In The Space Between us by Thrity Umrigar, a lot has happened up to chapter 8. In chapter one, we meet Bihma and her granddaughter Maya, who is pregnant. Maya is also an orphan. In the first. Chapter, we find out that Bihma is a servant who works for Serabai. In chapter two, we meet Serabai (Sera) Dubash and her family for the first time. Bihma is late for work so Sera has to cook her daughter; Dinaz (who is also pregnant), and her son-in-law, Viraf, breakfast, which includes chopping onions, which Sera does not like to do. Eventually Bihma shows up. In chapter three, Bihma starts to wash the dishes from the night before. When the children leave, Bihma sits on the floor while Sera sits at the table and they drink tea while Bihma tells Sera how Maya told her that the father of her child was called Ashtok Malhotra (who is in her class) and Bihma goes to Maya's college to find him. In chapter four, Bihma confronts Ashtok, he denies knowing Maya and Bihma believes him after he makes a scene. When Bihma comes home she confronts Maya and Maya agrees to have an abortion, but only if Sera takes her because the doctors will do a better job and Bihma agrees to ask Sera. In chapter five, Sera goes to visit her mother-in-law (mother of her late husband Feroz). Sera had a flashback about when her husband was alive. When he was alive, they lived with his mother and Sera believed that his mother was watching her always. While his mother (Banu) is asleep, her nurse went and got some tea. While she was getting the tea, Sera had another flashback about when she first met his parents. His father was very kind to her and they shared interests while his mother did not like her. In chapter six, Shyam, their “pockmark-faced neighbor” stopped Bihma before she went into her home and told her that his wife, Rehka, came over to get a cup of sugar and found Maya in the corner vomiting. When Rehka went over to Maya to ask if she needed any help, Maya “turned on her like a viper”. When Bihma confronted her, Maya said that she was vomiting because she tried to eat a chapatti instead of an egg, like she wanted, and it did not agree with her. Bihma also recalls the story of how she found out that Maya was pregnant and how it was like salt on an emotional wound left by her late husband Gopal. Bihma recalled how she met Gopal at the bus stop and he serenaded her. He did this everyday for three weeks and after three weeks, he was not there. His cousins, Sujata and Sushil, came to her father to ask him if Gopal could marry her. They were married a month later in a simple ceremony. She then came to a conclusion that Maya must have an abortion. In chapter seven, Bihma was late for work, again. Because of this, Dinaz knew that Sera did not like to chop onions, so she got up early to help make breakfast. When Bihma arrives, Viraf drove her to the market to get the vegetables for the week. Sera would trust her with money to get the groceries for the week. But before Bihma arrived, Sera had yet another flashback. She remembered about the week after her honeymoon when she and her new husband were living with his parents and she was having her period. Banu, her new mother-in-law, would not allow her to be around the family because she was “unclean”. Everyone but Banu would talk to her and she had to stay in her bedroom and not leave. In chapter eight, Bihma finishes her shopping and returns to the house in a cab.
Prompt: Discuss whether or not the book is meeting up with your expectations.
My expectations for this book were that it would be a quick, easy read and that it would be enjoyable. So far, it is very enjoyable and an easy read, but it is not a quick read. When I read the first two chapters for homework, it did not take very long to read. So so far, it is only living up to half of my expectations.
Prompt: Reflect of how the theme (or a theme) of the book is “work”, “class”, a related theme, or a combination of these.
One of the themes of this book is “work”. This is shown in two ways. The people who work and the people who don’t work. One of the ways we see this in Bihma’s community. Bihma works very hard to support herself and Maya. Another person who works is the Harijan woman who the people of the community have come accustomed to picking up the piles of feces each night because they do not want to do it themselves. There are also the people who don’t work in the community like “Mr. Deccan Express” in chapter one, who goes to the bar all day and drinks instead of working.
Prompt: Analyze the quality of the book.
This book is of great quality, but it does not engage me. The other day, when I started the book, I decided to put down the book and watch T.V. for a break. I did this about five times in one hour. For the other things to discuss, I do think that it is a good read because I don’t know much about India, it is a book with social and cultural value because it shows how different things are in India and it opens your eyes, but it is not a great book and I don’t think that it will become a classic.
Bhima is an old widow living in a slum in Bombay with her grand-daughter Maya, who is an orphan. Maya is pregnant, and Bhima is ahamed by this fact. She beats Maya and always criticizes Maya for her stupidity. Bhima works for Serabai, who goes by Sera, Dubash. Sera is getting a little upset because Bhima has been late coming to her house to work a few times. In chapters 3 and 4, Maya tells Bhima the name of the father of her baby, and Bhima travels to Maya;s college to talk to him, and make a marriage proposal, hoping he will accept and everything could end up being okay if a family is made. But the boy who Bhima talks to, Ashok Malhotra. But he denies being the father and causes a commotion, so Bhima knows that Maya was lying and Ashok is not the father of the baby. In the beginning of chapter four, before Bhima tells Sera the story of the encounter over tea. "They are sitting in the dining room, sipping tea, Sera out of the blue-gray mug Dinaz had bought for her from cottage Industires, Bhima out of the stainless steel glass that is kept aside for her in the Dubash househhold. As usual, Sera sits on a chair at the table while Bhima squats on her haunches on the floor nearby" (Umrigar 27). Bhima isn't allowed to sit at the same table as sera or her family because Bhima is the servant from a lower class. Bhima tells Maya at the end of the chapter that maya will have to go to an abortion doctor. In chapter 5 Sera goes to visit her mother in law who she refers to as "the monster". Sera visits her everyday although the hates the attitude of her mother in law, Banu. In chapter 6, one the neighbors in Bhima's slum, Shyam, notices Maya has been acting strange and vomiting. But Bhima plays it off as though Maya is ill. Bhima doesn't want to be embarassed by the neighbors and be gossiped about. In this chapter Bhima reminices about her husband who is longer with her, Gopal. She thinks about when they were young and how he used to chase her on the bus with his bicycle and told her she was his queen. But he betrayed Bhima, and we still don't know why or how. At the beginning of chapter 7 Bhima is late to Sera's again. Sera is talking to her daughter Dinaz, and Dinaz's husband, Viraf. They are married and Dinaz is expecting a child. In this chapter, Sera thinks into the past about her husband Feroz that also betrayed her, and her mother in law Banu. She remembers when Banu would not let Sera be in the same room as her or touch the food when she had her period. Sera could not fight Bany though, Banu slapped Sera when Sera tried to confront Banu about Sera being "unclean". But Feroz said he could so nothing about it and that sera just had to live with it. This made Sera upset, and she just wanted to be alone with Feroz away from his evil mother. Feroz's father one day tells Sera that she shouldn't worry about Banu's temper, but that sometimes Feroz can be bad tempered. He tells her Feroz hasn't changed much since Feroz's first love, Gulnaz. Sera didn't know about this so she asked Feroz, but he said it was it wasn't in her place toask him about Gulnaz at all. Sera has some resistance telling Feroz she loves him after this. This ends chapter 7.
