Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Culture and clothing
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Culture and clothing
Indian traditions have been around for years and years at a time, and Mita knows. When reading the short story “Clothes” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Mita shows that moving to America is not the future she predicted, but not necessarily a bad one. Mitas new sari symbolizes new beginnings, her new husband, and her memory of her old home.
Mitas new Sari plays a minor role in this story. At first the Sari symbolizes her new future with her new husband in America. When she moves the America it symbolizes new beginnings and opportunities that did not occur in India. For example the arranged marriage would not usually happen in America but in India it's a normal thing. Mita’s sari also shows that she is leaving her old life behind to start
…show more content…
a new one in America without any knowledge. This experience was so new to her that she thought a gas station was this amazing store that had so many foods and new things.
The sari shows the most symbolism because it is basically representing her in a whole. The sari also represents the memory of her old home and friends before she moved. Before she moved her friend seemed jealous so it shows that her new life is better than her old. hroughout the story Divakaruni describes the colors of the clothes which means something to Sumita, the main character. The colors coordinate with what is happening during Sumita’s life at that time. “I wanted a blue one (sari) for the journey, because blue is the color of possibility.” (Divakaruni 3). Sumita believes the colors she chooses impact her life and symbolize what is going on or what is going to happen because she grew up in India. India’s culture believes that colors represent emotions and can bring that emotion when you wear that color. The colors of what she is wearing or chooses to wear symbolizes her desires of the feeling she has or wants. The type of clothing helps Sumita identify herself. Throughout most of the story she wears a traditional Indian sari, but later Sumita’s husband, Somesh introduces traditional American clothes to her which excites her. When Somesh is murdered, Sumita comes to
realize the saris represent her Indian past, while the new American clothes represent possibility and opportunity. “I tilt my chin, readying myself for the arguments of the coming weeks, the remonstrations. In the mirror a woman holds my gaze, her eyes apprehensive yet steady. She wears a blouse and skirt the color of almonds,” (Divakaruni 10). The blouse and skirt were given to Sumita by Somesh for when she worked. She was not going back to India to serve her in-laws as a widow, she wanted to make her own future. The type of clothes she wore represented power and control. Symbols help to identify what the author wants you to take from the story and what the story means to you.
In “The Meaning of Adornment,” a sub-chapter within “Distinction and Display in the Visiting Scene,” Meneley explains how important adornment (fashion) is for Zabidi women. The women made sure that they publicly dress too impressed because they know that their families and themselves will be judged (Meneley 1996: 109). Zabidi women become the active participators when they dress appropriately to their culture to ensure their families’
The first way the author uses symbolism to show the overall theme is with color. Numerous times in the novel Janie is wearing a different color ostentatiously depending on what is taking place. Although the message is oblique, most can find meaning behind it. Starting in the first chapter the color Blue is mentioned. “ … Where's dat blue satin dress she left here in?” (pg.2) This is the beginning where Janie is coming back with nothing and the towns women are gossiping about her status and appearance. Even later the author shows that she wears blue because of Tea Cake, “Wait till you see de new blue satin Tea Cake done picked out for me tuh stand up with him in.” (pg. 115) Traditionally the color blue represents 2 depth and stability. It can also symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. From early on Hurston is indicating that Janie will be some of those traits and through out the novel the reader realizes that Janie is actually loyal, stable,wise, and confident after she is introduced to Tea Cake.
In regards to this situation, Haydar argues, “To my eyes her idea of freedom involved a complicated hairstyle, loads of makeup and jeans she probably had to sew herself into. If anything, I would find that ensemble more caging, more oppressive, and more painful than clothes that would allow me to walk in front of construction sites confidently, with minimal risk of harassment” (414). In other words, Haydar believes that modern American style can be considered more oppressive than a cloak or cloth that covers just about everything but your face.
Symbolism is used in many ways and writers use symbolism to “enhance their writing.” It can give their work “more richness and color and can make the meaning of the work deeper.” In literary work the actions of the characters, words, action, place, or event has a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story. The reader needs to look see the little things like a dove symbolizes peace, or like the red rose stands for romance. Mostly everything can have a symbolism meaning to it. For instance the flag symbolizes freedom and the stars represent the states. Even some signs are symbols like when a beaker has a skull with a bones placed like an ‘x’ behind it symbolizes that it’s toxic or bad. When people see the red light when driving that’s a symbol to stop, the yellow to slow down, and the green to go.
Traditions control how one talks and interacts with others in one’s environment. In Bengali society, a strict code of conduct is upheld, with dishonor and isolation as a penalty for straying. Family honor is a central part to Bengali culture, and can determine both the financial and social standing of a family. Usha’s family poses no different, each member wearing the traditional dress of their home country, and Usha’s parents diligently imposing those values on their daughter. Those traditions, the very thing her [Usha] life revolved around, were holding her back from her new life as an American. Her mother in particular held those traditions above her. For example, when Aparna makes Usha wear the traditional attire called “shalwar kameez” to Pranab Kaku and Deborah’s Thanksgiving event. Usha feels isolated from Deborah’s family [Americans] due to this saying, “I was furious with my mother for making a scene before we left the house and forcing me to wear a shalwar kameez. I knew they [Deborah’s siblings] assumed, from my clothing, that I had more in common with the other Bengalis than with them” (Lahiri ...
