Agency and Responsibility. House of Sand and Fog, and other texts - Essay Example

?Agency and Responsibility in the Literature “House of Sand and Fog,” and other texts Introduction: The Agency especially in literature means capa of the characters to function as autonomous agents in their respective lives. Sometimes the characters are fictional while sometimes they are real characters. The capacity to act does not involve a specific moral dimension, nor does it involve the Geographical or cultural bondage. It is generally the struggle of the characters, their act to survive and prove themselves in adverse situations of life. The plot is guided by the characters. The inner and outer conflicts of the characters influence the act. The plot is for them and they are not made for the plot. The agency remains conspicuous on the background of immigration and internment and relocation. In the paper an attempt is made to show the agency of the characters who are either immigrants, or prisoners, either political or social. Internment/Immigration and the Agency Internment or immigration though paradoxical phenomena, are the sequels of political, social or economical factors. Immigration can be both voluntary and involuntary. But internment and relocation is always forceful. When the person immigrates to a completely alien land, he or she has to struggle for preserving the identity. It is inevitable for the person to adapt himself/herself by absorbing the new culture and at the same time preserving his/her own culture. Internment compels the person to strive for life. It is a predicament of a great physical and mental turmoil. In both phenomena the person has to juggle for balancing the two different cultures, or two completely contradictory situations. When the two different cultures struggle for their identity, at what level the complications can transpire, is shown in some emigre’s novels. The cultural conflicts take place through the encounters of the characters on different issues. Sometimes the issues are not related to the cultural factors, but still the culture plays crucial role in the occurrence of the conflicts. The person gets bruised between the conflict of two different cultures, which change his life, personality and overall approach. The Texts and Agency The same theme of characters’ role as the agents is discussed with the help of some texts. In the paper four different texts are taken into consideration, which highlight the theme of either immigration or internment or both. The texts are “House of Sand and Fog,” by Andre Dubus, “Not Without my Daughter,” by Betty Mehmoody, “Jasmine,” by Bharati Mukharjee, and “Code of Love,” by Andrew Linklater. Among these text “Jasmine” and “House of Sand and Fog” are fictional depiction, while “Code of Love,” and “Not Without My Daughter,” are the real stories. Though the stories, plots, themes of these four texts are completely different from each other, many similarities can be found in context of agency of characters in all these four texts. The agency or capacity to act does not involve Geographical barriers as mentioned above. It goes beyond the nations, and cultures. All of these texts have strong foreign connections, which have affected the entire life of the characters involved in the stories. For example, In “House of Sand and Fog” and “Not without My Daughter,” the characters are connected directly or indirectly to the different cultures i.e. Iran and America. In “Jasmine,” the characters’ action is associated on the background of two countries, India and America. In “Code of Love,” the main character has to act on the background of two different countries and situations, i.e. Britain and China and somewhat Japan. Cultural Conflict and Struggle of Agents The major attributes are cultural conflict and the struggle of the main characters on which the discussion of this paper is based. For example in “House of Sand and Fog,” the major conflict arises when the American lady Kathy claims her house then bought by an Iranian person Mr. Behrani. The entire book is based on the conflict between the male protagonist and his counterpart. It is a struggle of Kathy to prove her identity. Being an American she feels that she has been expelled from her own motherland by a foreigner who is now claiming her house to be his house. Behrani on the other hand is also trying to preserve his identity and his status in an alien land. It can be called as ‘a commentary on the cultural gap between American – born citizens and immigrants from war – ridden countries such as Iran.’ (Josephinerenae3 2003) The protagonist Massoud Behrani is trying to establish himself professionally. Having a military background he could not establish his career in US and initially he has to struggle by accepting the job of a trash collector. Thus he accepts the low-profile job to survive his family and preserve his identity. When he sees the house of Kathy for auction, he plans to buy the house and then resell it at three or four times the auction purchase price. It was a great business opportunity for him. Metaphorically, the house is associated with the immigrants’ opportunity to leverage the American dream. For the girl, on the contrary, it was the house of her ancestors. Her father has given it to her and she lived there as a wife and then as a divorcee. She has an emotional attachment towards the house. I personally feel that somewhere the problem of cultural conflict is involved here. The dream of the immigrants is to settle down in the land of dream, i.e. America. For the native people it is a painful feeling that the foreigners are coming on their motherland and these foreigners are snatching away their land and their existence from them. It is not just the conflict between a man and a woman on property issue which seems to be at surface level. But deeply, it is associated with the Native Americans, and immigrants and their bitter feelings for each other. It is expressed in the statement of Behrani. When Behrani’s son Esmail expressed his sympathy for the loss of the house of Kathy, Behrani says, “Do you understand? Do not feel bad. Americans they do not deserve what they have. They have the eyes of small children who are forever looking for the next source of distraction, entertainment, sweet taste in the mouth. We are not like them. We know rich opportunities when we see them and do not throw away God's blessing."