So I finished Cracking India and I must say that it's a damn good book! Reading the articles on India's partition only go so far with the facts and figures, but reading about how it affected the daily happenings of Lenny an her group of usuals. As the book progressed tree we're a few things that really stuck out to me: the violent progression of Ice Candy Man, the power of Godmother, and the ending descriptions of the park.
In terms of ICM, he was on my shit list as soon as he held Adi and threatened to drop him on his head unless Ayah went out with him. That's just the beginning of disturbing actions on his part; later on when observing the fires of neighboring towns Lenny describes him as having a look of strange exhilaration that she never again wants to see (145). Later while filling in their group on the latest gossip ICM seems to have "acquired an unpleasant swagger and a strange way of looking at Hari and Moti. He is full of Bravado..." (165). He shows up with money from a place he looted - it seems that the trainload of dead passengers has caused this change in him. The next instances of ha new found creepy/violent ways is when we learn that where ever Ayah is, he is.....LITERALLY. Ayah goes to meet up with the masseur and guess who is lurking behind the tiger cage, they goto Electric-Aunt's garden - guess who followed them there. Even after he "has" Ayah to himself and she leaves him for the broken women's center- guess who never leaves the place, breaks out into random professions of love poetry; and once she has the ok to head back to her family...I don't even have to say the words. I understand this man was in love (or seriously obsessed) with Ayah, but he sure goes about getting her in a very strange way. Oddly enough through all of his heartache & new poetic persona I couldn't help but to feel bad or him....just a little, after all he is on my shit list for a reason.
In terms of Godmother, who knew she had so much power (as a woman...given the time period and location). It was a bit surprising that she literally turned out to be like the God Father of this story. Hopefully you all know that I'm referring to her sending the police to get Ayah away from ICM. "The reach of Godmother's tentacular arm's clearly evident" - thats definitely true (285).
As for the park, I find it sad that in the beginning it was a happy place for people (no matter their religion or nationality) to come together and simply enjoy the open, green, and beautiful space. In class we talked about how as the tensions of the partition increase, the dynamics of the park change dramatically. So in the beginning it all fun & games, then people started to segregate themselves and their kids (this is where the Adi playing with the white kids happens), and then we hear that the park isn’t much of a gathering place anymore- Hamida goes there with Lenny feels uncomfortable, the color is gone, the Queen’s statue is gone – the beauty of the park in general seems to be gone (249).
*Final thoughts on the book: reading through what happened to Ranna and his family had me reaching for tissues, the idea of betrayal comes back a few more times, and now that Ive dinished the book I can further back up the claim that Lenny's innocence really is tied in with Ayah.
**A question has popped into me head as I've typed this out...thinking of Ayah as India, since she is unable to shake ICM wherever she goes could we think of him as the happenings of the partition that forever haunts India? I don't remember where I read it, but one of our readings says that the partition is forever in the mind of India, a haunting memory.
Earth: I don’t feel like the movie did the book enough justice (but isn’t it usually like that anyways. I was at least happy with the way Ayah and he suitors were cast/portrayed…mainly how ICM and Masseur were the best looking of the bunch and of course Ayah was beautiful. I find it interesting that after having read the book, I knew ICM and Masseur apart because ICM had a sinister look to him (which increased with the tension surrounding the partition and definitely fit his character well) where as Masseur was straight up puppy dog. Going along with the idea of the movie not doing the book justice, there were some good parts and people left out. Doesn’t Lenny have a brother named Adi? And a father who with a heard and long curly hair? Wasnt Papoo a little older, more animated, and with a baby on her hip at all times? What about Slavesister ad Godmother? Lol…I know they all couldn’t be included, but having read the book the movie is so bare boned.
Thats all I can remember wanting to say, so untill next time...enjoy.
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