Class is highly evident in this book so far. Bhima isn't allowed to sit at the same table as Sera. Sera has even said to Dinaz once: "...have you ever noticed the fould odor of the tobacco she chews all day long? Do you want her lips to touch our glasses?" (Umrigar 27). Because Bhima is of a lower class, she lives in a slum with her orphan grand-daughter Maya, and life is very difficult for them. No matter how good of friends Sera and Bhima are, Bhima can't sit at Sera's table.
I enjoy the book so far. It is a different story unlike any other i have read before. I like it because it is about India, like the Namesake which I read this summer, but The Space Between Us is more engaging and interesting to me. I think it demonstrates the class theme extremely will and I think it will continue to do so throughout the book. I believe anybody in any country should read this, it is eye-opening to a different culture and class system.
After reading on, Maya does go through with the abortion after lots of urging from Sera and Bihma. Though she goes through with it, I think that she regrets it because, after a few months, she is still not feeling herself and laying around the house feeling sorry for herself.
As a group, we have completed thorugh chapter 15 as planned. In addition, the following characters have been introduced:
Pooja - Bihma's daughter Raju - Bihma's son-in-law Hyder - a muslim who is friendly to Bihma in the hospital Dr. Mehta - the doctor who performed Maya's abortion Freddy - Sera's father-in-law Banu - Sera's mother-in-law
Although there have been many introductions of connected family members, we still await and introduction of both Bihma's and Sera's parents.
One of the themes continuously seen throughout the unfolding story is that on "class". This is evident when Sera thinks to herself, "The generostiy of the poor, Sera marveled to herself. It puts us middle-class people to shame. They should hate our guts, really. Instead, they treat us like royalty. The thought of how she herself treated Bihma - not allowing her to sit on the furniture, having her eat with separate utensils - filled her with guilt." (page 115)
We all enjoy the book so far and have high expectations for the future of the story.
Chapter 9: In the beginning of chapter 9, Sera is awoken by her alarm so she can take Maya for her abortion. She thinks of the evil (like she thinks the baby is) and the good I her life. Her husband is the evil and the good is Bihma. She has a flashback about when Feroz beat her and the bruises would not fade. Bihma then came in and applied a special mixture to the bruises and they started to fade instantly. Sera thinks about this and comes to the conclusion that she could not repay Bihma enough and got up.
Chapter 10: In chapter 10, Sera recalls her first visit to the slums when Bihma was ill. She remembers that she insisted that Bihma stayed with her, but even when she did stay with them, Bihma slept on a thin mattress on the balcony and Maya slept on a sheet next to her. Sera picks up Maya at the bus stop, glad she is not returning to the slums, to take her for her abortion
Chapter 11: In chapter 11, Sera escorts Maya to the doctor for her abortion. After her abortion, Sera talks to the doctor and told him that she was to have only the best which surprised her. When they were going home, Maya insisted that she go home alone. Sera then said that she would send Bihma home early to care for her.
Chapter 12: Chapter 12 is the beginning of Book 2. In this chapter, Bihma and Maya are walking along the beach talking about Maya’s “ma” and “pa”. Both of Maya’s parents died of AIDs. At their wedding, Bihma recalls that her daughter did not invite her father or uncle (Amit). Bihma finds it hard to forgive her for that. She also remembers the balloon seller that used to work on the beach. Bihma regrets not asking him how he copes with the loneliness because she feels that it would have helped her cope with her own loneliness.
Chapter 13: Chapter 13 is one big flashback. In chapter 13, Bihma recalls how her daughter and son-in-law died of AIDs and how she promised that that she would care for Maya. At the end of the chapter, Bihma traveled with Maya from Dehli to Bombay.
Chapter 14: In chapter 14, Sera, Dinaz, and Viraf are at a party to celebrate the engagement of a family member called Toxy. At this party, they eat food and exchange stories.
Chapter 15: In Chapter 15, Sera remembers the time she escaped from Feroz. In this chapter we meet Sera’s parents for the first time. This is where Sera escapes to. After a couple months, Freddy comes and offers her an apartment for her, Feroz, and Dinaz. She accepts.
Prompt: Discuss whether or not the book is meeting up with your expectations.
The book is becoming a faster and faster read as I go along because I am enjoying the book more. I think that I am enjoying the book more because I look forward to hearing their stories.
Prompt: Reflect of how the theme (or a theme) of the book is “work”, “class”, a related theme, or a combination of these.
One of the themes is “class”. This is seen in many ways, but mostly the differences between middle class and lower class. Sera is Middle class and leads a more comfortable lifestyle. Bihma is lower class and works a “blue-collared job” to be able to live.
Prompt: Analyze the quality of the book.
This book is getting of better quality as the story progresses. I am finding myself more engaged, but still not totally engaged.
In our group discussion today we talked about how Bihma reflects back on the death of Maya's parents, describing the horror of the whole situation. Maya's parents died of AIDs in a government hospital in Delhi. Bihma assumed the responsibility of Maya and took her in to raise her as she would her own daughter. throughout the story, so far we have noticed many themes, one of which is lonliness. This is especially seen in Bihma becasue she is old and abondoned my most of her family. Bihma recalls to Maya a certain balloon man they used to visit and how if Bihma have just gained the courage to ask him, she would have been able to better navigate this world alone. She tells Maya, "You see, I think he could have helped me... face what was to come later in my own life. He had the secret, see? The secret of lonliness. How to live with it, how to wrap it around your body and still be able to make beautiful, colorful things, like he did with those balloons. And he could have taught it to me, if only I'd asked" (133). Although Bihma has Maya, she has still lost a great deal in her life.
Lately I have not had much time to read so I am not as far as I had hoped to be. since my last blog, I have read chapter 16 through 18. Here is my summary of these chapters.
Chapter 16
Chapter 16 starts at the beach while Bihma and Maya stroll along it as they do every evening . She told Maya about how she and Gopal would go there before they were married. She explained then, then, the beach was very dirty. She also expalined that once, she asked the balloon seller about his home country, Afghanistan, and he told her that it was tough, beautiful, and broken. She then told Maya about her grandfather's accident. Gopal had injured his hand at Godav industries, where he worked. Bihma was summoned at her home to visit him in hospoital. When she got there, she was informed that he had lost three fingers. During the surgery, Gopalhad contracted an infection. This made him very sick and weak. Because of this, they started him on anibiotics on Sera and Feroz's unrging.
Chapter 17
In chapter 17, Gopal was sent home from the hospital. When they arrive, the accountant from Gopal's factory is there to pay them 1000 rupees and to let him go from his job. When Feroz finds hom a new job, he is let go from that becasue his work s slow and he has become a drunk. When money becomes tight, Pooja found another job washin dishes. Bihma then asked the old woman who lived in the next appartment if she could see the hut in the slum that she mentioned.
Chapter 18
In chapter 18, Bihma returned to her home after work to find her sick son alone in bed. He then told her that Gopal was at the bootleggers drinking. This made Bihma so mad that she grabbed her broom, marched down there and hit him with it time and time again until she was tired and Gopal returned the favor, but with his good hand. the patrons of the pub had to reak up the fight.
This book seems to be going slower becasue not much is happening and the chapters seem to be getting longer which makes it seem like it is going slower. I am not enjoying this book as much as I was at first, but it is still a good book.