(House of Sand and Fog) The Auction of Kathy’s house is the beginning of rebuilding of the personal respectability and status of immigrants. Due to the foreigners they feel that their existence is in danger. The existence actually is the later phenomenon. The basic thing is the Struggle for survival which is shown in “Code of Love,” Donald’s whole life was at stake. “Code of Love,” is the text based on the background of political unrest. The World War II resulted into the political, social, physical and psychological loss of myriad people. The relationship between the two major characters is like foes in House of Sand and Fog and the foundation of this relationship is just abhorrence. On the contrary the relationship between the major characters in “Code of Love,” is based on just love, love, and love. The type of relationship doesn’t matter here. What matters is the struggle, trial, sufferings they had to undergo due to their relationship and their consequences. In earlier novel, the characters are fictional while the later on depicts the picture of real life characters. Being a pilot in Royal Air Force, Donald had been posted to Far East on the advent of the World War II. A couple of months before his departure to Far East, he had been in love with a beautiful lady, Pamela Kirraj. They had to postpone their marriage and he left for Hong Kong. He along with many other British officers was caught and imprisoned by the Japanese soldiers. Donald had been a prisoner in Japanese camp until the surrender of Japan. Each and every single moment of his life from then was a thorny trial for him. Life was uncertain and it was constantly under the threat of dreadful death. He even was not sure that he would be able to meet his beloved any more. His beloved and would be wife Pamela waited for him for almost six years. He came back and then they got married. But life was not easy for both of them. The five-six years of imprisonment was such a horrified phenomenon which collapsed him physically as well as psychologically. The prolonged life threatening persecution in prison camp has affected his whole life and his family had to live a wrecked life due to the situation. He had a strong will to escape from the prisoners’ camp and to meet his beloved Pamela who was waiting for him for more than five years. In these years of trial both of them were not just struggling for their survival but for their love. The inner and outer turmoil starts from the beginning of the War but it lasted till the death of Donald and Pamela. It collapses the healthy relationship between both Pamela and Donald. In case of Betty in “Not Without my Daughter”, her relationship with her counterpart is of a husband and wife. But it has been collapsed due to the torment of her husband Moody. She was deceived by Moody who brought her and her daughter in Iran and compelled both of them to live a life of almost a prisoner. He detained them and then tortured her for selling her property in America and then leaving the country forever. He imposed the unfair Islamic laws on them and thus deprived of their freedom. Both Betty and her daughter were forced to follow the inhumane and undeserved Islamic laws. Betty and her daughter were tortured, harassed, occasionally beaten by her capricious husband Moody. Finally she becomes successful in escaping from Iran. Jasmine had to encounter with different male characters, right from the astrologer, her brother and other family members, the captain of the ship who raped her, and the persons whom she got married. Her act as an independent woman is more important for the writer than her relationship. In other three texts, the relationship creates lot of tensions in the life of the characters, whereas in Jasmine the relationship indirectly facilitates to mould the protagonist mentally and socially. In the novel “Jasmine,” the protagonist is an Indian widow who comes to United States from a small Indian village. Her journey from Jyoti to Jasmine and then towards Jane was extremely hard. Jyoti or Jasmine knows that the immigrants have to bury their native identity if they want to cope up with the lifestyle of the new land. Gender Relationship and Clashes The man and woman relationship is very complex which is highlighted in all these books. The struggle in all these four text is gender based. In “House of Sand and Fog,” Kathy had a clash with Behrani, in “Not Without My Daughter” the clash is between Betty and her husband and the whole social system of Iran. There is an ultimate hatred, and intimidation involved in their relationship which sometimes leads to brutal act. The conflict of “Code of Love” is somewhat different. The past of the male protagonist is constantly compelling him to involve in the clashes with his wife Pamela. Rather both Pamela and Donald are fighting against the past of Donald which has been unrevealed till the death of Donald. The clashes between both of them reached to such extent that they get separated from each other. In the end the reconciliation took place but it was too late because it was the last moments of Donald’s life. Donald and Pamela’s clashes are not at all based on hatred but deep at the root there is immense love and care for each other till the end. The base of Kathy and Behrani’s relationship is completely professional so ultimately clashes are professional rather than personal. They were fighting for a house and not for their personal feelings for each other. They were not the clashes came from any kind of intimate relationship. In case of Pamela and Donald, or Kathy and Behrani, all of them are really genuine at their own place. No