Beyond
our degrees of separation
Writers
influence readers’ identities through deeply-embedded themes. Discuss and analyses
with regards to the memoirs read so far.
A Pakistani reader might relate to the writings of Hassan
Miraj more so than Judith’s as Hassan’s work mainly consists of themes of Pakistani
households. A Pakistani reader might be able to explore their identity trough
the themes that embedded in the writings. Some of the few major themes that can
be explored include, identity, nostalgia and diaspora.
The theme of identity is explored by both Hassan Miraj
and Judith Ravin, however talked and portrayed in extremely different ways. “The
more I talked to him, the more I realized religion could actually bring human
beings together rather than divide them” this reference is taken from the story
‘Fatima to Fatima’. There is a theme of identity with the context of unity. It implies
that even though we as individual people have separate identities and all are
unique in our different ways, our similarities are what bring us together. In this
context the Muslim identity that both the characters possessed brought them together
even when both the men were inherently from countries that disliked each other,
however in a foreign country the face of someone who shared the same identity
brought ease to the other. Another reference
to this theme is from the narrative ‘Four Blind Brothers’ where it is quoted “all
four projects had utilized the same word in the vernacular of the respective
speakers.” This may be interpreted as people presenting their identity to be
above our better than the other person when they all might mean the same thing.
In the story we see four people arguing over who’s cause is worthy enough to
receive the large sum, yet fail to understand that all of them want the same
thing but because of the communication barrier fail to realize that, this could
also be interpreted as peoples identities being so unique that they fail the
see the similarities they have and come together on that.
Another theme
that has been talked about in various stories is the theme of nostalgia, remembering
moments from their childhoods, or revisiting old memories. The theme of nostalgia
is the main focus of the narrative ‘Boxed Memories’ where the writer says “every
box was a time machine that took me to unanticipated zones of a time warp.” From
the quote with reference to the story the readers can interpret that through
objects one can revist old memorires that the person might have forgotten
about. The readers could also interpret that the smallest objects such as a
half sharpened color pencil, when attached with a memory could be hard to let
go. It is only human nature to keep objects that might remind them of the good
times they have had in life, even when the object may appear as garbage to
some. In the story service exchange we read about the theme of nostalgia linked
with a certain event in life coming to an end, in this case the end of the main
characters military service. To commemorate this event the main character takes
a walk down memory lane to where it all began. “Dad was also lost in thought,
but his face shone with nostalgia. He picked up the story.”
One other theme that has been talked about frequently throughout
the book is the theme of diaspora. Through the stories the readers get to read
about many characters that are away from their home towns, the readers might
feel for and identify with the characters trying to practice their traditions
from their home countries in the foreign place that they are in. “throughout
Eid in the Muslim diaspora, mosques and religious centers are filled with
people wearing mostly ill-fitting finery.” The readers from this may interpret
that even though the people in the mosques are far away from their homes and even
though they are in a foreign country that does not understand their ideas and
their culture, they still make the effort to carry on their culture because that
would be their identity
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