Freedom: Through The Looking Glass

Through her Symposium article, Maryam Mohammed explains the value of 'freedom' as portrayed in various literary works...

No other topic of a universal value has had its share of ink flowing across so many centuries relentlessly as freedom. Perhaps, except for love; but then freedom and love (of it and otherwise) are not exclusive of each other keeping in mind the doubtable nature of stating ‘love’ as a universal value.

I begin divulging about freedom frequenting magnum opus of literature works by quoting The New Hampshire state motto: ‘Live free or die’. But what does it mean to be free? Common Wealth Writers First Book prize winning book, White Teeth by Zadie Smith goes about freedom boldly interlacing it with many subsidiary issues. One of the main first generation character Samad Iqbal is shown to face the music of his everyday unrooted life in a foreign land trying to find a common ground between his inner convictions of what freedom is and his actual war of a life. Being an educated man (even a scientist!) his inner sense of security which keeps him going on waiting tables as a bus boy(result of being an one-armed war soldier/hero/derelict relic) Is his complete confidence and absolute surety of what he wants from life. No matter if he messes up the ‘how’ if he’s got the ‘what’- True, unadulterated freedom. Freedom from dogma, from analgesic tradition, from the trends- all of it. Pure freedom; something philosophic not so much in theory as much as in practice. Paradoxically his wife Alasna has a total different take on freedom. Her definition is more towards the fundamental. Towards the roots. Freedom to her is in the sky and the earth. Freedom from that feeling that there’s an unpredicted- yet impending doom for sure; yet uncertain when. Freedom from the necessity to hold our lives lightly as she had to in her time in Bangladesh; her birth country (where hurricanes and untimely torrents of rain are no surprise- millions die so!) This quixotic equation made the real base work for her demand of freedom. Freedom to Alasna was what her life’s initial years hadn’t held: Certainty from God’s idea of a really good wheeze. To be sure as much as a person can be in this life-This was freedom to her.

The next literary work I choose is Jack Kerouac’s classic ‘On the Road’. The largely autobiographical novel is a defining work of the Beat generation; votaries of freedom with the novel’s protagonist’s living life against the backdrop of jazz, poetry and drug use. Freedom to this distinctive generation is seen through the wild and maverick life of Dean Moriarty-adventurous with a devil may care attitude, free-spirited and non- conventional by choice and consequently by circumstances. Life to them must be lived according to the stitch work of freedom; which entails fierce personal quest for meaning and belonging. In an era and a point in American History where conformity was encouraged and outsiders held suspect these Beatniks held intense internal and external conflict hand in hand with feverish production of answers to a single question: ‘How are we to live?’ The book is narrated by Salvatore ‘Sal’ Paradise (alter ego of the author) one of the two main characters of the book; the other being Dean who serves as an inspiration and catalyst for Sal’s travels. Amidst contradiction and conflict these friends set out on adventures so epic in nature; the text itself creating tremendous sense of faith in the belief of what is freedom to them. Kerouac shows how the very virtue of freedom is intoxicating.

The last piece of literature this article will elucidate for its stance(s) on freedom is the much acclaimed ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini. There are many vivid scenarios to be found in the novel relating to freedom as freedom is also one of the integral themes of the book. Mariam, a harami by birth seeks freedom in her conceptualisation of human interactions. To her love is freedom (reiterating love and freedom aren’t mutually exclusive). Her entry into the world as an illegitimate, unintended child of a lowly villager-a regrettable accident plays a great role for her want of freedom- Freedom from the stigma of being illegitimate, freedom from the fact of being unwanted, from her harsh mother and an insincere, pretentious father who serves a blow to her love of him by betraying her. Married to Raheed at 15 she yet searches for love: perhaps as a return for her continual self-denial, dutiful and sacrificing existence, for her literal ‘service’ to him only to be disappointed. Two decades later she finds freedom in a friendship with a local teenager which soon fosters into a mother daughter relationship. Her want of freedom seems immense until we see that when this want is met it’s only exceeded by her appreciation and preservation of it. Something that becomes her undoing; with courageous heroism to save Laila: the woman she loved and was loved back by completely and irrevocably she returns this gift of love with her own life leaving the world (once solitary and pitiable) as a friend, companion, guardian, mother and more than anything else as a person of consequence.