one is wrong but still the clashes happen In case of Jasmine, her life was full of clashes. She had to fight with different male characters to preserve her and to establish herself as an independent and strong lady. Woman Agency: “The House of Sand and Fog,” can also be acknowledged as a depiction of a woman’s fighting for her rights. Kathy was evicted from her house and she is constantly struggling for her privilege to get her house back. The struggle of the women I think is another attribute which find Betty Mahmoody’s book “Not Without my Daughter.” The kind of the struggle is different but the struggle for privilege is same. That is the reason why I am tempted to discuss an amazing and thrilling journey of Betty to preserve her identity in an extremely conservative country Iran. She struggles to escape herself and her daughter from unjust religious confinement in which thousands of Iranian women are living and considering it as their destiny. Struggle is inevitable when the person has to stay aloof from his motherland. The reasons might be different. In case of Betty the reason was more social than political. She was attempting to break the strong barriers of Iranian customs and traditions. She was the representative of a very unconstrained culture and broad outlook of American society. In “Code of Love,” a totally different kind of lady comes before the readers. Having the background of a conservative but rational British family, she has full freedom to live her life according to her own rules and laws. It was her choice to live for her lover and to spend her young age in waiting for him. Pamela is the lady with strong head, and an amazing patience. She never complained and cried for what she had to suffer, but took every crucial moment of her life in a very easy way. Her fight with herself, with Donald and his past, and with his own death, is really appreciating. Pamela’s struggle to keep her love intact in the prolonged absence of her love is significant. Jasmine’s struggle on the contrary is for complete transformation of her personality, from a meek submissive Indian wife to a strong Indo-American woman who stopped thinking about her past and fully concentrates on her future. ‘America may be fluid and built on flimsy invisible lives of weak gravity but I was a dense object, I had landed and was getting rooted.” (179) Pamela, Jasmine and Betty’s struggle is more comprehensive than that of Kathy. Their struggle was against the men came in their life, their destiny, and against the entire social system. On the contrary, Kathy’s struggle was just to get her house back. The struggle was subjective rather than comprehensive. Support from Men In all these three books, we can notice a common fact and that is all these three women have to take support from men for attaining their ultimate goals. For Kathy Lester Burdon proves helpful during her bad patch. Lester first meets her to force her out of her home, but then he started feeling sympathy for her and then he got attracted towards her. He helped her in finding the legal way to regain her house. He helps her in plotting for gaining the ownership of her house. Being a single and independent lady of a broad minded and socially advanced country, she eventually has to take support of man. She cannot fight without his help. In Jasmin’s case, she is first shown as a lady who was living under the influence of her husband. She did not have an identity of her own. When she arrived in America her deceased husband was alive in her memory, and that was a catalyst of inspiration for her. After her arrival to America, she had to take support from Prof. Vedhera, Mr. Taylor and banker Bud Ripplemayer. Even she has to change her name and identity constantly as per the man coming to her life. When she got married to Prakash Jyoti became Jasmine, when she again married to Bud, a widower, she became Jane Ripplemayor. In case of Betty, Amal was a decent man she found in Iran. He supported her a lot in escaping herself and her daughter from Iran. Their relationship is not mentioned exactly but they definitely got attracted towards each other. He became the main saviour at the most dangerous moments of her life. He gave her physical and mental support to fight against Moody. Somewhere we can notice that the ladies have been influenced by the male domination. Unlike Betty or Jasmine, Kathy’s struggle inclines towards negativity. She is emotionally unstable as she has lost her husband and her family home as well. The readers are more sympathetic towards Behrani, the hero, than Kathy. Female Sacrifice When discussion on women character is concerned, in all these four texts we can see the height of emotional attachment of the woman and the highest level of sacrifice they do for the things or person they love. Complete commitment is seen in every female character in these texts. Kathy’s obsession is for her house and she is ready to do anything for gaining her house. Her love deep in her mind for her husband made her frenzy. Betty’s commitment towards her husband made her to leave her country and come to Iran. She tried her best to adjust herself with the surrounding situation which is not at favourable for life of that woman who has come from a liberal country. Still she manages to stay there just because she loved her husband. Her exceptional commitment towards her husband and her love and care for her daughter is the typical feminine quality. Pamela also is not different at all. She had no idea whether her lover is dead or alive. Some letters sent by Donald are the only solace for her to live and to bring the light of hope in her life. It was purely an unconditional love towards Donald which she has cherished for the whole of her life. Jasmine also is fully committed to her husband and she decided to continue Prakash’s dream of going to America. She went to America with the spirit and passion of Prakash. Prakash was always there in the Jasmine’s mind. Confinement of the characters and their response to it: