Blog Entry #4 Aldana, Jasmine: A New Opportunity for Growth

             Blogging was something very new to me when starting this class. I was aware of what it was, meaning I knew that blogs were place of creativity and thought. I always had a preset idea that blogging was something very casual and had a wide spread variety of different themes. For example through my line of interest I enjoyed fashion and beauty blogs, these did not really demonstrate the type of academic thought that we projected in this class. Even though I was never really interested in the blogs where politics and other more “academic” themes are discussed, I still knew that they existed and what they consisted of. I know blogging is a place of opinion and thought, where you can express your beliefs in a freely manner. It also is a place where someone can start conversation with others that might have the same opinions, and in some cases with people that have conflicting opinions. Blogging was something I never participated in until this class but I did know about its powers.

            The assignments completed in this class gave me time to really digest and think about the themes presented by the stories we read. Every time I sat down to write a post I would briefly re-read each story and write down some themes and quotes that stuck out to me. Completing this process really let me take everything away I could from the readings and create work that I am proud of. The community building potential blogging had in this class was very interesting. At first I did not think people would be honest with critiquing and reviewing each other’s work, but to my surprise I was very wrong. The comments lefts on my work were very rich in context and constructive criticism. With that being said I always tried giving my group mates comments where they could really benefit and take away from. The only thing I could have gained more from this experience was continuing the conversation in the comments instead of forgetting about it after the assignment was over. This type of relationship was very positive and productive, leading me to believe that the community building potential was reached, at least for my group.

            My new job as a contributor to this world of blogging brings much responsibility and aspects to always keeps in mind when creating a piece of work. Since blogging in this case is an international activity, people with differ life styles and cultures will be reading my work so it is very crucial that my pieces are respectful. This means to never assume about anything, especially when it comes to a group of people. This is something we learned in the beginning of this class and it is very important to remember. If I were to assume things in my writing I could really offend or hurt someone who is reading my work. When blogging it is important to express you opinion but it is more important to be respectful and modest. The participation of international online conversation is very important in reference to growing as a writer. We can learn a lot from other people, especially those from different places. As scholars we are always learning, and the best type of learning is when it is done through a method of collaboration.

            In my first post I focused on the idea of failure from the part of the parents in the discussed stories. My thesis stated, “‘Girl’ by Jamaica Kincaid, “Gorilla, My Love” byToni Cade Bambara and “533” by LaShonda Katrice Barnett, establish the failure of parenthood through the lives of the children.” Here the idea of failure is seen through the actions of the parents affecting the children. In my second post I focused on the role of women. The thesis statement seen in this post reads, “ In both of the short stories, “No Sweetness Here” and “Everyday Use” the conflicting views of staying true to your culture and moving forward with your success are evident through the lives of the women.” I wanted to take a different approach here, leading me to focus on the decisions faced by the women in the stories. In my first blog it is clear that my thesis statement was vague and consisted of summary, while in my second post you can really hear my voice. I should have really added more of an argument in my first thesis statement, where I could create a better platform for discussion. There is clear sense of improvement seen in these two posts, especially in the sense of discovering and sharing my voice through the medium of creating an argument.

            Blogging technology can be a place of self-discovery and growth. It is a place that offers a free space to fill with your creativity. Feedback leads to revision and a better understanding of you own work. All aspects of blogging are beneficial to the writer and readers. I am glad I was able to start this experience and hopefully continue it on my own.

Blog Entry #4 Romano, Lauren: Homework Seen All Around the World

 Prior to taking this English 243 class I was not familiarized with specifically blogging technology before, especially to the extent of the blog site that we utilized. For previous classes I had used the university’s website Sakai to participate in online discussions with my classmates, in response to what they had a written or a prompt that a professor put up. This shares similar attributes that a blog possesses but doesn’t offer the same freedom that participating in a blog does. Even though we were given a question to respond too, we were able to make the space we were posting it on, our own through editing, pictures, and titles.

                In my opinion this technology that holds a lot of community building potential was a new interactive way to actively discuss literature in an untraditional manner. In past literary critiques or discussions I feel as though I always had to aim for the same objective; to answer a question or summarize the text, say what it means. Through blogging I feel as though I made the most of the experience because I was able to dive into analytical ideas, and expand on them through my own creativity in posting them on an this active blog site. Having access and being able to provide input for my fellow classmates proved to further provoke my thoughts about not only the literature itself, but real world issues, and the different kinds of depiction of them through the literature that we read. I feel like often times the literary process is made mechanic and robotic, and we go through a process of reading something and interpreting it. The blog was an innovative way to expand on a whole array of viewpoints and perspectives of the literature.