I conclude by quoting Seneca ‘Show me a man who isn’t a slave’. The truth of this statement can be found in all the studied three cases. Despite differences in their definition of freedom all the chosen characters (above) became in a manner or so a slave to that desire of wanting their conceptualised freedom. It seems apt to quote Voltaire here ‘Man is free at the moment he wishes to be’. Yet, what is constant throughout is the faith freedom gives to people, just the thought. Its idea is sweet with the unspoken yet promised fulfilment. All characters sought solace in freedom and that alone is enough for freedom: that the very idea has generated unprecedented amount of support.

"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it - then I can achieve it." Muhammad Ali

　

Leadership

In this article, Fatema Shabbir expresses her views on the quality of 'leadership' as seen in the book "The Alchemist"...

In the wise words of John F Kennedy "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho analyses leadership from a different angle. The conventional meaning of leadership is ‘the action of leading a group of people or an organization’.

Coelho challenges this popular belief by depicting throughout the book that every ordinary individual is a leader when he/she follows his or her heart. In other words, we are leading ourselves everyday in the journey of life when we listen to our heart and do what we truly believe intrinsically is the right thing to do.

The young boy of the novel was not an influential person, rather he was just a simple shepherd yet he became the hero in his life when he learned the language of the universe and reciprocated using the language of his heart. He says, "I am learning the language of the world, and everything in the world is beginning to make sense to me...even the flight of the hawks".

Santiago learns to lead himself by seeking inspiration from the wise king, gaining survival strength from the merchant, reading between the lines with the Englishman, experiencing excellence travelling with the alchemist and above all acknowledging the omens of destiny. We all aspire to be leaders, let me relate it to the thrill of anticipation we feel when the prefectural body is announced in school. However, we need not be chosen as leaders to lead for the Almighty has already made us masters of our own lives and the test of leadership is to lead ourselves on the right path for personal and community development. In the wise words of the alchemist, "Your heart is alive, listen to it". Indeed leadership has meant a lot to me but "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho has introduced a new horizon, compelling me to think about leadership from a different perspective.

Universal Values In 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'

Another article from the Symposium wherein Samyuktha Sivakumar explains the numerous values portrayed in the novel 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini. The book narrates the journey of two Afghan women across a period of forty years. The book contains many universal values which are pondered over both implicitly and explicitly.

Mental strength

The book depicts the inner strength, especially of women, beautifully. The perseverance of the characters, especially Mariam is noteworthy. Although both the main characters in the novel suffer inexpressible mental as well as physical agony, they have the willpower to move on with their lives.

Although Laila is extremely saddened with the departure of her soul mate, Tariq, and by the death of her parents, she strengthens herself to face the rest of her life.

Mariam, however soft and compassionate in nature, does not hesitate to become aggressive when she has to protect her loved ones. She even goes to the extent of hitting her husband in the head in order to save Laila’s life. She is not afraid to stand up against immorality.

Affection and devotion

The book plays with these emotions in a very realistic manner. The author has written about the different kinds of love between Mariam and her father, Laila and Tariq, Aziza and Mariam as well as Rasheed and Zalmai. Though some characters are righteous and some are despicable, the ability of each of these characters to love is emphasized in the book.

The bond between Mariam and Laila is compared to that between a mother and a daughter. Overcoming initial hostilities, the two women become the support system of each other. They remain devoted and loyal to each other till the very end.

Patriotism

The author who spent his childhood in Afghanistan has channeled his patriotism through the characters in the book, especially Laila. Laila loves her country and is despaired to see the country being savaged by wars. Even though she escapes Afghanistan and lives in Pakistan with her family, she soon feels homesick. She wishes to go back to her country and serve the society there.

Towards the end of the book, she and her husband Tariq build an orphanage in Kabul to support the children who have lost their parents in the wars. Laila as well as Tariq exhibit a sense of civic responsibility in the book.

　
Human compassion

Many of the characters in the book are shown to have compassion even though some of them cannot lend a helping hand to the person who is suffering. Mariam’s father’s family is hesitant to let her stay in their house, but they treat her kindly. When Laila and Tariq escape to Afghanistan, a hotel owner pities them and lets them stay in his hotel. Human compassion can also be seen in the inmates who live with Mariam in the jail. They comfort each other despite not knowing each other when they are about to face their death.

Empowerment of women

The book steadily depicts the discrimination and the hardships faced by women in society. The ability of the female protagonists to resist physical and mental agony from denting their willpower is depicted repeatedly. Both Laila and Mariam are strong-willed women and seek comfort in each other when they are abused by their husband Rasheed. After years of pain and hardships, the two women are not afraid to stand up to their tormentors. Mariam is brave and courageous while Laila is a free-thinker.

