"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." W.B. Yeats
The Village by the Sea
7 comentarios en “The Village by the Sea”
Notes:
-Anita Desai, author of the story, born in june the 24th of 1987 in India. She has a Bengali father and a German father, in the middle of two different cultures.
– the story presents a lot of symbols, imageries and also the ideo of circularity.
-An idea of a 3rd space/ in-between space. contemplates the feelings of selfhood and identity. Articulation of cultures differences
-«the beyond» contains the idea of time and place.
-«hibridity» meaning that differences are erased.
– Important dates in indian history give the reader the context of the story:
1814 establishment of the British Raj
1947 Independence of India
1950 new constitution
1956 new law that allows states to have their own language but English was the official and unifiing one (ironic)
– Philosophical concepts:
«the dance of shiva» oneness with nature
Karma and dharma
circularity life; time; nature
salvation
– children are sacred, very important for families, especially boys.
– impact of imperialism on culture, economy and language.
– indianness/identity
Notes on The village by the sea
The characters are kids and that’s why the author says it is a book for kids.
Anita Desai:
Was born the 24th of June of 1937 in India.
German mother & Bengali father.
She speaks English, Hindi and German.
Her writing is full of imagery’s (auditory, visual) and symbolism.
3rd space (hibridity): creation of culture, a language, a way of saying the world in a subjective way.
Induism:
Circle.
Human, animals and plants are all the same.
Be one with nature.
Incarnation.
Big families (extended).
Balance/circularity/good and evil.
– Daughter gets married (expensive). Daughters are considered inferior.
Son is important. He carries out the rituals when the father dies.
Notes:
-our identity is made up of narratives. A nation can be created if these narratives can be shared.
-Think beyonf these narratives of origin and focus on those moments (3rd space) that are produced in the articulation of cultural differences.
-These diffrences are just differences in teh 3rd space, they are not right nor wrong
-When two differences get together they are errased
-Although they were independent, they decided to put English as the main language to allow them to communicate easier and be more unified (irony)
-Notion of circularity in the religion, if there is destruction there will be creation again.
-It’s all about the constant balance of the devil and good
-Humans, animals and plants are all the same, they want to chieve oneness with nature
Great job reading Bhabha’s theory! Remember that differences are not necessarily erased in the 3rd space. That’s the risk of hybridity.
Do you think that the use of English in India is an irony? Could it be considered an empowering tool?
These questions were inspired by the theoretical framework:
To what extent are the characters in The Village by the Sea passive?
To what extent does the ghost of British Empire affect Indian identity?
How far did changes in Economy affect every-day life (Indian traditions / rituals)?
Will there be a disappearance or a resignification of cultural practices?
What’s the role of children in society and in the domestic sphere?
How far does Anita Desai try to bridge cultural gaps in the novel? In so doing, how far is she trying to assert a sense of Indianness?
Are the characters inhabiting a «third space»?
How far can we read Hindu circularity into the novel? (Empire, culture and destruction, etc)
How is Hindu symbolism present in different moments of the novel?
Notes:
-Anita Desai, author of the story, born in june the 24th of 1987 in India. She has a Bengali father and a German father, in the middle of two different cultures.
– the story presents a lot of symbols, imageries and also the ideo of circularity.
-An idea of a 3rd space/ in-between space. contemplates the feelings of selfhood and identity. Articulation of cultures differences
-«the beyond» contains the idea of time and place.
-«hibridity» meaning that differences are erased.
– Important dates in indian history give the reader the context of the story:
1814 establishment of the British Raj
1947 Independence of India
1950 new constitution
1956 new law that allows states to have their own language but English was the official and unifiing one (ironic)
– Philosophical concepts:
«the dance of shiva» oneness with nature
Karma and dharma
circularity life; time; nature
salvation
– children are sacred, very important for families, especially boys.
– impact of imperialism on culture, economy and language.
– indianness/identity
Thanks for including the theoretical concepts introduced by Bhabha.
Notes on The village by the sea
The characters are kids and that’s why the author says it is a book for kids.
Anita Desai:
Was born the 24th of June of 1937 in India.
German mother & Bengali father.
She speaks English, Hindi and German.
Her writing is full of imagery’s (auditory, visual) and symbolism.
3rd space (hibridity): creation of culture, a language, a way of saying the world in a subjective way.
Induism:
Circle.
Human, animals and plants are all the same.
Be one with nature.
Incarnation.
Big families (extended).
Balance/circularity/good and evil.
– Daughter gets married (expensive). Daughters are considered inferior.
Son is important. He carries out the rituals when the father dies.
Valen, several data can be taken from the glog.
Check the concept of third space: it’s not equivalent to hybridity.
The religion is HInduism
Notes:
-our identity is made up of narratives. A nation can be created if these narratives can be shared.
-Think beyonf these narratives of origin and focus on those moments (3rd space) that are produced in the articulation of cultural differences.
-These diffrences are just differences in teh 3rd space, they are not right nor wrong
-When two differences get together they are errased
-Although they were independent, they decided to put English as the main language to allow them to communicate easier and be more unified (irony)
-Notion of circularity in the religion, if there is destruction there will be creation again.
-It’s all about the constant balance of the devil and good
-Humans, animals and plants are all the same, they want to chieve oneness with nature
Great job reading Bhabha’s theory! Remember that differences are not necessarily erased in the 3rd space. That’s the risk of hybridity.
Do you think that the use of English in India is an irony? Could it be considered an empowering tool?
Questions we’ll explore while reading the novel
These questions were inspired by the theoretical framework:
To what extent are the characters in The Village by the Sea passive?
To what extent does the ghost of British Empire affect Indian identity?
How far did changes in Economy affect every-day life (Indian traditions / rituals)?
Will there be a disappearance or a resignification of cultural practices?
What’s the role of children in society and in the domestic sphere?
How far does Anita Desai try to bridge cultural gaps in the novel? In so doing, how far is she trying to assert a sense of Indianness?
Are the characters inhabiting a «third space»?
How far can we read Hindu circularity into the novel? (Empire, culture and destruction, etc)
How is Hindu symbolism present in different moments of the novel?