross paths with Dina?
“Because Beggarmaster’s luck was not with him that day.” (545)
Do you think there are specific reasons as to why the Beggarmaster’s luck was not with him? Did he deserve to die?
Do you agree with this statement? What would be categorized as the “hope” in the book? What would be categorized as the “despair”?
stephie1296
Stephanie Seo-summarizer/synthesizer
Chapter 13:
The chapter starts off with a visit from the kittens who Dina, Om, Ishvar, and Maneck had taken care of a while before. However, it did not bring as much joy as expected, for the kittens just snatched up the food and ran away to enjoy it by themselves. Ishvar’s intent on finding Om a wife swells tremendously, and he won’t stop bothering Om about it. Even with Maneck’s news that he will remain in college to finish his degree, Ishvar continues to worry until it even starts to affect his work. It gets to the point where he brings it up at every opportunity, although Dina gently discourages him. He ultimately arrives at the conclusion that the best way to find a suitable wife for Om is to write to Ashraf to ask about any young women available in the village. He is overjoyed when he receives word that there are not only one, but four interested women. But when Dina tells him to refuse the offers, for the fear of being too rushed, he raises his voice for the first time and bursts out in tears. Afterwards, Dina graciously agrees to house Om’s future wife. Dina also diagnoses Om’s skinniness with tapeworms, giving him the medicine which finally makes him defecate the worms. They get another visitor, Rajaram, who tells them that he has returned to the hair-collecting business. He also mentions that he has “accidentally” murdered beggars for their hair. He tells them that he wants to become a monk and asks for some money, which he is not satisfied with. The chapter ends with him ungratefully walking away.
Chapter 14:
Dina is cleaning up the remains of Mrs. Gupta’s completed project and starts working on her own quilt. This spawns the rest of the residents to talk about the different pieces of cloth and how they correlate with pieces of their lives. Later, Om and Ishvar go back to the village for Om’s future wife while Maneck and Dina keep each other company at home. Maneck visits Shankar, the “worm,” who gets a haircut from Rajaram, the personal barber of the beggarmaster. When Rajaram tells Shankar that he cannot graft hair to his own head, Shankar makes a big fuss that draws a large crowd. Frightened, Shankar speeds away, only to be careless and run into an intersection, which kills him. Meanwhile, Maneck visits Avinash’s place to return the chess set, only to be met by his parents who tell him of their son’s death. Devasted, he even forgets to return the set. Afterwards, Beggarmaster comes to Dina’s flat to inform them about Shankar’s death, which upsets Maneck especially. Beggarmaster insists that they join him at the funeral march. At the march, Nusswan shows up, incredulous at the huge procession for just a beggar; he does not accept Dina’s offer to join in. Maneck also visits the Sodwalla family, which pleases Dina, before he leaves. Alone again, Dina makes adjustments for the arrival of Om and his wife by creating a separate section of the verandah.
1. Why is Ishvar so intent in finding Om a wife? Do you think that there is more to his irrationality than just traditions?
2. How did you feel about Shankar’s death? What message does his death carry about the nature of death in such a setting?
stephie1296
Chapter 15:
When Om and Ishvar arrive at their village, they are greeted warmly by Ashraf, who seems old and frail. He tells them that he has been waiting at the train station everyday awaiting their return. He also tells them that his wife Mumtaz had been dead for months. Ashraf also insists on buying them both shirts, after he invites them into his home. Om brings up painful memories by asking about Thakur, who killed his family. He and Ishvar boil with rage when they hear that he has grown even more powerful, at the head of Family Planning. Ishvar concluded that he does not want to ruin the joyful visit further, and they all head out to the market to get the shirts. They come back the next day, where Om spots Thakur and spits at him. His only reply is an ominous “I know who you are.” They are soon recognized at the market, and are greeted with a warm welcome as well as plenty of questions about the big city. But as they are walking home, the police show up and arrest all three. One of the constables hits Ashraf over the head, who falls down. Om and Ishvar are taken to the vasectomy camp, where Thakur recognizes Om and has him castrated, blaming testicular cancer. After they are released, they learn that the police had killed Ashraf. Ishvar’s legs start to sell due to blood poisoning, which leaves him no choice but to have them amputated. He is given a platform to roll around on, much like Shankar.