Society

There are many instances in the book that reveal the dark side of society. The incorrect opinions about women in the society are personified by Rasheed while the helplessness of the people is channeled through Mariam’s father. The book also talks about all the tribulations Mariam has to suffer for being an illegitimate child. However, the book also tells us about the hope that resides in the people even in the darkest of times. The love and hope that Tariq carries with him ultimately unites him with his true love. The ability to create change by the people is reinforced towards the end of the book where Laila and Tariq build and start running an orphanage.

Triumph of good over evil

The book reaffirms the philosophy of triumph of good over evil. Even in the darkest of times, comfort and assurance can be found with a little hope.

 

A Summary Of The Poem 'Symapthy'

Paul Laurence Dunbar was an African-American poet in the 19th century - a time when racial discrimination was at its peak. Though Abraham Lincoln had succeeded in abolishing slavery a century ago, African-Americans had still not received the dignity and respect that every human deserves. The poem 'Sympathy' is about an old bird who has been caged and deprived of the freedom that all the other birds have. This caged bird is analogous to the African-Americans of that time and Paul Dunbar himself who felt suppressed by the White people in everyday life.

 

 The first stanza begins with the poet claiming to know what the caged bird feels. He uses vivid imagery to express why the caged bird is desperate to be free again. He misses the little things about nature – the spring mornings when the sun shines bright, the buds open, birds sing and a soft wind blows. A caged bird is like a bird with broken wings – helpless and desperate to be able to fly again.  Similarly, African-Americans were stripped of privileges enjoyed by other Americans making them feel trapped inside a social cage.

 

The second stanza tells about the bird’s perseverance and his fortitude. The bird beats his wings against the cage bars longing for freedom and deep down inside, he knows that there is no way of getting out, but he still tries and keeps trying till the bars are painted red with his blood. He must then cling to his perch while he still wishes to be able to sit on a tree’s branch in the outside world. This represents the freedom fighters who struggled and fought against racial discrimination till their last breath.

 

The third and final stanza talks about the prayer and the plea that the bird sings. The sounds the bird makes are not carols of joy and glee, but a cry for freedom. His wings are bruised and his bosom is sore but he doesn’t lose faith in the Almighty and prays to see the day when he is free to spread his wings and fly again.

This resembles the tenacity with which the African-Americans  fought for their freedom and the only reason that racial discrimination has come down to being almost non-existent today is due to the fact that they never lost hope and faith.

 

By Akanksha Kevalramani

Every Moment Is an Experience

Nothing lasts forever. Each fleeting moment should be cherished. Life itself is a lesson, and every moment an experience. You need to slow down and enjoy every moment.

Every experience is actually an experience of self-actualization. In each experience, we realize our capacity of our soul, and by extension, an aspect of our true nature as being. Every experience adds to the totality of our understanding and realization of our true nature. There is no other possibility.

This is a dilemma we believe that there is a better, truer, more spiritual aspect of our Being that we want to be realizing. In hoping and waiting for a better experience, we maybe overlooking the significance of our present moment experience, just as it is. It is not that sadness and greediness are equivalent to peace and joy, but every experience has significance, since every experience is an experience of our true nature.

As I conclude, all I would like to convey is that the moment that has passed, would never be able to be brought back and the moment we experience, no one would experience. So, cherish every moment to the fullest and make the most of it.

By Melissa Pinto
11-G

Love- The Miracle Worker

In the next article, Ritika Alexander talks about how the power of love can work miracles in our lives:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” -1 Corinthians 13:4.

This four letter word has more depth than the Pacific Ocean and has had plays, songs and stories written on it more than anything else in the world. Khaled Hosseini set out to write an extraordinary love story- 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'.

This is the tale of Mariam, a fifteen year old girl who is forced to marry Rasheed. Nearly two decades later, a friendship grows between her and a local teenager, Laila, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. When the Taliban takes over, life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear.

Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its importance as a genre, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts. Such is the work of Hosseini in this literary endeavor. What keeps this novel vivid and irresistible is his eye for the textures of daily life and his ability to portray a full range of human emotions.

Love is such an emotion capitalized in the novel. ‘A thousand splendid suns’ is a narrative that highlights the plight of Afghan women and their fate. But it is also a heartfelt saga that encompasses romance and melodrama, personal and political intrigue.