Antother theme that I am recognizing is domestic abuse. This is shown through Bihma and Gopal and Sera and Feroz. In Sera's relationship, it is just feros being the abuser, but in Bihma's relationship, it is both of them. This theme has been prominent throughout the book.
In chapter 8, Viraf drives Bhima into the city of Bombay so that she can complete her shopping errands. To Bhima, Bombay now seems like "...as if the city was mad with greed and hunger, power and impotence, wealth and poverty" (Umrigar 92). When Bhima id done shopping, her and her helper/basket carrier, Rajeev, get something to eat and then Viraf picks her up to take her home
Sera thinks back to the past in chapter nine, about how her husband beat her. She looks back on how Feroz had given her so many bruises that caused her pain physically and emotionally. She remembers Bhima as her hero, especially when Bhima created a concoction to heal Sera's bruises and massaged it onto her body. Sera thinks: "Out of the blue fog of time, Sera remembers the blow and balm; the tormenter and the healer: Feroz and Bhima" (104).
At the beginning of chapter 10, it is the day Sera will take Maya to have her abortion. But she is relieved she does not have to pick Maya up at the slum. She remembers her first visit to the slum when she: "...had wanted to turn away, to flee this horrific world and escape back into the sanity of her life. But her concern for Bhima propelled her forward" (114). Sera went to the slum because Bhima was terribly ill, and insisted that Bhima and Maya come stay at Sera's house for a while. Although Bhima was in Sera's home, Bhima and Maya sleep out on the balcony on a thin mattress and a sheet, which Sera knows isn't the bast care but she can't seem to care for them any better. She wants to remain healthy herself, and knows she is being a bit selfish about it. At the end of the chapter Sera sees Bhima and Maya at the bus stop, and Maya hesitantly joins Sera in the cab to go the abortion doctor.
Dr. Mehta is the doctor in chapter11 that will perform Maya's abortion. When it is time for Maya to have the procedure done, Maya whispers to Sera: "You come with me...I don't want to be in there all alone" (121). Sera honestly does not think she can go in with Maya, she can't imagine the thought of being in the room when the fetus would die. But the doctor explains Sera isn't allowed in the room anyway. Maya has to stay in the hospital for a few more hours and then she can go home. Sera buys Maya the tonic she'll need to heal better and some healthy fruits to nourish her the next few days. Chapter 11 ends "Book One".
In chapter 12, to Bhima, Maya is like a statue: "Two months have gone by, Bhima thinks, and still the girl won't come to life" (129). Maya just miserable still about the abortion. So Bhima suddenly thinks to take her out walking along the beach. Bhima answers many questions Maya has about her parents, and then they go to get something to eat. This is an emotional moment for both Bhima and Maya, all they have in this world are each other. They trust and love the other very much.
Chapter 13 is the story of when Maya's parents, Pooja (Bhima's daughter) and Raju. They are sick and Bhima leaves for Delhi. The hospital Pooja and Raju are in is a government hospital, and to Bhima it feels like it is full of death. Everything is in horrible condition, and the patients reflect that. Raju, Maya's father, dies of Aids first. And then some weeks later Pooja dies. Maya is young so she doesn't really understand the situation,but Bhima feels she has died herself, the only thing keeping her alive is Maya.
Sera, Viraf, and Dinaz go to Aban and Pervez Driver's house. This is a celebration for Toxy, their daughter, because she is engaged. They tell stories and make conversation throughout dinner. Something that Aban overhears Dinaz saying is: "I tell you, my Sera has not been the same since her beloved Feroz's death" (169).
Class and Work are still evident throughout the chapters. Although Bhima is an important person to Sera, Sera can't seem to treat her as an equal. Bhima works for Sera, and she gets rewarded, but could be rewarded greater. Obviously, Bhima never complains about how Sera treats her. Sera is much more respectful to Bhima than some other people in India are to their servants. There will always been some separation between Sera and Bhima.
The book is good, but not fully meeting my expectations. I like the book but don't love it. I am hoping that as the book goes on it will be more interesting and maybe we can discover more characters and a more exciting plot.
After finishing the book, it seems liek the last chapter was disappointing. We found it shocking that Viraf had the nerve to rape Maya, not tell anyone, and then not take any responsibility for the child. Bihma, alone, figures out that Viraf is the father of Maya's child. But, when Bihma tries to tell Sera, Sera doesn't believe her and fires her. This was an anticlimactic way to end the book and was disappointing becasue we were expecting more from the book. It was sad to see how Bihma and Sera's relationship unraveled at the end.
In the end, Bihma bought 20 rupees worth of balloons and let them go which symbolized the letting go of her and her freindships. Bihma feels she is leaving one hell to enter another by leaving one job and having to find another at her age, which will be impossible. The last line in the book is "It is dark, but inside Bihmas's eart it is dawn" (321). This represents that Bihma is still hopeful after everything she has been through.
In chapter 19, Bihma comes home, her arms laden with onions, to find Maya reading a letter by lamplight in the corner. Maya read the letter to Bihma with her grandmother’s urging. The letter was from Gopal and was hidden in a box in their hut. It explained how Gopal and Amit left Bihma and Pooja to live in the country and that would not be coming back. At reading this, Maya started to cry and they went to Chowpatty to eat snacks for dinner because there was not time to cook.
Chapter 20
In chapter 20, Dinaz sits down at the dinner table, but decides that she wants to eat at Chowpatty. While there, Sera remembered how Feroz, her husband, dies and how he used to love to come to Chowpatty. At the end of the chapter, Dinaz notices Bihma and Maya at eating at the next stall and calls them over.
Chapter 21
In chapter 21, Bihma and Maya greet Dinaz, Viraf, and Sera. When they are together, Viraf and Maya do not talk or look at each other. It is at this point that Bihma realizes that the father of Maya’s “dead baby” was Viraf At first Bihma is angry, but later she asks Maya to tell her what happened.
Chapter 22
In chapter 22, Maya recalls how Viraf came to Banu’s house to do her taxes. While doing her taxes, Viraf raped Maya after she relieved Viraf’s neck cramp with a massage
Chapter 23
In chapter 23, Bihma tries to get up the courage to ask why he raped her granddaughter and why he was in such a rush is abort his “bastard child”. When she speaks, all she can say is “Viraf baba, whywhywhywhywhy oh, whywhywhy-whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?” (287). Next thing you know, she is getting out of his car at the marketplace.
Chapter 24
In chapter 24, Viraf comes home from Banu’s house accusing Bihma of steeling 700 rupees from a cupboard there. When she denies it, Viraf tells her not to lie and Bihma gets angry by telling him not to lie about what he did to Maya and the respect of her family. After all of the fighting, Sera fires her and tells her to get all of her things out of her house. Bihma wants to say goodbye to Dinaz, but Sera tells her that she never wants her to see Dinaz again.
Chapter 25
In chapter 25, Bihma walks along the beach thinking about eh differences in classes in India. Later, she bought some balloons and, symbolically, let them go, which, in turn, let go of all of her troubles. The next day will be a new day
Prompt: Discuss whether or not the book is meeting up with your expectations.
