Final Thoughts On Narratives

    I want to avoid the stereotypical opening: “In today's fast paced, ever expanding world...” because the world is always changing. It's not just today.

    For most people, there are two ways of seeing the world: the Right way, and the Wrong way. You're either with us, or against us. But, “in today's fast paced, ever expanding world” that is just not true. To exist socially on a global scale, one must set aside black and white views for a larger palette. This past semester has opened my eyes to a world of color that barely knew existed. In reading the 4 books assigned, and “sucking all the marrow out of them” here at Blogster, I have learned a few things about how to view the world, and, from time to time, participate.

    “Jasmine” is a book that explores an Indian girl's struggle to find an identity in the world. She is caught between two very different worlds. I think what Bharati Mukherjee is telling us, through her book, is that you don't search for an identity, you make it yourself. Jasmine made herself an identity, she didn't want the “widowhood and exile” foretold by an astrologer, so she went out into the world to make herself a better life. Mukherjee tells her story in a way that is very similar to how we think about our lives. It is not a linear path, we are always thinking back and remembering who we were and comparing it to who we are now. This serves to highlight the fact that our identities are ever changing. Not changing; evolving, refining. Our search for an identity is a process of refining and improving ourselves that never ends.

    Bessie Head tells us that identities are very important things to have. Her novel, “A Question of Power” explores the consequences of not having an identity. Elizabeth, the main character, suffers a mental breakdown because she has no way to “frame” her life. Eventually, Elizabeth finds her place in the world through working in a garden. I think it is important for all of us to find our “garden”. Our garden is a place where we excel and contribute to making the world a better place. We also learn that society has a large part in shaping our identities. Jasmine, was born into a society that told her explicitly what and who she was. Elizabeth gets the same support but in a backwards, roundabout way. Her mom gave birth to her in a mental institution. Knowing this affected the way her caregivers treated her. They thought she was going to grow up crazy, and treated her as such and, surprise! She ended up crazy. While Jasmine got a chance to change her identity while she was young, Elizabeth did not. The lesson here is that we all have a responsibility to everyone else. The choices we make, and actions we take have consequences for everyone else. It is not enough to go about our lives blissfully unaware of the needs of others, we need to make a conscious choice to not let our actions affect other people in a negative way.

    So how am I a responsible citizen of the floating world? I don't think I am, yet. The first step was for me to realize that my eyes were closed. The second step is actually opening my eyes, and the last step is doing something positive to affect what I see.