Love is very often conformed to the Shakespearean cliché Romeo and Juliet or even violins playing in the background if taken the Indian movies perspective. What we miss out on is the love that is found between anything with a soul like two siblings, two friends or as in the case of A Thousand Splendid Suns, the soul-stirring connection between two victimized women.

“Mariam was five years old when she first heard the word ‘harami-illegitimate’ from her nana only because her nana’s precious china slipped from Mariam’s fingers and shattered on the floor.”

Mariam only received such reactions from her mom filled with loathing and who never failed to remind her every day that she was unwanted. It was true such violent streaks bore roots in her nana when Mariam’s father, Jalil, abandoned them. Since then Mariam is adored once a week by her father whom she has to share with nine other legitimate children she is unfamiliar with. Even after the ungodly suicide of her nana, her father had little to say while his platoon of wives refused to have her in the house and so married her off to an elderly widower. Such is the childhood of Mariam whose womanhood also deteriorates into endurance when subject to cruelty from Rasheed.

In a parallel universe, Laila is a beautiful and intelligent girl coming from a family in which the father is university-educated and a teacher. Compared to Mariam, Laila "had a much more fulfilling relationship with her father, her girlfriends and her childhood friend, Tariq.” But her life suddenly turns topsy-turvy when she finds herself orphaned and married to Rasheed, no questions asked.

Mariam and Laila end up on the same doorstep but under very different circumstances where Mariam was unloved and abandoned while Laila was loved but orphaned.

 This created initial feeling of resentment in Mariam who "felt her territory infringed upon" and thought history was repeating itself when old fears of being unwanted resurfaced, her prolonged history with abandonment to be blamed.

 But like Mariam, who was unable to bear children, Laila too disappoints Rasheed when she gives birth to a daughter and becomes a target for his cruelty.

 “And in the fleeting wordless exchange with Mariam, Laila knew that they were not enemies any longer.”

Laila and Mariam thereon developed a rapport making them inseparable, all due to Mariam's childlessness and the struggles and abuse they both face during the marriage.

Love in this context maybe understood as part of a survival instinct, a function to keep human beings together against menace. The unhappy household only created the conditions for the birth of a friendship so strong, a union as close as any marriage.

Mariam’s killing of Rasheed calls for severe punishment which Mariam takes upon herself to steer any attention on Laila away and in a way fulfils her duty as an alternative doting mother to Laila. Mariam’s selflessness to provide a better life for Laila laid the foundation for the ultimate sacrifice ever made in the history of love. Such is the power of love, tragic and heart-breaking yet so touching you would want to be a statue to not be moved by this story.

Love can move people to act in unexpected ways and lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with startling heroism.

In Titanic Jack wishes Rose to move on with her life. Similarly Laila remains indebted to the memory of Mariam but moves on with her life just how Mariam would have wanted her too. Laila later becomes a teacher and settles down with Tariq making a life for herself not letting Mariam’s sacrifice go in vain.

‘But the naming game for her unborn child involved only male names. Because if it’s a girl Laila has already named her.”

Love may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider the war-ravaged landscape of Afghanistan. But that is the emotion-powerful and infinitely patient that suffuses the pages. This is a novel that bears testament to the power of love. A riveting read that explores sacrifices necessary to sustain hope and the power of love that can jerk tears from even the coldest of hearts.

In Hosseini’s words -“I couldn’t think of a more convincing idea than that of a mother’s love, for no love surpasses that of a mother’s. Every other topic paled in comparison. This is the labour of my love and I hope it doesn’t sound too pretentious if I say that I think of it as my modest tribute to the genre love whose power can move mountains and work wonders.”

Women Empowerment

In the third article of the Symposium, Deeksha Muralidhar enlightens us on how the value of ‘women empowerment’ is portrayed through the novel ‘Little Women’:

“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” Little Women, published in 1868 was one of the most influential books of the time. The plot veered from the traditional adventurous plots and stories, with males as central characters. The book deals with a number of themes such as domesticity, work and love but one of the most important themes of the book is women empowerment. The book with women as all of its major characters, caused the normalization of ambitious women in the American middle class.