I thought that the book would have had a better ending, but, in my mind, the book was very anticlimactic. This was because all that happened in the end was the firing of Bihma and I though more would have happened and I also hoped that Viraf would have been punished for his actions.
Prompt: Reflect of how the theme (or a theme) of the book is “work”, “class”, a related theme, or a combination of these.
One of the themes throughout the book was Power. This is seen in many ways including between husband and wife and between middle and lower classes. Some examples of this are Feroz has power over Sera, Feroz has power over the doctor in the government hospital, Viraf has power over Maya, Sera has power over Bihma, Bihma has power over Maya, and the middle class has power over the lower class
Prompt: Analyze the quality of the book.
The book was very anticlimactic, like mentioned before, but was well written. I would not recommend this book.
In chapter 15 Sera leaves the Dubash household with Dinaz telling Banu that they are going out. Banu is upset but Sera just leaves. Sera doesn’t know where to go at first, but then she decides to go to her parents’ house. She knows she won’t be going back to the Dubash’s where Banu and Feroz are. Sera’s parents willingly take her in, but Sera doesn’t tell them anything about Feroz beating her or banu harassing her. Freddy Dubash, feroz’s father who Sera loves, comes by to Sera’s parents’ house and tells her he has bought an apartment in a new building. He offers her the opportunity to go and live there with Feroz, away from Feroz’s parents. Sera is a bit hesitant but agrees: “I hope I’m not making a mistake, but I accept your kind offer. I accept” (196).
In chapter 16, Bhima and maya are walking along th beach and Bhima tells Maya the story of Gopal's accident. He had cut off three of his fingers while working at his job, so he had to go to the hospital and receive surgery. He later contracted an infection. When Sera and Feroz go to the hospital to visit Bhima and Gopal, feroz gets furious at the doctor for not putting her on anti-biotics. Because Feroz is of a higher class, the doctor starts Gopal on anit-biotics right away so that they can help fight and cure the infection.
Chapters 17 and 18 describe how Gopal was payed 1000 rupess from his old job and was let go. He then found a new job with Feroz's help but it was not to his satisfaction and felt it was dreary. Gopal turned to alcohol, using it as an escape for his troubles revolving around his job. Because Gopal begins to drink so much, and Bhima and him don't make a lot of pay, their family is in a weak economic situation. One day, Bhima takes off to the bar where Gopal is, because their sick son has been home alone while Bhima was at work. She takes a broom with, ready to beat Gopal with it and she does so. But then he begins to hit her back after she is tired out from beating him. The fight is broken up by people in the bar, but there is harsh feelings between Bhima and her husband.
Chapter 19 returns to the present with Bhima and Maya at home. Maya's begins to cry as she reads a letter she just found in a box, and it was written by Gopal. In it, Gopal explains that he left with their son Amit, and that they would not be returning. They were going to leave Bhima and Maya behind.
The theme of work is seen throughout these chapters because it had a tremendous effect on the life of Gopal. Without a job, Gopal felt hopeless and became and alcoholic. When people who have worked for a long time and no longer have a job, it is hard to cope with the feeling that they are good for nothing. Because Gopal was let go and turned to alcohol, this led Bhima to beat him and then both of them getting in a fight; the result of this will be him leaving Bhima for good with their son.
These chapters were more engaging for me, as they revealed new personalities of the characters. You felt proud for Bhima to have the courage to beat her own husband with the broom, and then the next moment you are wincing in pain for her sake because Gopal has just struck her with his own hands.
I hope the book continues to progress in an interesting direction, where hopefully we can see other sides of different characters throughout the chapters.
In chapter 20, Sera, Dinaz, and Viraf go out to eat at Chowpatty, where they see bhima and maya and eventually call them over to eat with them. Before they do so, Sera is triggered with thoughts of Feroz because he adored Chowpatty. She brings him up in the conversation and Viraf says: " 'He was a tough guy' They are all silent for a minute, each of them remembering Feroz" (255).
Chapter 21 gives the whole story a twist when Bhima figures out on her own that Viraf was the father of Maya's baby. She noti es tension between Viraf and Maya when they all sit at the table together, and neither Viraf or Maya speak to one another. Bhima knows something is up, and then realizes what seems impossible but true. We see a clue at the end of chapter 21 when Viraf responds to Dinaz calling Bhima and Maya over to their table: "Er, we probably shouldn't disturb them...After all, with maya having lost her child she may be..." (264). She becomes very angry at maya, mainly for not telling her. But then Bhima lets Maya explain everything that happened. Bhima doesn't want to put shame on the Dubashes after everything Sera has done for her.
Maya explains the story of how Viraf raped her while she was at Banu's home doing some work. Viraf stopped by and asked Maya for a neck massage, which turned into a back massage, and then the raped her in the bedroom. He blamed Maya for the incident and said that if she ever told anyone they wouldn't believe her but that they would believe Viraf.
"Bhima had never known that hate could have such a jagged edge" (281). This is how Bhima feels toward Viraf now. She can't believe his actions. She tries to must up the courage to confront him about the incident when he is driving her to the marketplace, but she can't make out any words. When Bhima exits the car and enters the marketplace she thinks to herself: "This is where I belong...Among the vendors and the cart pushers and the fishmongers and the ragpickers. Not in air conditioned cars" (291).
Chapter 24 becomes controversial between Bhima and Viraf. Viraf accuses Bhima of stealing money from Banu's home, and tells Bhima to not lie to the family. But Bhima brings up the fact that Viraf has raped Maya and says he can't deny that. After fighting and an intense exchanging of words, Sera fires Bhima, and doesn't allow her to say goodbye to Dinaz.
In chapter 25, Bhima is out for a walk, and she is reflecting on what has happened and about Sera. She feels that although she has lost everything, there should still be hope for something. You can tell she is happy when she buys a bunch of balloons and just lets them float away in the air, leaving her hands. She has a light hearted spirit thinking tomorrow can be better, and the last line of the book says: "It is dark, but inside Bhima's heart it is dawn" (321).
I saw class as the clearly demonstrated theme in the last few chapters. It is sad to think that Sera fired Bhima, after everything they have been through, and the healthy relationship they have. But Sera believed someone from her own class instead of her servant,, who actually knew the truth. Class can get in the way of good friendships and different aspects of life, and everyone is affected by it.
This book is written very well. There is a rich vocabulary throughout it and the chapters grab your attention. The book was more of a page turner toward the end, when more dramatic things take place. But this book contains a quality story that readers I think of all ages would enjoy, not just adults.
I think the book will stand the test of time, especially if our global society realizes the importance of work and class. By writing about work and class in an interesting manner with an excellent story, readers can focus on these themes and see how they are evident in our world today.
To me it seems like the ending is depressing, if you could have rewritted the book, how would you have done so? Would you leave it the same, or make it a more positive ending?
14 comments:
Yay! I have the first post!
