5/11 SHORT FICTION genre blog post
                                                  "Sexy" By: Jhumpa Lahiri

     
       The theme I saw in "Sexy" was the theme of Partition. Partition is the characters are divided against others, and are divided within themselves. "He had brought the magazine specially to her apartment, for she did not own an atlas, or any other books with maps in them" (Lahiri 1651). "She didn't tell Laxmi about Dev.She didn't tell anyone. Part of her wanted to tell Laxmi, if only because Laxmi was Indian too"(Lahiri 1654). The theme of keeping secrets is also strongly seen in this short fiction. These quotes grabbed my attention that fit the theme of separation from others, and separation of the world itself. Normally, people have maps in there homes, or an atlas. But Miranda didn't, she seemed to be on different world from everyone else. And her keeping secrets from Laxmi is dividing herself from Laxmi. Not being honest with Laxmi or Dev's wife is dividing them all together.

       This theme is seen in many other readings we have read throughout the class. It is seen in Uncle Tom's Cabin, as the slaves are divided against the slave owners and the rest of the world that is free and doesn't have to deal with slavery. Eliza is divided against her owner, when they try to sell her son Harry, which then made her run away for the sake of staying with her son. So, she felt divided within herself if she would have lost her son. In Beloved, Baby Suggs was divided against her mother Sethe who killed her own daughter. Sethe was also divided within herself, when her two sons left her. The yellow wall paper, the wife was divided against the outside world because her husband kept her in the house. Me personally when something happens in my family that isn't the best, it really divides me against them and divides them against me until something brings us back together. This theme of Partition can be seen in many readings and other issues all over.

        The quotes I used above "He had brought the magazine specially to her apartment, for she did not own an atlas, or any other books with maps in them" (Lahiri 1651). The author is suggesting that Miranda has little to no connection with other places. But once she met this man Dev, he brought the knowledge of maps and other countries to her which then made her more interested. She is divided from the outside world by not having the maps in her home. The characterization and the way Miranda was represented by the narrator seemed to be partitioning. She didn't care about her having the affair with Dev. She was fluttered with the love she had for Dev, and was disconnected from the rest of the world, and disconnected from her family and friends, and the fact that Dev had a wife of his own. The imagery used makes me picture her, clueless when he realizes that she has no maps in her apartment. I picture Miranda as a young woman that is stuck in her own world and goes day by day talking to herself and doesn't get out much. Then she meets Dev, and her world changes, and she divides herself from what her life was like, and brings him into her life and her world seems to be more about the love she has for Dev. Dev, seems to be divided against others, and doesn't realize the hurt he can be putting on people. His trust and love for his wife is divided as he has the affair with Miranda.

        I enjoyed reading this short fiction piece. It was kind of odd at first and then eventually got more interesting towards the end. I got many themes from reading this, like body image with Miranda and the lingerie trying to make Dev want her more, but he was divided by the true love connection and only wanted Miranda for the sexual aspect. But the theme of Partition stood out to me, these characters all seem to have some sort of division between other characters or just the world itself. I wonder if Miranda had more knowledge with maps, and actually had maps and could figure out where Dev was from that this story would be much different. If Dev would have stuck around and "used" Miranda. Or if her knowledge and having more smarts would have changed his mind. And Miranda who is neither Indian, nor Indian-American is not immune to the divide of cultures. Which then, she feels guilty about her love connection with Dev, but the desire for him continues. Lahiri makes her characters, and each person, their own continent.

Literary Analysis

Dehumanization is seen in both Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Beloved by Toni Morrison. My theme of Dehumanization is very significant in both novels. In Uncle Tom's Cabin the dehumanization is more towards the slaves and how they were treated by there slave owners. How poorly and unfair there lives were going through the slave trades, living with slave owners, and being separated from family. In Beloved, the theme of Dehumanization is seen more through what Sethe had gone through in her life. There were many instances where a slave was demoralized, degraded or abused throughout Beloved and in Uncle Tom's Cabin as well.From how she was treated by Paul D, the death of baby Suggs. Paul D and Sethe experienced the worst  part of slavery then the rest of the characters. When they were under the roof of Mr.Garner, they were treated like human beings. But when Mr.Garner had died, everything changed. The whole part with the rooster. That the "rooster is better and stronger then him, and he has been degraded so low that he considers the rooster to be a king"(86). Paul D then thinks he is weak, that the animals is better and stronger then he is. Paul D says "Mister was allowed to be and stay what he was, but i wasn't allowed to be or stay what I was"(86). Meaning Paul D lost his true abilities that define him as human. Which is dehumanizing to him, because everyone should be able to be and stay what they want and have the abilities that make him human. Sethe taking the life of Baby Suggs is dehumanizing to Baby Suggs. All her chances of life were ripped away from her because of Sethe's choices. Baby Suggs is similar to Uncle Tom, they both had their chance at life taken away from them. They still try to help everyone as much as possible even if they aren't happy. They stick around and never give up, unlike some of the characters in both Novels. Beloved has a lot of power. Power over everyone, and power to the past like the slave owners in Uncle Tom's Cabin. They had power over the slaves and Beloved pretty much had power over anyone she crossed paths with.  Paul D says " I couldn't... I had a bit in my mouth"(69). An example of how Paul D was dehumanized and physically abused. This took place when Sethe tried confronting Paul D about the rape that happened, but because he had the bit in his mouth it prevented him from speaking and couldn't communicate which is physically dehumanizing to him and making him feel like an object. He can't be free from the bit, he can't communicate with Sethe, he is more or less trapped and is stuck like property.
  In Uncle Tom's Cabin, Eliza was told her son harry was going to be sold and separated from her to new slave owners. They had no choice, but had to do whatever there current slave owner said. In fear, Eliza fled to save her child Harry from being sold. The slaves tried to beg for food, but there was a "law that forbid anyone for giving slaves food". Tom was tossed around and put into jail while they traveled places so he wouldn't try and run away. How dehumanizing these slaves were treated  was seen in both novels. I was surprised to see the dehumanization theme in Beloved, but it is definitely there.

