Hannah-Ghosh-05/04

I am interested in discussing family relationships and structure in South Asian literature. For now, I will focus on Salim from A Bend in the River, Amina and Saleem from Midnight's Children, Ammu from The God of Small Things and Deeti from Sea of Poppies. Salim does not identify with the African coast and runs away from his family for years by setting up shop far away. Yet he keep certain aspects of his family close by, like not rejecting the idea of marrying Nazruddin's daughter or even forming a new "family" with Shoba and Mahesh. His identity crises (ethnically Indian Muslim, but not fully African or European) clashes with his family's assumed ideals of traditionalism.

Amina married a man she loved, but that ended in divorce and she learned to love her new husband in pieces. But she ends up having an affair with her old lover. This family structure, for everybody involved, somehow ends up being really messed up (Pia doesn't get along with Mother Reverend, Hanif commits suicide, Saleem's father drinks too much, Aadam Aziz leaves in order to die peacefully, etc). Mother Reverend's eldest daughter remains unmarried for the rest of her life out of spite and rebellion. Ammu also rebelled against her parents by leaving home at 18 and getting married on her own. Trust is so scare in this family (Baby Kochamma is extremely manipulative) that the twins feel they only have each other at times (incest being an outcome of that). Deeti would rather die in flames than remarry her brother-in-law (empowerment) and forms a new familial structure on the Ibis with the other women. Obviously there are a lot of characters and components to touch upon, but I just need to sit down and sort everything out.