Individual Blog Entry #1
Prompt: Summarize the book so far
In The Space Between us by Thrity Umrigar, a lot has happened up to chapter 8. In chapter one, we meet Bihma and her granddaughter Maya, who is pregnant. Maya is also an orphan. In the first. Chapter, we find out that Bihma is a servant who works for Serabai. In chapter two, we meet Serabai (Sera) Dubash and her family for the first time. Bihma is late for work so Sera has to cook her daughter; Dinaz (who is also pregnant), and her son-in-law, Viraf, breakfast, which includes chopping onions, which Sera does not like to do. Eventually Bihma shows up. In chapter three, Bihma starts to wash the dishes from the night before. When the children leave, Bihma sits on the floor while Sera sits at the table and they drink tea while Bihma tells Sera how Maya told her that the father of her child was called Ashtok Malhotra (who is in her class) and Bihma goes to Maya's college to find him. In chapter four, Bihma confronts Ashtok, he denies knowing Maya and Bihma believes him after he makes a scene. When Bihma comes home she confronts Maya and Maya agrees to have an abortion, but only if Sera takes her because the doctors will do a better job and Bihma agrees to ask Sera. In chapter five, Sera goes to visit her mother-in-law (mother of her late husband Feroz). Sera had a flashback about when her husband was alive. When he was alive, they lived with his mother and Sera believed that his mother was watching her always. While his mother (Banu) is asleep, her nurse went and got some tea. While she was getting the tea, Sera had another flashback about when she first met his parents. His father was very kind to her and they shared interests while his mother did not like her. In chapter six, Shyam, their “pockmark-faced neighbor” stopped Bihma before she went into her home and told her that his wife, Rehka, came over to get a cup of sugar and found Maya in the corner vomiting. When Rehka went over to Maya to ask if she needed any help, Maya “turned on her like a viper”. When Bihma confronted her, Maya said that she was vomiting because she tried to eat a chapatti instead of an egg, like she wanted, and it did not agree with her. Bihma also recalls the story of how she found out that Maya was pregnant and how it was like salt on an emotional wound left by her late husband Gopal. Bihma recalled how she met Gopal at the bus stop and he serenaded her. He did this everyday for three weeks and after three weeks, he was not there. His cousins, Sujata and Sushil, came to her father to ask him if Gopal could marry her. They were married a month later in a simple ceremony. She then came to a conclusion that Maya must have an abortion. In chapter seven, Bihma was late for work, again. Because of this, Dinaz knew that Sera did not like to chop onions, so she got up early to help make breakfast. When Bihma arrives, Viraf drove her to the market to get the vegetables for the week. Sera would trust her with money to get the groceries for the week. But before Bihma arrived, Sera had yet another flashback. She remembered about the week after her honeymoon when she and her new husband were living with his parents and she was having her period. Banu, her new mother-in-law, would not allow her to be around the family because she was “unclean”. Everyone but Banu would talk to her and she had to stay in her bedroom and not leave. In chapter eight, Bihma finishes her shopping and returns to the house in a cab.
Prompt: Discuss whether or not the book is meeting up with your expectations.
My expectations for this book were that it would be a quick, easy read and that it would be enjoyable. So far, it is very enjoyable and an easy read, but it is not a quick read. When I read the first two chapters for homework, it did not take very long to read. So so far, it is only living up to half of my expectations.
Prompt: Reflect of how the theme (or a theme) of the book is “work”, “class”, a related theme, or a combination of these.
One of the themes of this book is “work”. This is shown in two ways. The people who work and the people who don’t work. One of the ways we see this in Bihma’s community. Bihma works very hard to support herself and Maya. Another person who works is the Harijan woman who the people of the community have come accustomed to picking up the piles of feces each night because they do not want to do it themselves. There are also the people who don’t work in the community like “Mr. Deccan Express” in chapter one, who goes to the bar all day and drinks instead of working.
Prompt: Analyze the quality of the book.
This book is of great quality, but it does not engage me. The other day, when I started the book, I decided to put down the book and watch T.V. for a break. I did this about five times in one hour. For the other things to discuss, I do think that it is a good read because I don’t know much about India, it is a book with social and cultural value because it shows how different things are in India and it opens your eyes, but it is not a great book and I don’t think that it will become a classic.
Chapters 1-7
Individual Blog
Bhima is an old widow living in a slum in Bombay with her grand-daughter Maya, who is an orphan. Maya is pregnant, and Bhima is ahamed by this fact. She beats Maya and always criticizes Maya for her stupidity. Bhima works for Serabai, who goes by Sera, Dubash. Sera is getting a little upset because Bhima has been late coming to her house to work a few times. In chapters 3 and 4, Maya tells Bhima the name of the father of her baby, and Bhima travels to Maya;s college to talk to him, and make a marriage proposal, hoping he will accept and everything could end up being okay if a family is made. But the boy who Bhima talks to, Ashok Malhotra. But he denies being the father and causes a commotion, so Bhima knows that Maya was lying and Ashok is not the father of the baby. In the beginning of chapter four, before Bhima tells Sera the story of the encounter over tea. "They are sitting in the dining room, sipping tea, Sera out of the blue-gray mug Dinaz had bought for her from cottage Industires, Bhima out of the stainless steel glass that is kept aside for her in the Dubash househhold. As usual, Sera sits on a chair at the table while Bhima squats on her haunches on the floor nearby" (Umrigar 27). Bhima isn't allowed to sit at the same table as sera or her family because Bhima is the servant from a lower class. Bhima tells Maya at the end of the chapter that maya will have to go to an abortion doctor. In chapter 5 Sera goes to visit her mother in law who she refers to as "the monster". Sera visits her everyday although the hates the attitude of her mother in law, Banu. In chapter 6, one the neighbors in Bhima's slum, Shyam, notices Maya has been acting strange and vomiting. But Bhima plays it off as though Maya is ill. Bhima doesn't want to be embarassed by the neighbors and be gossiped about. In this chapter Bhima reminices about her husband who is longer with her, Gopal. She thinks about when they were young and how he used to chase her on the bus with his bicycle and told her she was his queen. But he betrayed Bhima, and we still don't know why or how. At the beginning of chapter 7 Bhima is late to Sera's again. Sera is talking to her daughter Dinaz, and Dinaz's husband, Viraf. They are married and Dinaz is expecting a child. In this chapter, Sera thinks into the past about her husband Feroz that also betrayed her, and her mother in law Banu. She remembers when Banu would not let Sera be in the same room as her or touch the food when she had her period. Sera could not fight Bany though, Banu slapped Sera when Sera tried to confront Banu about Sera being "unclean". But Feroz said he could so nothing about it and that sera just had to live with it. This made Sera upset, and she just wanted to be alone with Feroz away from his evil mother. Feroz's father one day tells Sera that she shouldn't worry about Banu's temper, but that sometimes Feroz can be bad tempered. He tells her Feroz hasn't changed much since Feroz's first love, Gulnaz. Sera didn't know about this so she asked Feroz, but he said it was it wasn't in her place toask him about Gulnaz at all. Sera has some resistance telling Feroz she loves him after this. This ends chapter 7.
Class is highly evident in this book so far. Bhima isn't allowed to sit at the same table as Sera. Sera has even said to Dinaz once: "...have you ever noticed the fould odor of the tobacco she chews all day long? Do you want her lips to touch our glasses?" (Umrigar 27). Because Bhima is of a lower class, she lives in a slum with her orphan grand-daughter Maya, and life is very difficult for them. No matter how good of friends Sera and Bhima are, Bhima can't sit at Sera's table.