                The idea that the blogging community that I was a part of, being enrolled in this class this semester could not only be seen by my classmates but by anyone around the world at anytime is mind blowing to me. The literature that we examined and the analyzing we did of aspects such as the author’s purpose or the message of the story, and symbolism were representations of issues of many different cultures. The idea that someone who lived through the plane crash discussed in Management of grief could read or comment on my post about the story and the events that took place, makes me feel like my writing took on a purpose that it never had before. In a way it almost feels more real.

                Looking back on my first blog I feel as though I’ve grown as a writer by becoming more concise with my ideas, as well as taken a more creative approach in analyzing literature. The thesis statement from my first blog post was, “The short story “ Girl” written by Jamaica Kincaid in 1949 proposes an interesting view on freedom, on how sometimes this word as a concept can have a different meaning other than it’s dictionary definition. “ The thesis statement from my third post was, “Throughout the short story “Management of Greif “ author, Bharati Mukherjee suggests that although it is an expected normality in the “white” culture to accept the loss of a loved one and move forward, her heart follows her Indian heritage, by keeping hope alive that one day said loved ones might return.” While comparing the two I was able to observe that my recent thesis statement narrowed in on a more original idea about the story, and the author’s motive. I think this definitely provided for a more successful analysis and communication of what I got from the readings overall.

Blog # 4 Shaffer, Mary: Not New, But Definitely Different

I am not new to blogging. However, I’ve never done it in the academic sense. I have used Webs.com to create my own personal website before. It was purely for my own entertainment. There was no purpose to it. I have never used this platform for making a website before, but it was easy to pick up. The newest part of this experience for me was doing the actual blogging. On my personal website I never really had anything to say, so I never actually posted much. It was definitely different posting not only semi-regularly, but also for such a seemingly long length.

I made the most of the ENG 243 blogging assignments by treating them less like they were blog posts, and more like they were formal essays. I feel the ambiance of a blog is very informal, and I did not want to get caught being too casual and not accomplishing the work I was meant to be doing. I think this kind of technology has a great community building potential, but only if everyone uses it the same way. It doesn’t work if you ask a question in a response to someone else’s blog and they do not respond. I participated in this process by responding to people’s blogs. The one time someone asked a question on mine I responded to that as well. From this I gained experience responding to other’s blogs in a productive way, not just saying, “That was great.” I could have gained more if I was able to have more of a conversation with my blogging partners.

Through this process I have become a new voice among many talking about the short stories written by women of color, which we have studied in this course. I think this is very important for scholars to participate in conversations like this because it opens up their ideas for feedback. They will be exposed to ideas they might not have thought of before, which will help them grow as a writer.

“ “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid and “533” by LaShonda Katrice Barnett elaborate on the expectations of women in the Caribbean and New York neighborhoods in which they lived based on the history of those areas.” This is the thesis statement from my first blog post. The thing I did well is that I have a shadow of an argument here, but I lack the specificity to make it mine and strong. My thesis statement from my third blog post shows growth. “In her work, “And of Clay Are We Created,” Isabel Allende uses mudslides and volcano damage as a symbol of paralyzing fear that can suddenly overtake someone’s life in order to show the universality of the tragedy that struck Columbia in 1985.” Here I feel I have done a much better job at presenting a specific, arguable, thesis.

Blogging technology can be useful to me inside the academic environment because I can use it to present a final portfolio in an English or writing class. It is useful for tracking writing progress over a semester, like we used it in this class. Outside of the university, blogs can be helpful for expressing your creative ideas and seeing how people respond. You can also expose yourself to new ideas that can help you grow as a person. 