“Like many immigrant offspring I felt intense pressure to be two things, loyal to the old world and fluent in the new, approved of on either side of the hyphen” (Lahiri, My Two lives). Jhumpa Lahiri, a Pulitzer Prize winner, describes herself as Indian-American, where she feels she is neither an Indian nor an American. Lahiri feels alienated by struggling to live two lives by maintaining two distinct cultures. Lahiri’s most of the work is recognized in the USA rather than in India where she is descents from (the guardian.com). Lahiri’s character’s, themes, and imagery in her short stories and novels describes the cultural differences of being Indian American and how Indian’s maintain their identity when moved to a new world. Lahiri’s inability to feel accepted within her home, inability to be fully American, being an Indian-American, and the difference between families with same culture which is reflected in one of her short stories “Once in a Lifetime” through characterization and imagery.
Whether the color being symbolized contradicts their lifestyle or correlatively fits the characters lifestyle. After reading Tenesse Williams's literature we can conclude he uses the symbolism of color to emphasize certain atmospheres and characteristic features of places or things in his literature. The author also uses color in objects in his literature as well to symbolize their meaning in the story. By doing so he contrasts the characters personal traits and lifestyles. Which creates a more clear and better visual for the reader. The characters being symbolized by color is what the author thought fit that specific character. Therefore we can conclude in literature symbolism takes form of a figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal
Peacock, John. The Chronicle of Western Fashion: From Ancient times to the Present Day. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1991. Print.
The traditional Indian sari that is draped around Ashima is exchanged for a hospital gown that leaves her feeling embarrassed by exposing her lower legs. For this reason, Ashima doesn’t relate to the many American women that wear short skirts, exposing their skin. Ashima is feeling lonely, knowing she will be sleeping alone for the very first time. She has always slept in a ...
In the 19th century play, FASHION, Anna Mowatt develops the character plot as a contrast and comparison between being “natural” and “artificial in a world becoming preoccupied with fashion, and being fashionable. In the head notes, it was stated that Daniel Havens said FASHION is “the ugly image of the American Dream gone sour.” (Watt and Richardson) Fashion has a complex definition. The word ‘fashion’ can mean anything from the type of clothes you wear, how you communicate with others, the place you live, how you present yourself, or who you associate yourself with. In FASHION, Mowatt took a comical yet sober look at the definitions of “fashion,” applied it to real life in 1845, and through her characters, provides a mirror with which an audience/reader can evaluate themselves. I do not believe updating this play would be difficult because America has continued down the fast and destructive path in an effort to keep up with the “fashions” of the day.
"The Color Purple" is full of symbols which provide a deeper insight not only on the characters but the society of that time as well. If roundness and rose are truly feminine symbols, the teeth, stars, stamps have historical meaning in depicting the slavery. Some objects serve to portray the emotional conditions of the person: needle, names, pants and occupations represent an economic independence and power.
In the short story “Clothes”, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni tells a story of a young Indian women, Sumita, and her cultural transition to America after her arranged marriage to Somesh, an Indian man that lives in America. Somesh is co-owner to a 7-eleven store in California which he is very invested in. Throughout the story, he is always working at his store in hopes of making extra money towards his and Sumita’s future. His late nights working at the store later leads to Somesh’s tragic death. Upon analysis of all of the events that occur and Somesh’s death, I’ve come to realize that Sumita is torn between two diverse cultures and also that the American dream is not always what it is set out to be. This dream everyone longs for
After reading The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz, I have come to understand the value of service. When Novogratz states, “The world will not change with inspiration alone”, she is making the important statement that without having the real life experience and knowledge of a situation, it is difficult to improve it. Being inspired to make social change is only the beginning of change actually taking place. In order for reform to come about, reformers need to understand the deepest part of the problem. Knowing the issues that are occurring, through school and media is never enough in understanding the true root of the problem. Social reform organizations can be established to help people out of poverty, but until one has experienced and
In summary colors can symbolize a lot of things. In many different cultures we use colors to describe a feeling or a way of life. For Sumita the colors of her outfits played a major role in the way she felt about herself. Her blue sari represented the color of possibilities and made her feel better about the trip and not knowing her husband. For instance, on the plane ride to the United States she started to feel physically sick about embarking on her new life. In order to make herself feel better she started thinking about all her beautiful saris that were in her suitcase such as her purple silk saris and cotton woven ones that reminded her of the Bengal countryside. She describes green saris that are like young bananna plants and grey ones that remind her of a lake from back home.
From a historic point of view, Western travelers had remarked on the slow pace of lifestyle and fashion change in Turkey and Persia. On the other hand, many people were of the opinion that the western culture is getting out of hand in terms of dressing fashion (Cumming 234). In most cases, change of fashion and dressing style took place hand in hand with economic and social changes. In the developing world, changes in fashion began with the coming of the whites in Middle East. Changes began in the 11th century when the Turks came to central Asia and Far East. In Europe, continuous change in clothing fashion is believed to have started in middle 14th century. It started by a sudden introduction of shortening and tightening of male garments, it further brought the introduction of trousers and leggings that were worn by men (Cumming 235). After the advent of change in men fashion, it was followed by changes in female c...