Government effected by the Industrial Revolution

There are a couple of connections between the Dancing for Mao by Jennifer Lin and Regarding the Problem of Newborn Piglets in Winter by Rong Chen. First of all, both stories were involved with the cultural revolution in China.  "'During the cultural revolution,'Li says, 'no one dared to tell the truth'"(12). People at that time all know about the loyal dance to Mao, even the five-year-old girl performed it in public. However, the young girl knows nothing about what she has done, and she never doubts it. This is like the situation happened in Regarding the Problem of Newborn Piglets in Winter. The small issue which is to protect the piglets to go through the winter time has involved with more than five different committees. Because of the secretary's personal judgment toward the problem, the piglet problems has been pushed to be the biggest topic. Due to the cultural environment in China at that time, authorities held the power, and even a small little details things confuse all the rest of others' minds. People have no idea what they were doing, and all they know about was following the rules.

Global Narratives: Indian Culture

As the story "Pigeons At Daybreak" by Anita Desai introduces the idea of humanity and love, it reveals its Indian cultures throughout the story. When Otima Basu reads newspaper to her husband, she mentions a lot of news topics which characterize Indian customs or geography. Otima talks about a typical Indian animal, "Blue bull menace in Delhi airport can be solved by narcotic drug"(221). Blue bull is a large Indian antelope which represent Indian cultures. The author relates the animal to this narrative because she wants to show that Mr. Basu was so irritable when he does not understand the Indian culture. In addition to Indian antelope, the author relates the Indian geography and common natural situations to the story. Because of Indian's different weathers between west and east, it is very common to see flood and drought there, "'Floods in Assam'.'Drought in Maharashtra." (222) The author shows these in order to give the readers a more closer look of India which may help them understand the story better.

Pigeons at Daybreak

Pigeons at Daybreak by Anita Desai describes the love between human throughout one's life. Otima Basu contributes all her love to her husband Mr. Basu. Despite ignorance and rebuke, Otima still cares about her husband every single minute, “‘I'll bring you your inhaler. Don't get worried, just don't get worried. (223, Other Voices, Other vistas)’” Mr. Basu cannot breath after hearing the news that there is no electricity tonight, and He is angry with his wife, “ ‘You’ll manage,’ he spat at her, ‘but I?’ (223, Other Voices, Other vistas)” Otima is just trying to pacify Mr. Basu; however, after the abuse fron his husband, she still tries her best to help him. When Mr. Basu was lying on the terrace, he reveals his love toward his grandson, “he had taken his daughter Charu’s son by the hand to show him the pigeon roosts on so many of the Darya Ganj rooftops. (226, Other Voices, Other vistas)” Mr. Basu loves his grandson and thinks about him even though he is very close to the heaven. In the end, the pigeons at daybreak mark the end of Mr. Basu’s life.

Harkness for the Collector of Treasures

1. Why does Dikeledi consider herself as the collector of treasures? As the book refers to,“She smiled tenderly at Kebonye because she knew already that she had found another such love. She was the collector of such treasures.(58, Other Voices, Other Vistas)” .In Dikeledi's opinion, what is the real treasure?




2. Dikeledi plans for murdering his husband, "Then she bend down and reached for the knife under the bed which she had merely concealed with a cloth. (73)"There are other possible ways for Dikeledi to get rid of her husband and support her children's education, however, why does she utilize the way which will send her to jail and leave her children alone? 

Who is the collector of Treasures?

   Dikeledi Mokopi, the protagonist from The Collector Of Treasures by Bessie Head, accomplishes her will of collecting treasure from children and friendship. Dikeledi wants to give all her three children secondary education which is also what supports her to live and what she is fighting for. Dikledi feels satisfied even though she is going to jail because Paul Thebolo, the only man he trusts and admires has promised "I'll take them as my own and give them all a secondary school education." (73, Other Voices, Other Vistas) She collects the treasure of giving her children the education which may change all of them's fate. In addition to her responsibility as a mother, she collects the gifts from friends including care, respect and food. Dikeledi finds out that a way to get rid of her loneliness is to share her life with her friend. Dikeledi feels relaxed when she was expressing her feeling, “She smiled tenderly at Kebonye because she knew already that she had found another such love. She was the collector of such treasures.” (58, Other Voices, Other Vistas) Because of Kebonye, Dikeledi’s best listener, she is able to feed her children by food and enjoy the feeling of being appreciated. Dikeledi tells her friend everything puzzles her which she identified as a way to collecting treasures. Dikeledi is satisfied in the prison because she judges herself as the biggest winner of collecting treasures.