Entry #4 Pelosi, Joe Blogging was a great experience

Personally, blogging was a whole new experience for me. In my pervious English, or reading classes throughout my years of education, blogging was never used or addressed. Generally we would be assigned a short story, read it individually just as we did in ENG 243, but the next class we would have to respond to questions and, or take a quiz in class. Although, blogging was a very useful tool, in order to understand the short stories

At times the ENG 243 blogging assignments were not an easy task. Through the use of thesis statements, and connecting them back to the short stories and real world, is where I made the most out of my work and assignments. The community blogging potential was a great tool for me. At times it would be difficult to fully understand the message in the sort stories that were assigned. Through the use of community blogging, I was able to access community group members perspectives on what they read, ultimately giving me a clearer understanding on the material. While participating in the community blogging posts, I would work to my maximum potential to give my opinion on the other group members blogging posts. While reading the other group member’s blogs, I gained a great amount of knowledge, giving me a better understanding of the task at hand. Although I worked to my full potential, I could have gained more knowledge if I thoroughly reviewed the quotes and accessed more quotes from the short stories.

My new status being a contributor to international conversations gives me a great sense of pried. As a scholar it is important to make your voice herd, and to listen to other perspectives though the voice of others, and with the blogging communities this is exactly what we have done. People across the world form all different nations may read the short stories we have been assigned this semester, our incite and responses will potentially give the reader a completely different perspective on the piece through the universal voice of blogging.

My first blog post thesis, “In her work “533”, LaShonda Barnett illustrated the qualities of parenthood and growing up with undedicated parents, through third person views.” I felt there was a slight improvement in my third blog post through my thesis “In Bharati’s Mukherjee’s “The Management of Grief”, the unfortunate event of the explosion, causing the downed plane, symbolizes the difficulties of moving forward from grief, and the uncertainty of the future, expressed through the third person view of Shaila Bhave.” When comparing and contrasting my thesis statements from my first blog post to my third, I believe as time went forward I gained more knowledge from class lectures, as I included more through detail in my third post. Although both thesis statements are bold, and convey a clear message from the readings.

Blogging can be useful inside and outside the academy, and the university. When using blogging inside the academy and university you can gain a great deal of knowledge of the topic assigned to you. In contrast when using blogging outside the academy and university you can still gain a great deal of knowledge in the topic you have interest in. overall I thought blogging was a great experience for my, as I learned a lot that will be taken with me for my reaming years in education.

Ireland, Samantha Blog Post 4: Blog Posting Has Changed My Life

                                                Blogging Has Changed My Life

 

            Before this class, blogging was a concept that was extremely foreign to me. I had never used it for personal or academic use before. Learning how to create and use blogs has opened my eyes to a modern way writing can exist. Blogs can be used to express both personal and academic thoughts. On an academic note, composing these blog posts allowed me to work on my writing skills, which I have become more confident in as the semester has gone on. I believe that being put in a situation where I had to share my writing has forced me to polish each blog to the best of my ability because I know others will be reading it not just the classroom teacher.  When writing these posts I was very close-minded as to who would be reading it for I never thought anyone outside our class would spend their time reading it. However, I was recently reminded that anyone in the world can read my posts and now I am an international published blog author. This is important for me as a scholar because I am no longer just writing papers to improve my writing skills. Now, I write to learn and to create materials that will help pave the way for my future. These blog postings show my future employers that I am able to administrate and use technology to communicate with my co-workers. Working on my future now makes it much more possible for my dreams to come true when graduation comes. 

             Additionally, I have spent the time to go back through my first blog. Right away I recognized the mistakes I made in my first blog based on the various things we learned about writing this semester. First, my thesis is not specific enough or an argument. It is a very simplistic sentence that summarizes a topic I noticed about the story: “ In the short story, “533” LaShonda Katrice Barnett discusses the struggle people of color had gaining freedom in the North and South. There is no argument in this statement because it is simply stating that African Americans struggled to achieve freedom equal to the whites. Furthermore, there is no argument in this statement because nothing makes it unique to me. With that being said, it is clear that this statement is not specific enough.  As I read on through my first blog post, I continued to notice my lack of clarity and specificity. I would make a statement and back it up with no evidence. For example, I state: “Living through the experience of being whipped left several emotional scars on the slaves.” After making such a powerful statement I provide no quote that connects it to my thesis or the story. Overall, my first blog post lacked a well-written thesis, supporting evidence from the text, and a clear overall message.

