A Different History by Sujata Bhatt - Analysis Essay

Explore the ideas in the poem A Different History by Sujata Bhatt. Sujata Bhatt reflects and explores on the ideas of ‘culture, ‘values’, human struggle, religion combined with its beliefs and acquisition of foreign or strange language. Bhatt invites the readers and takes them through the culture of India and its religious beliefs that every life respects them there. There is enough vocabulary to understand this in the poem. She also expresses her bitterness and strong emotions towards the struggle and torture borne by the people ‘here’ in the past. She wonders and ponders on the issues of ‘tongue’ and ‘language’ She shows her amazement and expresses her inability to understand how people ‘here’ learn to love the ‘strange language’ that†¦show more content†¦She brings out the picture of togetherness in animals and trees. The simile ‘disguised as snakes and monkeys’ provides us the clue to the belief of sacredness. Bhatt explains the fact that ‘sin’ doesn’t need to be a serious wrong act in ‘this culture’ but a small act can be ‘sin’. Bhatt uses three verbs that denote rudeness in behavior towards books. She uses ‘shove’ , ‘slam’, and ‘toss’ to explain how the culture ‘Here’ values knowledge. Though treating a book rudely is not an act of disrespect but an act of ‘sin’ here’; a serious connotation. Bhatt uses the word ‘sin’ three times to mean more than a wrong act in life. This throws light on the culture of ‘India’ and values observed here. Bhatt gives a hint of religious beliefs in her though not really enthusiastically to prevent the idea of negativity in her ideas. She introduces ‘Sarasvati’ to the readers of English as a ‘goddess of Arts’ – knowledge, painting and music. She conveys that the people( ‘soul’) enjoy endless freedom ‘here’ but they are bound to observe the beliefs of this culture. The line ‘You must†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..disturbing Sarasvati’ highlights the idea the freedom is in respecting one’s culture and self but not enjoying oneself which is selfishness. There is a hint of dualism in 17th and 18th lines. These lines express the value system which is an ‘obligation’ in this culture. We can understand this with the word ‘must’ in the poem. Bhatt suddenlyShow MoreRelatedThe Songs Of Freedom - Original Writing989 Words   |  4 Pagestruly become myself. Coming from the Gambia, West Africa, I’ve always struggled with identity and who I was as a person. I never truly felt a sense of belonging and always struggled with where I fit in or belong to. At home, I am viewed as slightly different from everyone else; children and even elders constantly questioned my nationality. When I speak, I was repeatedly asked â€Å"where are you from?† This question would always confuse me and I would hastily reply â€Å"I am from Gambia of course, where elseRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesBrier, and Roy Rosenzweig Also in this series: Paula Hamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M