The story revolves around four sisters and their mother, trying to build their lives and make ends meet after their father went off to war. Each of them is talented in their own way. Meg, the oldest earns money by working as a governess. Jo is an incredibly talented writer, Beth, helps in domestic duties and Amy is an artist. As the girls grow up, they are forced to adopt social norms and behave ladylike, something all the sisters dreaded especially Jo, being the tomboy of the family, as they did not want to give up their individuality and their families to get married, as was expected in the society.  The book introduced concepts such as a democratic household which were previously unheard of in middle class American society and encouraged domestic reform. This liberated the women of the 19^th century as they no longer had to be a victim of gender stereotyping by the society and carry out gender specific duties. Instead, women began to alter their daily routines and no longer had to do all the housework. They started venturing out in the world of employment and started carving out a name for themselves in the previously male – dominated world.  The author made the basic rights of women a very important part of her plot thus allowing young girls to dream to do something different and allowed them to build their own lives and futures instead of being a passive part of the society and depending on men. Louisa May Alcott believed that women can be successful and can make their way in the world even by staying away from the social arrangements and that by starting from the roots and having gender equality in the domestic sphere, democratic households would eventually lead to a feminist society, ensuring that women get all the basic rights that men enjoy.  

In the book, Mrs. March is portrayed as a brave and strong willed woman as she manages to make ends meet and care for all of her four children with limited resources, while her husband was away at war. Despite all of the financial troubles her family faces, Mrs. March still manages to help people with worse living conditions. Through this character, Alcott describes utopian women, who are independent and can manage families without help from men. Alcott challenged the preconceived notion existing in those days that women could not manage families as well as practice a vocation and earn money to support their families. It was believed that women should be restricted to the domestic sphere, a practice that Alcott tried to change by the means of her novels. Meg, the oldest sister is portrayed as conventional and good. She tries to change herself and follow the social practices to please other people in the process sacrificing her identity. She gives up her girlish weakness for luxury and money and marries a poor man, thus following the conventional social practices, became an agreeable housewife. Through this character, the author describes how the young girls of the 19^th century gave up their identities and followed customs and practices put forward by the society no matter how much they wanted to retain their individuality and remain independent. Girls usually agreed to this so that they would not be excluded from the social circles for not adhering to its principles. Jo, the second oldest sister is portrayed as an exact opposite of how girls were supposed to behave in the 19^th century. She is tomboyish and has a passion for writing. Women tried to respond to the ideas of social changes within the familiar construct of domesticity while some rebelled and wanted drastical improvements to their lives, which I believe was instrumental in creating the strong-willed free women of the 21^st century.

Meg and Beth conform to the traditional expectations of society, Amy and Jo initially attempt to break free from these constraints and try to develop their individual abilities and talents but eventually both get married and settle into a more customary life. Jo even gave up her writing and loses her headstrong independence. However, at first,  she struggled to live a family and a meaningful professional life. Through this, Alcott proves the strong expectations and stereotypes that existed in the 19^th century. Women, no matter how successful or talented they are individually, everyone were eventually coerced into molding themselves according to the society’s rules. Alcott compares the more realistic model of womanhood versus the unrealistic, by highlighting the different aspects of the lives of the four sisters. Women had to emphasize on domestic duties and family thus leaving very little time for them, to grow personally and professionally.

19^th century was a particularly difficult time for women to thrive socially. When Alcott wrote the novel, it was the time when women’s status in society was slowly increasing, thus progressing toward gender equality. It centers on the conflict between two most important things in a woman’s life. Through the four sisters Alcott tries to explore how women dealt with the constraints of social expectations. The novel also questions gender stereotypes and in many instances portrays traditional gender expectations being reversed. She states the importance of work, not only as a source of income but also to create happiness through proper use of time and productivity. Alcott also tries to convey the message of being genuine. Meg and Amy tried to be like their rich friends, pretending to be happy in the presence of wealth, whereas they were quite content and happy with their family and loved ones around them. It is books like these that planted the seed of freedom in the minds of women, causing them to rebel against society. Women were now no longer afraid to dream to move out of the domestic sphere, to live lives as free individuals without social barriers. It inspired young women to have their special individuality and not conform to what the society wanted them to be, by accepting the existing social norms and thus in the process sacrificing a visceral part of themselves. Women, now being a part of a democratic household, could spare time practice a vocation and earn both fame and money. Many factors such as literature instigated them to change their lives and become active citizens, thus trying creating a world where gender specific roles did not exist, something I believe women even in the 21^st century are still trying to achieve. Even girls who were vain and had a weakness for wealth and luxury began changing their mindset and looked at the bigger picture, that is freedom, recognition and empowerment