I enjoy the book so far. It is a different story unlike any other i have read before. I like it because it is about India, like the Namesake which I read this summer, but The Space Between Us is more engaging and interesting to me. I think it demonstrates the class theme extremely will and I think it will continue to do so throughout the book. I believe anybody in any country should read this, it is eye-opening to a different culture and class system.
This question is for anyone who wants to answer.
Based on what you have learned of the Maya's and Bihma's characters so far, do you think Maya will go through with the abortion or not?
After reading on, Maya does go through with the abortion after lots of urging from Sera and Bihma. Though she goes through with it, I think that she regrets it because, after a few months, she is still not feeling herself and laying around the house feeling sorry for herself.
Group Blog Entry #1
As a group, we have completed thorugh chapter 15 as planned. In addition, the following characters have been introduced:
Pooja - Bihma's daughter
Raju - Bihma's son-in-law
Hyder - a muslim who is friendly to Bihma in the hospital
Dr. Mehta - the doctor who performed Maya's abortion
Freddy - Sera's father-in-law
Banu - Sera's mother-in-law
Although there have been many introductions of connected family members, we still await and introduction of both Bihma's and Sera's parents.
One of the themes continuously seen throughout the unfolding story is that on "class". This is evident when Sera thinks to herself, "The generostiy of the poor, Sera marveled to herself. It puts us middle-class people to shame. They should hate our guts, really. Instead, they treat us like royalty. The thought of how she herself treated Bihma - not allowing her to sit on the furniture, having her eat with separate utensils - filled her with guilt." (page 115)
We all enjoy the book so far and have high expectations for the future of the story.
Individual Blog #2
Prompt: Summarize the book so far
Chapter 9:
In the beginning of chapter 9, Sera is awoken by her alarm so she can take Maya for her abortion. She thinks of the evil (like she thinks the baby is) and the good I her life. Her husband is the evil and the good is Bihma. She has a flashback about when Feroz beat her and the bruises would not fade. Bihma then came in and applied a special mixture to the bruises and they started to fade instantly. Sera thinks about this and comes to the conclusion that she could not repay Bihma enough and got up.
Chapter 10:
In chapter 10, Sera recalls her first visit to the slums when Bihma was ill. She remembers that she insisted that Bihma stayed with her, but even when she did stay with them, Bihma slept on a thin mattress on the balcony and Maya slept on a sheet next to her. Sera picks up Maya at the bus stop, glad she is not returning to the slums, to take her for her abortion
Chapter 11:
In chapter 11, Sera escorts Maya to the doctor for her abortion. After her abortion, Sera talks to the doctor and told him that she was to have only the best which surprised her. When they were going home, Maya insisted that she go home alone. Sera then said that she would send Bihma home early to care for her.
Chapter 12:
Chapter 12 is the beginning of Book 2. In this chapter, Bihma and Maya are walking along the beach talking about Maya’s “ma” and “pa”. Both of Maya’s parents died of AIDs. At their wedding, Bihma recalls that her daughter did not invite her father or uncle (Amit). Bihma finds it hard to forgive her for that. She also remembers the balloon seller that used to work on the beach. Bihma regrets not asking him how he copes with the loneliness because she feels that it would have helped her cope with her own loneliness.
Chapter 13:
Chapter 13 is one big flashback. In chapter 13, Bihma recalls how her daughter and son-in-law died of AIDs and how she promised that that she would care for Maya. At the end of the chapter, Bihma traveled with Maya from Dehli to Bombay.
Chapter 14:
In chapter 14, Sera, Dinaz, and Viraf are at a party to celebrate the engagement of a family member called Toxy. At this party, they eat food and exchange stories.
Chapter 15:
In Chapter 15, Sera remembers the time she escaped from Feroz. In this chapter we meet Sera’s parents for the first time. This is where Sera escapes to. After a couple months, Freddy comes and offers her an apartment for her, Feroz, and Dinaz. She accepts.
Prompt: Discuss whether or not the book is meeting up with your expectations.
The book is becoming a faster and faster read as I go along because I am enjoying the book more. I think that I am enjoying the book more because I look forward to hearing their stories.
Prompt: Reflect of how the theme (or a theme) of the book is “work”, “class”, a related theme, or a combination of these.
One of the themes is “class”. This is seen in many ways, but mostly the differences between middle class and lower class. Sera is Middle class and leads a more comfortable lifestyle. Bihma is lower class and works a “blue-collared job” to be able to live.
Prompt: Analyze the quality of the book.
This book is getting of better quality as the story progresses. I am finding myself more engaged, but still not totally engaged.
Group Blog #2
In our group discussion today we talked about how Bihma reflects back on the death of Maya's parents, describing the horror of the whole situation. Maya's parents died of AIDs in a government hospital in Delhi. Bihma assumed the responsibility of Maya and took her in to raise her as she would her own daughter. throughout the story, so far we have noticed many themes, one of which is lonliness. This is especially seen in Bihma becasue she is old and abondoned my most of her family. Bihma recalls to Maya a certain balloon man they used to visit and how if Bihma have just gained the courage to ask him, she would have been able to better navigate this world alone. She tells Maya, "You see, I think he could have helped me... face what was to come later in my own life. He had the secret, see? The secret of lonliness. How to live with it, how to wrap it around your body and still be able to make beautiful, colorful things, like he did with those balloons. And he could have taught it to me, if only I'd asked" (133). Although Bihma has Maya, she has still lost a great deal in her life.
Individual blog #3
Lately I have not had much time to read so I am not as far as I had hoped to be. since my last blog, I have read chapter 16 through 18. Here is my summary of these chapters.
Chapter 16
Chapter 16 starts at the beach while Bihma and Maya stroll along it as they do every evening . She told Maya about how she and Gopal would go there before they were married. She explained then, then, the beach was very dirty. She also expalined that once, she asked the balloon seller about his home country, Afghanistan, and he told her that it was tough, beautiful, and broken. She then told Maya about her grandfather's accident. Gopal had injured his hand at Godav industries, where he worked. Bihma was summoned at her home to visit him in hospoital. When she got there, she was informed that he had lost three fingers. During the surgery, Gopalhad contracted an infection. This made him very sick and weak. Because of this, they started him on anibiotics on Sera and Feroz's unrging.
Chapter 17
In chapter 17, Gopal was sent home from the hospital. When they arrive, the accountant from Gopal's factory is there to pay them 1000 rupees and to let him go from his job. When Feroz finds hom a new job, he is let go from that becasue his work s slow and he has become a drunk. When money becomes tight, Pooja found another job washin dishes. Bihma then asked the old woman who lived in the next appartment if she could see the hut in the slum that she mentioned.
Chapter 18
In chapter 18, Bihma returned to her home after work to find her sick son alone in bed. He then told her that Gopal was at the bootleggers drinking. This made Bihma so mad that she grabbed her broom, marched down there and hit him with it time and time again until she was tired and Gopal returned the favor, but with his good hand. the patrons of the pub had to reak up the fight.
