Michael Reference Researcher
mike.ing17
Michael Ing
Reference Researcher
POST 1
1. Dustoor (pg. 19)- Also spelled Dastur, a Dustoor is a chief Parsee (Indian Zoroastrian descended from Persian Zoroastrian) priest. Dina often visits a fire temple with a Dustoor. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dastur
2. Dadaji (pg.20)- Another name for Zoroaster, the prophet and founder of Zoroastrianism, especially used by children. Nusswan implores Dina to pray to Dadaji to make her a better person http://www.soonitaraporevala.com/media/fezana.html
3. Bing Crosby’s High Society (pg. 43)- A 1956 movie about an upper class woman as she struggles to figure out who to marry. Rustom and Dina watch this movie for their anniversary, an interesting choice due to the constrast between their relative poverty and the mansions of the movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049314/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
4. Jay Prakash Narayan (pg. 65)- Also called Jayaprakash or JP, he was a disciple of Gandhi and a political leader in India. He advocated for civil disobedience and freedom, and opposed the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He caused a number of uprisings and protests in the city where Dina lived. http://www.whereincity.com/india/great-indians/freedom-fighters/jayaprakash-narayan.php
5. Firozsha Baag (pg. 66)- Dina mentions this name when discussing harboring a paying guest in her home, and how troublesome they can be. Interestingly enough, Firozsha Baag is a collection of short stories about the inhabitants of Firozsha Baag, an apartment in Bombay. Rohinton Mistry, who also wrote A Fine Balance, composed this collection. http://www.garretwilson.com/books/firozsha.html
6. Prime Ministers Internal Emergency (pg. 73)- In June of 1975 the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India decreed a state of emergency, where she was free to govern by decree without election or civil liberty, essentially giving her absolute power. Supposedly, the declaration was due to threats of national security. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emergency_(India)
POST 2
1. Darji (pg. 75)- The name of Omprakash and Ishvar and Narayan before him, the Darji (or Darzi) is a community of tailors. Many different Hindu people have surnames based on their profession, religion, or where they originate. http://peoplegroupsindia.com/profiles/darzi
2. Dinabai (pg. 75)- “Bai” literally means “woman” or “lady” but is often attached to the end of a woman’s name to signify respectability. Ishvar calls Dina “Dinabai”. http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071023133655AAnVoQG
3. Law of Manu (pg. 100)- An essential Hindu book, this text discusses the norms of life in India under Brahmin influence, essentially how things should be run. In Narayan’s village, the upper caste worried that the order of things was twisted, the Law broken, because Dukhi of the lowly Chamaar caste had two healthy sons. http://hinduism.about.com/od/scripturesepics/a/laws_of_manu.htm
4. Pandit and Thakur (pg. 100)- A Pandit (or pundit) is a scholar or teacher skilled in the Sanskrit language, and usually refers to a Brahmin Hindu. Thakur is a feudal title in India that means “lord”. There were many Pandits in the Dukhi’s village, and Thakur Dharamsi ordered the death of Narayan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thakur_(Indian_title)
5. Lord Krishna (pg. 101)- Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord in Hinduism, and there is a story of how he would steal butter in the middle of the night by poking holes in the pots in which the butter was stored. Roopa relates herself to Krishna when she must also steal butter in the middle of the night to treat the wounds of her family. http://www.iskconbangalore.org/krishna-butter-thief
6. Goondas (pg. 146)- Goonda is a term in Indian English, which roughly equates to a hired thug. Thakur Dharamsi had many goondas, which he used to keep order and do his bidding. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goonda