Contemporary Connections

                                                    Given The Evidence
This short article from a newspaper/ magazine discussed the Dehumanization in immigrants in 2016. "Mixed children were at risk for detention or deportation"(1) depending on their race and the race of their parents. This is strong dehumanization on their race and is similar in Uncle Tom's Cabin and Beloved. Similar to Uncle Tom's Cabin because Harry was told he was going to be sold from his mother Eliza to a new slave owner. His mother had no say, and he had no say as well. Just like the mixed children in the article. There was no slave trading in Beloved, but if their was that would be similar to these cases. And just the overall idea that these mixed, and slaves were looked at differently by whites and other races during these times. "Dehumanization of Mexican immigrants and Muslims during the 2016 presidential primary, asking participants to point out where they belong on the 'Evolution of Man' diagram"(1). This seems down grading to the Mexican and Muslim races. This Evolution of Man diagram is making them feel like they belong at the bottom and different then everyone else in the world. Just like in Uncle Tom's Cabin and Beloved. The people were treated differently and put at the bottom. The women in Beloved would be more towards the bottom of this diagram, where say Paul D would be more towards the top of the diagram, as he would have more knowledge and working skills then the women. "Trump supports were far more likely to put Mexicans and Muslim's as being less human than average Americans"(1). And "Latinos and Muslim's residents said they feel dehumanized by their fellow Americans"(1). Which the people in Uncle Tom's Cabin felt dehumanized by their slave owners and how they were treated. The people in Beloved also had some dehumanization especially how some of the characters were treated by Paul D. The way baby Suggs acted towards them. And the way the community thought of the family and the way they lived. Reading these novels does inform how we think about issues in 2017. These issues of Dehumanization are still going on everywhere today. Which this example of the dehumanizing of immigrants and how Trump decides things connects back to our readings. It may not be as bad as it was back in Uncle Tom's time, but it is still going on today.


                                           Indiana Law Review
The short article I read involving dehumanization on a child. This ten year old Abdul was trying to be a normal boy but that was not the case. "Abdul has been working for three years, working six days a week for up to fourteen hours per day, but has never earned wages for his work, instead, occasionally receives scraps of food to eat"(1). Just like in Uncle Tom's Cabin, the slaves would be made to work for long periods of time and not get paid. Abdul is lucky he got food sometimes for the work he did. Abdul would get "Locked in a small room at night, and is not permitted to leave the work premises"(1). Just like the slaves in the books, they would most likely be living at the place they work at, and wouldn't be allowed to leave unless instructed too. "He fears trying to leave as his friends witnessed guards cut open the feet of workers who have attempted to escape"(1). This type of situation would be seen in Uncle Tom's Cabin if slaves would try to escape. The characters in Beloved also feared leaving home and being alone and away from their family to fend for themselves. "Abdul bears machete scars on his legs, but his emotional scare go much deeper"(1). As in Beloved. Sethe had scars on her back that looked like cherry trees. Sethe's death of baby Suggs left emotional scars on her and the family. Slaves in Uncle Tom's Cabin were whipped and treated poorly that left the visible scars, but they had the emotional scars that go deeper too from all the things they have been through and being away from there families. "To protect basic human rights has proved difficult"(4). This is seen in both Beloved and Uncle Tom's Cabin, there basic human rights as humans were proved difficult because they were not given basic human rights making it dehumanizing. The readings of these novels inform how we think about the issues in 2017, like the other article I read proves dehumanization still goes on today, this proves as well as dehumanization is still going on. No matter peoples ages, jobs, race etc.




Sources:

Wookster. "The U.S. Constitution and Money." Scribd. Scribd, 1 Mar. 2017. Web. 04 May 2017. <https://www.scribd.com/document/61570612/The-U-S-Constitution-and-Money>. <a href="https://ezproxy.uwc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s5805083&db=a9h&AN=122563594&site=ehost-live&scope=site">WHAT SHOULD A SHOWING OF INTENT OR PURPOSE REQUIRE IN A CASE OF CORPORATE ACCESSORY LIABILITY FOR CHILD SLAVERY UNDER THE ALIEN TORT STATUTE?</a>

Association, American Humanist. "Direct Evidence." The Free Dictionary. Farlex, 1 Mar. 2017. Web. 04 May 2017. <http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/direct+evidence>.

<a href="https://ezproxy.uwc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s5805083&db=a9h&AN=121362217&site=ehost-live&scope=site">GIVEN the EVIDENCE.</a>