This book seems to be going slower becasue not much is happening and the chapters seem to be getting longer which makes it seem like it is going slower. I am not enjoying this book as much as I was at first, but it is still a good book.
Antother theme that I am recognizing is domestic abuse. This is shown through Bihma and Gopal and Sera and Feroz. In Sera's relationship, it is just feros being the abuser, but in Bihma's relationship, it is both of them. This theme has been prominent throughout the book.
Chapters 8-14
Individual Blog
In chapter 8, Viraf drives Bhima into the city of Bombay so that she can complete her shopping errands. To Bhima, Bombay now seems like "...as if the city was mad with greed and hunger, power and impotence, wealth and poverty" (Umrigar 92). When Bhima id done shopping, her and her helper/basket carrier, Rajeev, get something to eat and then Viraf picks her up to take her home
Sera thinks back to the past in chapter nine, about how her husband beat her. She looks back on how Feroz had given her so many bruises that caused her pain physically and emotionally. She remembers Bhima as her hero, especially when Bhima created a concoction to heal Sera's bruises and massaged it onto her body. Sera thinks: "Out of the blue fog of time, Sera remembers the blow and balm; the tormenter and the healer: Feroz and Bhima" (104).
At the beginning of chapter 10, it is the day Sera will take Maya to have her abortion. But she is relieved she does not have to pick Maya up at the slum. She remembers her first visit to the slum when she: "...had wanted to turn away, to flee this horrific world and escape back into the sanity of her life. But her concern for Bhima propelled her forward" (114). Sera went to the slum because Bhima was terribly ill, and insisted that Bhima and Maya come stay at Sera's house for a while. Although Bhima was in Sera's home, Bhima and Maya sleep out on the balcony on a thin mattress and a sheet, which Sera knows isn't the bast care but she can't seem to care for them any better. She wants to remain healthy herself, and knows she is being a bit selfish about it. At the end of the chapter Sera sees Bhima and Maya at the bus stop, and Maya hesitantly joins Sera in the cab to go the abortion doctor.
Dr. Mehta is the doctor in chapter11 that will perform Maya's abortion. When it is time for Maya to have the procedure done, Maya whispers to Sera: "You come with me...I don't want to be in there all alone" (121). Sera honestly does not think she can go in with Maya, she can't imagine the thought of being in the room when the fetus would die. But the doctor explains Sera isn't allowed in the room anyway. Maya has to stay in the hospital for a few more hours and then she can go home. Sera buys Maya the tonic she'll need to heal better and some healthy fruits to nourish her the next few days. Chapter 11 ends "Book One".
In chapter 12, to Bhima, Maya is like a statue: "Two months have gone by, Bhima thinks, and still the girl won't come to life" (129). Maya just miserable still about the abortion. So Bhima suddenly thinks to take her out walking along the beach. Bhima answers many questions Maya has about her parents, and then they go to get something to eat. This is an emotional moment for both Bhima and Maya, all they have in this world are each other. They trust and love the other very much.
Chapter 13 is the story of when Maya's parents, Pooja (Bhima's daughter) and Raju. They are sick and Bhima leaves for Delhi. The hospital Pooja and Raju are in is a government hospital, and to Bhima it feels like it is full of death. Everything is in horrible condition, and the patients reflect that. Raju, Maya's father, dies of Aids first. And then some weeks later Pooja dies. Maya is young so she doesn't really understand the situation,but Bhima feels she has died herself, the only thing keeping her alive is Maya.
Sera, Viraf, and Dinaz go to Aban and Pervez Driver's house. This is a celebration for Toxy, their daughter, because she is engaged. They tell stories and make conversation throughout dinner. Something that Aban overhears Dinaz saying is: "I tell you, my Sera has not been the same since her beloved Feroz's death" (169).
Class and Work are still evident throughout the chapters. Although Bhima is an important person to Sera, Sera can't seem to treat her as an equal. Bhima works for Sera, and she gets rewarded, but could be rewarded greater. Obviously, Bhima never complains about how Sera treats her. Sera is much more respectful to Bhima than some other people in India are to their servants. There will always been some separation between Sera and Bhima.
The book is good, but not fully meeting my expectations. I like the book but don't love it. I am hoping that as the book goes on it will be more interesting and maybe we can discover more characters and a more exciting plot.
Group Blog Entry #3
After finishing the book, it seems liek the last chapter was disappointing. We found it shocking that Viraf had the nerve to rape Maya, not tell anyone, and then not take any responsibility for the child. Bihma, alone, figures out that Viraf is the father of Maya's child. But, when Bihma tries to tell Sera, Sera doesn't believe her and fires her. This was an anticlimactic way to end the book and was disappointing becasue we were expecting more from the book. It was sad to see how Bihma and Sera's relationship unraveled at the end.
In the end, Bihma bought 20 rupees worth of balloons and let them go which symbolized the letting go of her and her freindships. Bihma feels she is leaving one hell to enter another by leaving one job and having to find another at her age, which will be impossible. The last line in the book is "It is dark, but inside Bihmas's eart it is dawn" (321). This represents that Bihma is still hopeful after everything she has been through.
Individual Blog Entry #4
Prompt: Summarize the book so far
Chapter 19
In chapter 19, Bihma comes home, her arms laden with onions, to find Maya reading a letter by lamplight in the corner. Maya read the letter to Bihma with her grandmother’s urging. The letter was from Gopal and was hidden in a box in their hut. It explained how Gopal and Amit left Bihma and Pooja to live in the country and that would not be coming back. At reading this, Maya started to cry and they went to Chowpatty to eat snacks for dinner because there was not time to cook.
Chapter 20
In chapter 20, Dinaz sits down at the dinner table, but decides that she wants to eat at Chowpatty. While there, Sera remembered how Feroz, her husband, dies and how he used to love to come to Chowpatty. At the end of the chapter, Dinaz notices Bihma and Maya at eating at the next stall and calls them over.
Chapter 21
In chapter 21, Bihma and Maya greet Dinaz, Viraf, and Sera. When they are together, Viraf and Maya do not talk or look at each other. It is at this point that Bihma realizes that the father of Maya’s “dead baby” was Viraf At first Bihma is angry, but later she asks Maya to tell her what happened.
Chapter 22
In chapter 22, Maya recalls how Viraf came to Banu’s house to do her taxes. While doing her taxes, Viraf raped Maya after she relieved Viraf’s neck cramp with a massage
Chapter 23
In chapter 23, Bihma tries to get up the courage to ask why he raped her granddaughter and why he was in such a rush is abort his “bastard child”. When she speaks, all she can say is “Viraf baba, whywhywhywhywhy oh, whywhywhy-whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?” (287). Next thing you know, she is getting out of his car at the marketplace.
Chapter 24
In chapter 24, Viraf comes home from Banu’s house accusing Bihma of steeling 700 rupees from a cupboard there. When she denies it, Viraf tells her not to lie and Bihma gets angry by telling him not to lie about what he did to Maya and the respect of her family. After all of the fighting, Sera fires her and tells her to get all of her things out of her house. Bihma wants to say goodbye to Dinaz, but Sera tells her that she never wants her to see Dinaz again.