Chapter 16:
Oblivious to the troubles which befell her tailors, Dina is continuing about her business. She is visited by Zenobia, who tries to persuade her to let the tailors go, who have taken over her house and business. Dina refuses to listen to any of it. Maneck visits his parents, but his disappointing failing grades on his final examinations make his parents force him to take a job in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, her tailors have still not returned, so Dina must make up excuses and new theories of why they are not here yet. Dina gets another visitor, the bedraggled monkey man, who asks about the whereabouts of beggarmaster. Dina tells him that the beggar master will be back Thursday, but word reaches her soon that the monkey man has killed the beggarmaster. Ibrahim also visits her and informed her that she is about to be evicted from her flat. She does find some legal help, but it is too late and she is evicted by Sergeant Kesar and his hired thugs, or goondas. The officer respects her and her property, however. Without any other choice, Dina resorts to moving back with Nusswan, who is angry at first. However, Nusswan reveals his truthful joy at her return later.
1. How have Om’s attitude and actions affected his situations? How have they influenced the position he is currently in?
2. How would you have coped with life is you were in Ishvar’s position, unjustly disabled without any consent to what was done to his own body?
achangj
POST 1
1.Chikna (Page 461) - A slang term that describes a person of light colored skin, or with little facial hair. In the book, Maneck describes Om's hairstyle as "chikna". He means that Om's hairstyle is free of excessive facial hair.
http://samosapedia.com/e/Chikni,+Chikna
2. Mathadi (Page 472) - A group of Hindi people who make up the working class. They are most known for being victimized in the Bombay Riots of December 6th 1992, when several Mathadi workers were killed. Rajaram describes how he noticed the Mathadis at the ship docks applauding his efforts to steal hair from unsuspecting wealthy people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Riots
3.Sadhu (Page 476) - A sadhu is a wandering monk who gives up all pleasures in life. In the book, Rajaram tells Om and Ishvar that he is becoming an ascetic and fleeing from the city to become a Sadhu, after realizing he is wanted by the police for murdering the two beggars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadhu
4. Ashem Vahu (Page 491) - Two very important prayers in Zoroastrianism, the religion that Dina follows. In the book, Dina urges Maneck to recite one Ashem Vahu before studying for his test.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashem_Vohu
5. Chachaji (Page 505) - Chachaji is the way Om and Ishvar refer to Ashraf, their friend from before their journey to the city. Chacha is the last name of Ashraf. The ending -ji is used to signify respect for elders, similar to calling Dina, "Dinabai".
http://www.vedmehta.com/writings/chachaji.html
6. Saala (Page 487) - Saala is a slang term meaning "wife's brother"; however, it has been appropriated to mean annoying in some parts of India. People describe Shankar as a "Saala murderer" after they believe he is the beggar killer. In this sense, Shankar is being described as one who kills.
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090820052922AAOLWS9
POST 2
1. Kaliyug (Page 510) - Kaliyug means a degraded time of sin and suffering in the Hindi religion. Ashraf describes the world they live in by syaing "the world must really be passing through the darkness of Kaliyug". This means, that their world is in shambles, in a dark place.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070408112217AATBt17
2.Chupraasi (Page 523) - A messenger or a lowly office-worker. In the book, The administrator in the vasectomy building told the people that a chupraasi would be sent to make tea.
http://www.wordnik.com/words/chaprasi
3. Eunuch (Page 529) - One who has been castrated. Ishvar complains that his nephew has been turned into a eunuch, one who is incapable of making offspring
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuch
4. Puja (Page 542) - A special occasion in which a person celebrates a distinguished person or a deity in Hinduism. In the book, Beggarmaster says he "made a small puja in Shankar's name". This means he paid homage to Shankar through a monetary puja.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puja_%28Hinduism%29
5. Goonda Raj (Page 553) - A gooda is a word in hindu that translates to a thug. Raj means ruling, especially by the British. A Goonda Raj, means ruling by the thugs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goonda
6. Clarence Darrow (Page 552) - A famous American lawyer who defended John Scopes in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. Mr. Valmik tries not to sound like Clarence Darrow in the book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Darrow
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?