Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York: Riverhead, 2007. Print.
This book follows the lives of two Afghan women as they take course and intersect. The main focus of this novel is the personal narratives of both characters and how they represent the larger picture of women in Afghan society. The story takes place from the 1960s to 2003, a very tumultuous time in Afghanistan. Mariam, an illegitimate child, is shunned and sent off to marry a man much older than herself. Meanwhile, one generation later, Laila, a privileged child in comparison to Mariam, goes through a series of events that leads her to marrying Mariam’s husband. Mariam and Laila end up developing a mother-daughter relationship, while facing the challenges Afghan society imposes against women.
What stood out to me in this book was (1) how well two seemingly distant narratives are interwoven into one great story of womanhood and love and (2) how central the role of “home” plays in relationship to the characters. This story is just as much about the characters interrelationship as it is about Afghanistan and the cities where the characters live. The notion of “place” is a very important one in understanding the lives of each character. Hosseini clearly shows how important a place can be by the experiences one has in said place. While this story is primarily about the growth of both women, you cannot remove Afghanistan from their narratives. Aside from understanding what constitutes home and how experiences can shape the meaning of a place in one’s mind, I am also interested in how different perspectives shape the reader’s view of a place. As a reader, we see Afghanistan through the eyes of two Afghan women. However, compare that to the Afghanistan of an Afghan man and it almost seems like a completely different place.
Gilbert, Elizabeth. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia. New York: Viking, 2006. Print.
Eat, Pray, Love is a memoir chronicling the author’s travels and personal journey after her divorce. She decides to leave New York City on a voyage to discover herself. Her three stops around the world are Italy, India, and Indonesia, where she learns how to indulge, how to connect with herself spiritually, and how to fall in love.
Putting aside the criticisms of the author’s privilege, at its most basic, it is a travel story. In terms of my research, this book serves as a starting point. The whole book revolves around one woman’s experiences that are tied to the places she visits. Her way of taking basic and unusual experiences and transforming them into a compelling story is something I would like to incorporate in my springboard. I particularly like the personal aspect of storytelling, which is exactly what a memoir is. However, in this case, not only is it about her spiritual journey, it is also a love letter to her temporary “homes.” She captures a romantic (albeit touristic) view of each country.
Paris Je T’aime. La Fabrique De Films, 2006. DVD.
This film is a compilation of various shorts regarding the different neighborhoods of Paris. Each short is directed by a different director. Each neighborhood focuses on a different story with different characters, ranging in nationalities. However, in the end, we see a bit of their stories being interwoven through connections between characters.
What I find most successful about this film is how the viewer is able to get a broader sense of the city of Paris by catching a glimpse into the lives of some of its inhabitants. Rather than trying to paint a general picture of the whole city, which vastly differs from neighborhood to neighborhood, the film presents us with small, detailed narratives that all fit together in the end, like a mosaic. In this sense, the big city does not feel so impersonal and distant. We are able to connect with at least one of the characters in some way or another. And once again, this film is all about place and people’s varying experiences within the place. It does not aim to say anything grand or vague about the city (although it does paint quite a romantic picture of the city). It is what it is: a collection of snippets of a greater whole.
