The Nightmare
Dreams are often visions of the conscience that hold the most truth. In the novel, Cracking India, by Bapsi Sidhwa, the narrator Lenny, has a reoccurring nightmare that contains much truth about the state of India. In Lenny’s nightmare,
Children lie in a warehouse. Mother and Ayah move about
solicitously. The atmosphere is businesslike and relaxed.
Godmother sits by my bed smiling indulgently as men in
uniforms quietly slice off a child’s arm here, a leg there.
She strokes my head as they dismember me. I feel no pain.
Only an abysmal sense of loss- and a chilling horror that no
one is concerned by what’s happening (Sidhwa 31).
Lenny’s childhood nightmare is symbolic of the condition of India prior to and during the time of Partition. The future of India is being dismembered by British rule while Indians remain passive and impartial to the destruction of their country. This portrayal of India is comparable to Gandhi’s view that the British have not taken India; India has have given their country to them.
In Hind Swaraj, Gandhi suggests that India is in a state of unrest and that it will take some time for an actual awakening. Lenny’s vision of children lying in a warehouse with their guardians remaining indifferent to the suffering taking place is representative of India’s state of unrest. This suggestive state of unrest also refers to India’s tolerance of British rule. In Cracking India, the Ice-candy Man is adamant about Indians awakening from this restive state. He says, “If we want India back we must take pride in our customs, our clothes, our languages…And not go mouthing the got-pit-sot-pit of the English!” (Sidhwa 38) Similarly, Gandhi suggests that in order to take back India from ...
... middle of paper ...
...orm (Gandhi 206). According to Gandhi, the discontent that these tortured children in Lenny’s nightmare experience will force India as a nation to awaken and provide reform to stop the cries of their youth. If the leaders of India (Ayah and Godmother) can put an end to their passive behavior and answer the insistent cries of the future of their nation (Lenny), then there is hope that despite its dismembered limbs and deep cracks, India will be able to thrive once again. Sadly enough, a nightmare is only revealed in the slumber of the conscience and once the mind awakens it is readily forgotten.
Works Cited
Gandhi, Mahatma. “Hind Swaraj, Modern Civilization, and Moral Progress.” The Moral
and Political Writings of Mahatma Gandhi. Vol. 1. London: Oxford
University Press, 1986.
Sidhwa, Bapsi. Cracking India. Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 1991.
My original thoughts on the Boston Massacre were that the name rang true. I based these thoughts solely on the idea that no matter how colonist act, the military should never use excessive force in maintaining the peace. During my closer review of the actual event I have come to believe this has been given the name massacre in error. When you look at all of the depositions together and then start to take out the differences you will notice that everyone account of the event is nearly the same. The differences that are evident during the trial have been made by biased opinions and propaganda to promote the release of British troops from Boston. Although the ruling may not have been just, it served its purpose and drew the troops away from Boston in the end.
She has criticized the caste system, the Indian government, and now, the United States, which threatens to become the newest world hegemon. Though her opinions are not indicative of those held by the greater Indian population, she serves the useful function of pushing rhetoric to the left, and, in doing so, raises many of the crucial issues that India must address in today’s world. “Not again” is an article criticizing the leaders of America and their foreign policy, which she sees as full of reductionist dichotomies and a thinly veiled attempt to propagate corporate capitalism. As she says in “Not again,” “Wars are never fought for altruistic reasons” (3). Though Roy is clearly denouncing the United States government in her article, the hidden message is the implication that this rhetoric—and action—by the United States can have for developing countries, among them
Stephen King’s perception in “The Symbolic Language of Dreams” gave me a new, profound insight on dreams. On the other hand, his interpretations also made me realize how little is known about them and their significance to our lives.
Dreams are a place in one’s mind where there is freedom to believe, say, or do what ever one chooses. Whether it be a place where one can compose a fantasy to escape reality or a place to establish a new real life. Dreams or illusions can often be perceived incorrectly and thought to be part of real life until one is awaken from the fantasy and runs straight into the harsh reality of one’s own life. The idea that dreams and illusions remove the characters from their actuality to a fantasy can be noticed in the stories Araby by James Joyce and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates. Within these two short stories, both authors portray the theme that what is imagined in ones head can be shattered by a harsh reality through
There is no doubt that the Boston Massacre leads to the death of five civilians at the hands of British soldiers. During the tea party at the custom house, some of the guard came to informed and me that “the town civilians were assembling to attack the troops, and the bell was ringing as the signal for the purpose.” Wheeler, William B., and Susan D. Becker. "The Trial of Captain Thomas Preston." Discovering the American past. SIXTH ed. Vol. I. BOSTON: CHARLES HARTFORD, nod 80-86.
In the following paper, I will summarize an article about the Federal Reserve (The Fed). The article goes into some of the details as to why the Federal Reserve was develop in 1913 during the Depression, how it helps banks that are in trouble, and how important it is to keep the country’s economy running (Marotta, 2014).
