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December
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- A Horse and Two Goats #4
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December
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About Me
- Daniel Freeman
- trying to figure out most of what there is to know about most things.
The culture clash that might appear in this poem is still about the statue, in which, according to Muni, his father, his grandfather and the grandfather of his grandfather believe that is the redeemer or savior in days of destruction of the village. Unlike Muni, to the western world a statue is something constructed to remember the already past and ti someone who already belongs to history, in which, at the same time, is used to give a good look to the surroundings where the statue is built.
ReplyDeleteYes, Narayan is trying to comment on how the American society has lost its sense of culture and in order to achieve some culture one must travel to a foreign land. There they would be able to find preferably something primitive which would be well suitably labeled as culture in the eyes of American society. In this case, culture is no longer something sacred to your society but merely a decoration.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Danny; I also think that Narayan is trying to tell us that cultures are losing its significance. Muni thought that the red-faced man was actually stayed with him to listen to the story of the horse statue. However, the red-faced man only wanted to buy that piece and place it inside his house. Tourists don't understand other culture's ways; they only focus on their own; they're oblivious to other customs. Therefore, cultures nowadays aren't able to melt together. Instead, they clash.
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel the cultures clash in this story. First of all, the American tourist seems to be willing to posses any kind of that, for him, missing culture.
ReplyDeleteHe likes the colours, shape of the statue etc, because it basically is the Indian culture and he wants to bring it home with him not realizing however,
that there is a much deeper meaning that stands behind being part of a culture. Culture cannot be bought for any kind of money.
Another culture clash is the language they "communicate" with each other. Both of the main characters have no knowledge about each other's culture and customs.
In the case of Muni it is understandable, because he does not have any kind of access to the information behind the border of his tiny village, unlike the American tourist.
However, I think even if one of them was able to use the other's language, they still would never be able to understand each other's point, because of the different level in a social class, values, and priorities. The fact that one speaks of "apples" and the other nods with "pears" is an irony (or a symbol?) of a culture clash.
The theme of culture loss is evident within this short story, particularly, in between the “transaction” that occurred between Muni and the unnamed tourist. To Muni, the horse statue abstractly resembled the good times he had before he had been cursed by such misfortune. It likely gave him hope in the midst of adversity.
ReplyDeleteI do not necessarily believe the author is expressing his beliefs on culture clash, but rather as the deprivation of culture in Americans. In fact, we have been so blinded by materialism that we have lost the ability to understand abstract beauty.
In my opinion, Narayan was trying to express a culture clash in this story. Muni was a typical Indian,and he never paid attention to the horse and raider statue, even he often rest under the statue. To Muni, the statue does not important to his life, the financial problem is he mostly concern. The American tourist was opposite to Muni, he is rich business man, so he did care about the statue but not his money.
ReplyDeleteWhen Muni met the tourist, their different action represent the different between Indian culture and American culture.
Maybe, Narayan thought on loss of culture is most significance. It is the main problem with the new generation of today, mostly their parent did not tech the cultural background and the tradition they hold that one forgot the meaning of our ancestor and the way of the understanding our true self. The past hold meaning and to lose that part is the downfall of culture and religion.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with Danny and Gwen. I believe Narayan's input on how modern day America has lost its sense of cultural significance can indefinitely make one search outside of their paradigm to find it. Moreover, to find culture one must traverse to foreign territory and assimilate their cultural aspects, provided they are deemed primoridal or primitive as Danny eloquently puts it. From my observation, cultures are indeed losing its traditions. What was once our non-biological behavioral normaties from our parents' generation to ours, is a tried effort is dwindling away. Perhaps it's due to modern day factors such as the lack of teaching, living in a diverse city, even the media. And just as Gwen says, tourists don't understand other's way of being. Often times they aren't aware of others' culture and customs. Hence this is why culture clashes occur.
ReplyDelete