PICK A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS BELOW TO ANSWER - DO TRY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED YET, AND, OR, ELABORATE FUTHER.
Pic 1
Pic 2 (Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff)
Pic 3
Pic 4
1) Describe the four pictures - write down all the adjectives you can come up with.
2) Characterize LataYou may consider:
- relation to family
- thoughts and opinions
- does she change throughout the story?
3) Characterize Anuj
You may consider:
- thoughts and opinions
- is he a good husband?
4) Describe the relationship between Anuj and Lata.
5) Describe the settings - perhaps use the pictures above or by all means quotes from the text.
6) What are the main differences between the Welsh and Indian culture as portrayed in Dusk over Atlantic Wharf?
7) What is the meaning of "you alright"?
8) How do you interpret the ending? Will she stay or leave? Will she learn to love Anuj? Or what do you think?
9) What are the themes of the story?
10) What is the intention with the story?
4. Describe the relationship between Anuj and Lata.
ReplyDeleteTheir relationship is almost equal to two people who just met each other. They are married, but she does not love him that is something she will learn. Anuj is trying to make her like him, going to the theatre, getting her popcorn and trying to make her fit into the new society by teaching her how they do things in Wales.
She have been in Wales for 2 months and he for at least 6 years. The wedding was arrange by her farther to hopefully give her a better life.
8. How do you interpret the ending? Will she stay or leave? Will she learn to love Anuj? Or what do you think?
She does not love Anuj and he does not comfort her when she wept. She does not like Wales or the cold weather, the people on the streets. She misses Mumbai and wants to go back, all that she could focus on in the movie was also the background because it made her feel at home. Anybody would know that she is not all right when he asks her. So I think what she means with "let's go home" is that she wants to go home but knows she cannot.
Karsten
Perhaps she would like to go home, or she most definitely misses India, but are there not any other indications of where her home is in the end? She is not unrealistic in the end and perhaps there are also indications that the English culture is not as bad as first assumed after all?(She does reveal her thoughts and they are not purely dismissive)
DeleteSo you would say that the ending (after the theatre) indicates that she accepts Wales? "resounding slap" and "brought back to the present" Including that he allows her to buy DVDs from India.
Delete1. 1st picture - astonishing, breath-taking
ReplyDelete2nd picture - dull, monochromatic, dramatic
3rd picture - captivating, flamboyant, interesting
- Anna Olsen
7.
ReplyDelete"You alright" is a courtesy plarse to be nice to other people. Other people expect a yes and nothing else
Well, basically it just means "Hi, how are you?" but you are right as a courtesy and not expecting an answer..
Delete3) Characterize Anuj
ReplyDeleteReading the text, you get the picture of Aunj being a character with a great lack social empathy.
Despite Lata´s strong signals of homesickness. Anuj still does nothing to meet her wishes of something familiar.
Treating Lata like an object by depositing her in the corner.
Ignoring her by filling out crosswords.
making her feel insufficient, by marking her cleaning effort.
Showing no interest in her, telling about places in the movie that she recognize.
All this added up, makes him seem a bet careless and selfish.
Careful not to jump to conclusions and judge characters. Try to read what is actually written, he does try to be affectionate and remember that it was not his choice either. He tries to do a lot of things for her to feel better, but also tries to tell her that she needs to adjust to her new home. He may be unaware of his new brides abilities and cleverness, but she does not reveal it to him either..
Deleteyes ma'am.
DeletePerhaps I was a bet judgmental:)
2) Characterize Lata
ReplyDeleteLata is from India and has lived there for a great part of her life. The text takes action two months after her moving to Cardiff in wales where her father got her married to Anuj whom, I guess, is a former Indian, who now is a British citizen. Anuj has been living in Cardiff for six years. Lata is homesick and wherever she looks or goes, she is thinking of her hometown and how things are and would have been back in India. She is having a hard time dealing with her new life as a wife to a husband she does not even love. She wants to love Anuj so desperately but the difference between them makes it a bit difficult. Back in India her family had housekeepers, so she is not used to cleaning, washing, cooking etc. which now is a part of her daily life. Despite being homesick Lata is being positive and believes that everything will be easier in time. Judging from her thoughts in the text, she is a very bright and colorful person who likes being around friends, exploring new things. She is noticing the world surrounding her and is appreciating the beauty of India as well as she notices the boringness and grayness of Cardiff. According to her, her friends (or friend) in India describes her as being the joker in the group, a funny person. So does Anuj. And I agree – comparing to him, she is like a sunbeam.
Throughout the text she is talking about India as her home, while Anuj constantly reminds her of her new position as his wife residence in Cardiff. She has some difficulty accepting this new position, but in the end of the text, she takes his hands and asks him to take her home; meaning their home in Cardiff.
I think they find themselves in a bit of a fix. Lata nor Anuj asked for this marriage , Anuj has embraced the english culture and seems very integrated. lata dreamed of a different life in India. she´s a welleducated woman but also obeys the traditions of her upbringing. its hard for her trying to accept the english way of life. lata and Anuj are trapped in this culturel tradition of there ancestors. This and there relationship are the obvious cultural clashes in this shortstory . throughout the story lata struggling with inner conflicts , feeling homesick , not loving her husband , not knowing the neighbours and not understanding the freespirited english girls this all makes her feeling insecure and homesick. when they are in the theater Anui is embarrassed and anoyed by her entusiasm and colourful display as opposed to hes grey and dull english ways. he wants her to forget her past and is not accpepting hes wife for the person that she is , which a modern woman would expect!
ReplyDeleteprobably a common problem in fixed marriage where a woman is moved to a completely different culture and is expected to just fit in.
when asked if shes allright she does not understand the superficial courtesyphrase, so common in the west, but when asked again in the car by Anuj she replies "yes i´m allright" I think this is the most interresting moment in the text because here she settles for a life in the grey , at this moment she gives up her dreams about love , family and friends and all in all she gives up being Lata and settles for being mrs. Anuj