Jyoti alias Jasmine’s life is controlled by her father and her brothers. She cannot live as an independent woman for which she is yearning. Rather she had not been allowed to live a free life but she had always been controlled and dominated by the male members of her family. “"Village girls are like cattle, whichever way you lead them, that is the way they will go" (Bharati Mukharjee 46) Jyoti or Jasmine’s journey in the book is from servitude to freedom. Betty’s case is also not much different. Betty has to spend two three years of her life in barbarous and brutal confinement of her husband and in-law members. Her journey is from freedom to servitude and then again to freedom. The in-law’s house was a prison for her and her daughter and she literally put her life at stake for the escape. For Kathy in House of Sand and Fog, there is no servitude. Her loneliness itself is her servitude. She has lost her husband and living an independent but lonely life. For Pamela it was the confinement of destiny. Her life was controlled by the circumstances arriving in her life. No social system or any other man made confinement was there in case of her. It was a confinement made by her fate. But still all of these female protagonists are going through tremendous turmoil. Ultimate aims of the characters: The characters of these four texts have a very strong and ultimate aim for which they are living. They want to fight with life just to attain their aims. In “House of Sand and Fog,” the ultimate aim of Kathy is to possess her house and for that she took support of Lester Burdon. Behrani is also striving hard for attaining his ultimate aim. His aim is to fulfil his dreams of being a successful and respected person in America. The aim of both Pamela and Donald is to meet each other. For Betty the highest aim of her life in her captivity was to escape herself and her daughter from her husband and the Iranian customs and traditions imposed on her forcefully. For Jasmine the highest aim of her life was to fulfil her husband’s dream of going to America. For attaining the aims of their lives, the characters had to face tremendous risks, and sometimes humiliation, torture from the world. The political unrest The political and social unrest such as war communal violence make an adverse impact on the people. The outer anarchical condition creates the inner mayhem by which all the characters have been succumbed. The political unrest influences the activities of the characters in all these texts. These are one of the similar characteristics find in these texts. Behrani used to be the colonel in Iran. But after the fall of Shah, Iran had been suffering from crises. Due to These ongoing crises in Iran, many people left the country and flee in other countries for shelter and security. America was the hot destination for these people as the prosperous nation was beckoning them for a secure life and bright future. Behrani is also among these people who took refuge of this dreamland. At the time of Betty’s arrival in Iran, the nation was going through political calamities and wars. Jasmine also had tasted the bitter memories of attack of Sikh terrorists which snatched away the life of her husband and made her widow. In US also she decides to shift to Iowa due to the fears of crossing the path of Sikh terrorist in New York. The love story of Pamela and Donald is influenced by the World War II only. It was one of the most fatal wars in the world history. The love story of Donald and Pamela flourished on the background of World War II. Rather this war separate Donald and Pamela from each other. The war spoiled their relationship after marriage. It caused the permanent physical and mental loss of Donald. “House of Sand and Fog,” is a typical tragedy which ends with the complete fall of the protagonist. In the end Behrani has to lose his son and at the rage of depression he took a drastic step of ending his life as well as the life of his wife. The end of the novel is somewhat unexpected and hence shocking to the readers. The ultimate aim of Kathy may get fulfilled, but for that many people had to sacrifice their lives. In such case can we say that Kathy becomes successful in attaining her goal? In “Not Without my Daughter,” the readers get thrilled and engrossed. Though it was an end with the achievement of the character’s goal, it makes the readers uneasy. It is because somewhere the feeling of insecurity is still there in the protagonist’s mind that someone from her in-laws would come and recognize her. “Code of Love,” ends with the death of the two protagonists. Their aim has already been fulfilled in the middle of the story, but after what? Has the attainment of goal made them happy and satisfied forever? Something has been slip away from them, and that something is the real happiness and satisfaction of reunion. Jasmine has accepted the life with all its ups and downs. She also attains her dream of establishing her identity on the alien land. She broke the connections of her motherland, even she changed her name but still something is missing in her life. A big void is still there in every character’s life, a void which can never be filled. In the end I would like to quote Jermone Beaty and Paul Hunter’s statement, “Thinking of home is often accompanied by nostalgia the absence or loss of loved ones, the remoteness of the home place we are cut off from our childhood home are Exiles. And the rest of us can perhaps understand, that we are all "exiles" from our past, our childhood, that universal "home" (Jermone Beaty &Paul Hunter) Citations: 1. josephinerenae3 from Chicago, IL, 25th December2003 ‘Incredible comment on cultural gap in America, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0315983/reviews 2. Bharati Mukharjee “Jasmine,” Pg 46 3. Jermone Beaty & Paul Hunter “New Worlds of Literature References: 1. House of Sand and Fog, a book by Andre Dubus 2. Not Without my Daughter – Betty Mehmoody 3. Jasmine – Bharati Mukharjee 4. Code of Love – Andrew Linklater Read More