Stroke units, introduced in the 1950's, have become an established essential component of an effective functioning stroke service, in the modern stroke services provided today. A stroke unit refers to organized inpatient care for stroke patients, provided by a multidisciplinary team that specialise in stroke management. The Stroke Unit Trialists Collaboration (SUTC) has carried out Cochrane reviews on stroke unit trials since 1997. Findings, from random trials and systematic reviews, have shown that the provision of care in a stroke unit can increase a patient’s chances of survival, which enables them to return home and regain independence in activities of daily life (Langhorne et al., 2012). Stroke units seem to benefit
Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton organized a banking system, not long after the United States won their independence in 1791. This bank would be called the Bank of the United States. The purpose of this bank was to centralize banks. The Bank of the United States had a couple of tasks: they wanted to stabilize the financial by making sure that local banks did not extend too many loans relative to their capital (Hubbard & O’Brien, p. 388). However; in 1811 the Bank would terminated operations do to no support from Congress. In 1816, Congress would create a Second Bank, this Bank would have some of the same task as the first bank, this bank too would expire in 1836. This time due to a disagreement between President
It was here that he became more maturely and outwardly aware of the social injustices brought upon a people group as a result of a harsh political system with no rights for its Indian people. It was not just the mere understanding and compassion for others that was born. It was also his direct experience with the dehumanizing treatment at the hands of the European authorities. He took this experience back with him to India, and whether it was with intent or not, he began to build upon his experience and gain a reputation for “saintliness” (Lal, 2012, p. 2) with those he came in contact with. Again, it was not only his physical ability to exude peace and love to people but his educational experience afforded him the ability to write detailed and adequate propositions to facilitate change among his nation. Even more notable is his response to the resistance of authorities, whereby he remained a peaceful opposition in spite of imprisonment. Ultimately, Gandhi’s driving force was to see India a nation independent and at peace. Gandhi, by the late stages of his movement had gained such a following and support that he boldly challenged those that felt and believed in his mission be just as committed as he was to lay down their lives (in the turn your other cheek type of action) in order to see India freed (Lal,
After the British empire separated itself from India, inner-country religious problems began to arise. The Muslims and Hindus of the liberated India released their pent up anger on each other and combusted into civil war right after they won the peaceful war against Great Britain. This war distressed Gandhi, who has insight into the unity of mankind, and encouraged him to go on a hunger strike until the brutality ceased. While on his near-death bed, he is approached by a Hindu who “killed a child” because the Muslims “killed [his] son,” and in response, Gandhi said that the way out of his “Hell is to “Find a [Muslim] child, a child whose mother and father have been killed and raise him as your own,” therefore the man would be able to see the equality in all religions. Throughout his entire life, Gandhi, though a Hindu, never prosecuted anyone for their religion and was able to see through everyone’s eyes as fellow brother’s and sisters, not enemies. This ability to empathize and recognize the general unity of the human population allowed Gandhi insight into the human
The boston massacre was definitely a large event in the history of the United States of America, it was one of the main things that lead to the American Revolution. There are multiple things that could be responsible for the Boston massacre, but as far as it goes I believe that it was an accident, and that the lives lost were for good reason. I hope that my essay helped to see that it could have been intentional. There was so much that happened on that day it is still hard to tell what really happened during the boston massacre, intentional or
To begin with, one must find a peaceful approach to defeat discrimination. According to the text, on “from Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin”, Gandhi stated “My ambition is no less than to convert the British through non-violence and thus make them see the wrong they have done to India.” This evidence shows that Gandhi wants to be heard without using violence. Another example is on lines 17-24 which says “It has impoverished the dumb millions by a system of progressive exploitation…reduced politically to serfdom…sapped foundations of our culture…degraded us spiritually.” This evidence reveals that Gandhi is showing the effect the British is having a right now in India.
In third world countries, dreams represent a catalyst for the citizens living there. Although most dreams are infrequently achieved, the dreams motivate them to work towards achieving something significant in their lives. Throughout Ram’s journey he repeatedly sets goals for himself and imagines himself one day being considerably wealthy. “Every night I dream of visiting the places I see in Australian Geographic.” (Swarup, 80) This quote shows that Ram is dreaming of traveling to far away places, away from the slums. I believe that this dream helps him set high goals for himself and this motivates him to change to try and achieve them. Ram experiences living with a wealthy family, the Taylor’s, and they expose him to the world’s wonders. He dreams of seeing exotic places with his own eyes and not in a magazine which motivates him to work hard so that he can one day travel around the world. Furthermore, dreaming allows Ram to escape his reality in the slums and hope for a better future one day. He needs to believe that his current lifestyle is temporary. For example, “After a while I, too, drift off to sleep, dreaming middle-class dreams of buying a million different things, including a red Ferrari and a beautiful bride in a blue salwar kameez. All with fifty thousand rupees.” (Swarup, 108) This quote shows that Ram is using dreaming as a catalyst and motivation to change his life so that...
Methods, which provide this type of data, include; interviews, observations as well as focus groups. The advantages of using Qualitative methods such as those listed previously is that they can produce “an extensive base of knowledge” to complex areas of research (Ulin et el. 2005, p.9) such as children’s behavior in school. Another advantage is it will often take place in a natural environment, thus making participants more likely to be more truthful and ther...
Sharpe, Jenny. “A Passage to India by E.M. Forster.” Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. James P Draper, Jennifer Brostrom, and Jennifer Gariepy. Vol. 77. Detroit: Gale, 1993. 253-57. Rpt. of “The Unspeakable Limits of Rape: Colonial Violence and Counter-Insurgency.” Genders 10 (1991): 25-46. Literature Criticism Online. Web. 4 Mar. 2011. .