Guleri is introduced by naming her chores, followed by the fact that she never sees her parents even though they live in a close by village. Guleri’s duty is a specifically female one. Our perspective of a woman’s chores would be to take heed to the welfare of both her husband and her children however Guleri’s is a completely different one, which reflects on how the Hindu culture differs from others.
“She went about her daily chores—fed the cattle, cooked food for her husband's parents”.
In order to obey his mother's commands, Manak marries another woman. He could and should have resisted this order but instead, due to his weak character, he listened. Instead of adamantly refusing to marry another, he plead with Guleri not to visit her parents this year, because he knows the consequences. Additionally, when his mother 'purchased' the second wife, he didn't try and resist the temptation of consummating the marriage, despite not feeling comfortable with the situation.
“This year, true to her decision, she had paid Rs. 500 to get him a second wife and now she had waited, as Manak knew, for the time when Guleri went to her parents to bring in the new bride. Obedient to his mother and to custom, Manak's body responded to the new woman. But his heart was dead within him.”
From this, it is apparent that Manak is ruled and overpowered by his domineering mother. This story highlights the mentality of a lot of primitive Indians
Symbolism is used in this text and is obvious in the title “Stench of Kerosene”. It brings a bad feeling to the reader because it is used in a negative way. It is used to kill herself. It also symbolises guilt due to the reactions after the death. It results in anger and frustration.
Another story, which expresses the cultural pressures people face, is Country Lovers, which is set in South Africa during the time of apartheid. The writer is Nadine Gordimer, a South African woman .As the title indicates, this is a story about lovers. In this case, they are interracial couples forbidden to be together by the laws and mores of South Africa during apartheid. While interracial couples face problems all over the world, the particular circumstances of apartheid create serious problems for Paulus and Thebedi as well.
In this story, the writer reveals many things in order to show the difference in lives between the blacks and the Whites during apartheid.
From a young age the children know not to mix with black people, they know what’s right and wrong from in their culture.
“The farm children play together when they are small; but once the white children go away to school they soon don’t play together anymore, even in the holidays.”
She says the white children go away instead of black suggesting that white children are more important and that they should be the ones trying to get away from the black kids.
The fact that Paulus and Thebedi had to hide the fact that they were in love shows that, they knew it was wrong and that if someone did find out they would be in trouble.
“The farm children play together when they are small; but once the white children go away to school they soon don’t play together anymore, even in the holidays.”
This quote shows that when they’re small they don’t have to worry about what people think because they’re naive therefore they don’t know what they’re really doing until they got to school. At that young age they are more mature and understand that playing with black people was wrong.
“The first Christmas holidays after he had gone to boarding-school he brought home for Thebedi a painted box he had made in his wood-work class. He had to give it to her secretly…”
This shows how careful and secretive they have to be. Paulus is scared to disappoint his parents and other people that feel strongly against relations between black and white people.
Like in “Stench of Kerosene”, the girls/women are deprived from lot of things. And that it’s part of their culture for parents to arrange marriages.
“She did not tell the farmer’s son that her parents had arranged for her to marry.”
The fact that Thebedi’s parents arranged her marriage suggests that she doesn’t have rights or say for herself.
“… he left for his first term at the veterinary college”
The fact that Paulus is going to a veterinary college shows how intelligent and rich he is to afford college, contrasting it to the poor life of Thebedi, the black girl. Again the writer criticizes the black race suggesting that they are less intelligent, that have more opportunities in life compared to the black that live in the same country.
After the court case is over, Paulus father says.
“I will try and carry on as best as I can to hold up my head in the district.’
This shows how disappointed and embarrassed his father is. He feels ashamed and damaged his pride because his son has slept with a black girl.
The Schoolteachers Guest was written by Isabel Allende. She is the daughter of a deposed Chilean dictator. The story is set in a village in Chile, some recent time ago. The set is described as “a remote backwater like so many others on the edge of the jungle”. The fact that it is close to the jungle might suggest savagery, rules of animals. Life there would perhaps be the survival of the fittest. It wouldn’t be anything near like modern, western society and our ways of living.
The central them is revenge. It is about a widow’s son being accidentally killed, and all the townsfolk agree with her when she wants revenge.
The fact that it is written in the 3rd person suggests that the narrator is there in the community in general.
The outsider as they call him is identified by his race- his culture or physical appearance.
“… and the owner and outsider…”
He is different than the others. They are a close community. They don’t welcome people inside. This quote shows this.
“Exactly what you heard, Turk”.
“we don’t have tourists, either.” T
hey are rejecting him once again. It is clear that they are away from civilization.
This village in Chile is a crazy one.
“… tearing the perpetrator limb from limb.”
This quote suggests that their behaviour is very uncivilised and inhuman.
There is a lot of conflict throughout this story. Violence I part of their nature. They aren’t civilised. They could go to court to get back at that man that killed that widow’s boy. But they don’t, instead they take matters into their own hands and decide to kill him together as a community.
“I’m in the right, he killed my boy.” This shows how convinced she is there is no law in their village or culture.
They are very close together and no one thinks that what they are doing is wrong.
“Well, then we can fix him up a little and say he committed suicide.”
This shows us that they are prepared to lie and stick together to cover up what they did.
These 3 stories give us different view on cultures in diverse countries. They give us a clear image on how these inhabitants react and deal with sometimes-difficult situations. If you compare each decisions or rules they have you can clearly see the difference. It may not always make people happy but that is the way they deal with things in their culture/society.