Chapter 25
In chapter 25, Bihma walks along the beach thinking about eh differences in classes in India. Later, she bought some balloons and, symbolically, let them go, which, in turn, let go of all of her troubles. The next day will be a new day
Prompt: Discuss whether or not the book is meeting up with your expectations.
I thought that the book would have had a better ending, but, in my mind, the book was very anticlimactic. This was because all that happened in the end was the firing of Bihma and I though more would have happened and I also hoped that Viraf would have been punished for his actions.
Prompt: Reflect of how the theme (or a theme) of the book is “work”, “class”, a related theme, or a combination of these.
One of the themes throughout the book was Power. This is seen in many ways including between husband and wife and between middle and lower classes. Some examples of this are Feroz has power over Sera, Feroz has power over the doctor in the government hospital, Viraf has power over Maya, Sera has power over Bihma, Bihma has power over Maya, and the middle class has power over the lower class
Prompt: Analyze the quality of the book.
The book was very anticlimactic, like mentioned before, but was well written. I would not recommend this book.
Chapters 15-19
Individual Blog
In chapter 15 Sera leaves the Dubash household with Dinaz telling Banu that they are going out. Banu is upset but Sera just leaves. Sera doesn’t know where to go at first, but then she decides to go to her parents’ house. She knows she won’t be going back to the Dubash’s where Banu and Feroz are. Sera’s parents willingly take her in, but Sera doesn’t tell them anything about Feroz beating her or banu harassing her. Freddy Dubash, feroz’s father who Sera loves, comes by to Sera’s parents’ house and tells her he has bought an apartment in a new building. He offers her the opportunity to go and live there with Feroz, away from Feroz’s parents. Sera is a bit hesitant but agrees: “I hope I’m not making a mistake, but I accept your kind offer. I accept” (196).
In chapter 16, Bhima and maya are walking along th beach and Bhima tells Maya the story of Gopal's accident. He had cut off three of his fingers while working at his job, so he had to go to the hospital and receive surgery. He later contracted an infection. When Sera and Feroz go to the hospital to visit Bhima and Gopal, feroz gets furious at the doctor for not putting her on anti-biotics. Because Feroz is of a higher class, the doctor starts Gopal on anit-biotics right away so that they can help fight and cure the infection.
Chapters 17 and 18 describe how Gopal was payed 1000 rupess from his old job and was let go. He then found a new job with Feroz's help but it was not to his satisfaction and felt it was dreary. Gopal turned to alcohol, using it as an escape for his troubles revolving around his job. Because Gopal begins to drink so much, and Bhima and him don't make a lot of pay, their family is in a weak economic situation. One day, Bhima takes off to the bar where Gopal is, because their sick son has been home alone while Bhima was at work. She takes a broom with, ready to beat Gopal with it and she does so. But then he begins to hit her back after she is tired out from beating him. The fight is broken up by people in the bar, but there is harsh feelings between Bhima and her husband.
Chapter 19 returns to the present with Bhima and Maya at home. Maya's begins to cry as she reads a letter she just found in a box, and it was written by Gopal. In it, Gopal explains that he left with their son Amit, and that they would not be returning. They were going to leave Bhima and Maya behind.
The theme of work is seen throughout these chapters because it had a tremendous effect on the life of Gopal. Without a job, Gopal felt hopeless and became and alcoholic. When people who have worked for a long time and no longer have a job, it is hard to cope with the feeling that they are good for nothing. Because Gopal was let go and turned to alcohol, this led Bhima to beat him and then both of them getting in a fight; the result of this will be him leaving Bhima for good with their son.
These chapters were more engaging for me, as they revealed new personalities of the characters. You felt proud for Bhima to have the courage to beat her own husband with the broom, and then the next moment you are wincing in pain for her sake because Gopal has just struck her with his own hands.
I hope the book continues to progress in an interesting direction, where hopefully we can see other sides of different characters throughout the chapters.
Chapters 20-25
Individual Blog
In chapter 20, Sera, Dinaz, and Viraf go out to eat at Chowpatty, where they see bhima and maya and eventually call them over to eat with them. Before they do so, Sera is triggered with thoughts of Feroz because he adored Chowpatty. She brings him up in the conversation and Viraf says: " 'He was a tough guy' They are all silent for a minute, each of them remembering Feroz" (255).
Chapter 21 gives the whole story a twist when Bhima figures out on her own that Viraf was the father of Maya's baby. She noti es tension between Viraf and Maya when they all sit at the table together, and neither Viraf or Maya speak to one another. Bhima knows something is up, and then realizes what seems impossible but true. We see a clue at the end of chapter 21 when Viraf responds to Dinaz calling Bhima and Maya over to their table: "Er, we probably shouldn't disturb them...After all, with maya having lost her child she may be..." (264). She becomes very angry at maya, mainly for not telling her. But then Bhima lets Maya explain everything that happened. Bhima doesn't want to put shame on the Dubashes after everything Sera has done for her.
Maya explains the story of how Viraf raped her while she was at Banu's home doing some work. Viraf stopped by and asked Maya for a neck massage, which turned into a back massage, and then the raped her in the bedroom. He blamed Maya for the incident and said that if she ever told anyone they wouldn't believe her but that they would believe Viraf.
"Bhima had never known that hate could have such a jagged edge" (281). This is how Bhima feels toward Viraf now. She can't believe his actions. She tries to must up the courage to confront him about the incident when he is driving her to the marketplace, but she can't make out any words. When Bhima exits the car and enters the marketplace she thinks to herself: "This is where I belong...Among the vendors and the cart pushers and the fishmongers and the ragpickers. Not in air conditioned cars" (291).
Chapter 24 becomes controversial between Bhima and Viraf. Viraf accuses Bhima of stealing money from Banu's home, and tells Bhima to not lie to the family. But Bhima brings up the fact that Viraf has raped Maya and says he can't deny that. After fighting and an intense exchanging of words, Sera fires Bhima, and doesn't allow her to say goodbye to Dinaz.
In chapter 25, Bhima is out for a walk, and she is reflecting on what has happened and about Sera. She feels that although she has lost everything, there should still be hope for something. You can tell she is happy when she buys a bunch of balloons and just lets them float away in the air, leaving her hands. She has a light hearted spirit thinking tomorrow can be better, and the last line of the book says: "It is dark, but inside Bhima's heart it is dawn" (321).
I saw class as the clearly demonstrated theme in the last few chapters. It is sad to think that Sera fired Bhima, after everything they have been through, and the healthy relationship they have. But Sera believed someone from her own class instead of her servant,, who actually knew the truth. Class can get in the way of good friendships and different aspects of life, and everyone is affected by it.
This book is written very well. There is a rich vocabulary throughout it and the chapters grab your attention. The book was more of a page turner toward the end, when more dramatic things take place. But this book contains a quality story that readers I think of all ages would enjoy, not just adults.
I think the book will stand the test of time, especially if our global society realizes the importance of work and class. By writing about work and class in an interesting manner with an excellent story, readers can focus on these themes and see how they are evident in our world today.
To me it seems like the ending is depressing, if you could have rewritted the book, how would you have done so? Would you leave it the same, or make it a more positive ending?
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