            Lastly, this short stories class has taught me much more than I originally realized because I have the ability to go through older pieces of writing and identify where my mistakes are. Being able to recognize these mistakes has made a better writer. I have been receiving better grades on papers in other classes purely because I have gained a better understanding as to how the writing process works. More importantly, this class has helped me realize how imperative it is to be able to write well for my future will be more successful if I master various writing skills. Consequently, blog posting has forced me to be the best writer i can be while also providing me with confidence in my academics. 

 

 

Blog #3 Shaffer, Mary: Buried By Fear

In her work, “And of Clay Are We Created,” Isabel Allende uses mudslides and volcano damage as a symbol of paralyzing fear that can suddenly overtake someone’s life in order to show the universality of the tragedy that struck Columbia in 1985.

As the story opens Rolf Carlé, a reporter, goes to cover the tragedy as rescue efforts are unfolding. He encounters Azucena, a thirteen-year-old girl trapped in the mud, “And every time we saw her on the screen, right behind her was Rolf Carlé, who had gone there on assignment, never suspecting that he would find a fragment of his past, lost thirty years before” (Allende, 171). Here, Allende appears to be asserting that a tragedy, even if you are not directly involved in it, has a way of forcing you to confront painful moments of your past that you might have continued to push aside otherwise. Many people, it seems, fall into the false sense of ease that comes with pushing painful feelings aside, dealing with their problems by not actually confronting them. It allows them a façade that, sooner or later, must come crumbling down. The author relates fear to natural disasters when she describes Rolf’s past overcoming him in the second night he spent with Azucena, “That night, imperceptibly, the unyielding floodgates that had contained Rolf Carlé’s past for so many years began to open, and the torrent of all that had lain hidden in the deepest and most secret layers of memory poured out, leveling before it the obstacles that had blocked his consciousness for so long” (Allende, 175).

As the world watched the tragedy in Columbia unfold some, most likely, felt it had nothing to do with them, and so they did not care. Others were like Rolf and his wife, paralyzed by the magnitude of the tragedy, forced to confront their own demons when they could not help the strangers escape theirs. “Azucena had surrendered her fear to him, so without wishing it, had obliged Rolf to confront his own. There, beside the hellhole of mud, it was impossible for Rolf to flee from himself any longer, and the visceral terror he had lived as a boy suddenly invaded him,” (Allende, 175), in this passage Allende suggests that although it should be Azucena who is terrified it is actually Rolf, the one who will make it out alive. She suggests the idea that survivor’s of tragedy feel guilt that they are unable to provide assistance to those who need it. Rolf, as many others would, struggles with his inability to help the young girl he has spent three days in the mud with.

“You are back with me, but you are not the same man,” (Allende, 177) the author is suggesting that experiencing a tragedy changes a person. If they are lucky enough to make it out they are led into a journey of rediscovering themselves. The reader is meant to relate to Rolf; to understand his pain and confusion despite the fact that they have not experienced the same events. That is the message Allende appeared to be sending in this work; that, although it takes place in a different part of the world, fear is universal.

Entry #3: Romano, Lauren, Management of Hope

Throughout the short story “Management of Greif “ author, Bharati Mukherjee suggests that although it is an expected normality in the “white” culture to accept the loss of a loved one and move forward, her heart follows her Indian heritage, by keeping hope alive that one day said loved ones might return. In different parts of the narrative, the narrator sees the ghost of her dead husband, as he speaks to her. By including this, Mukherjee is showing listeners that despite her husband’s death she stays connected with him after he’s gone. This goes against everything that the news reporter in the story is trying to facilitate in the unfortunate families of the victims of the plane crash.

There seems to be a perceived way to handle death, and manage the grief that comes along with it, a process in which someone should move on from losing a loved one that includes confronting the fact that the person is gone forever. The narrator expresses the idea that in Indian culture they approach the concept of death in a different way. Instead of burying the deceased forever, they honor their lost loved ones with hope. Throughout the text, the narrator refers to the fact that the news reporter views her as one of the few family members of the plane crash victims that is managing her grief the right way. She appears to accept the death of her husband and two sons, because she complies with going through the investigation processes and the normal expected life insurance policies. Because of this the reporter asks that Mukherjee help out the other suffering families who in her eyes, are not coping with the atrocity in a “normal” way. While sharing her experience in one of the family’s home she states, “I want to say, humor her. I want to say, My boys and my husband are with me too more than ever. I look in the old man’s eyes and I can read his stubborn, peasants message: I have protected this woman the best I can she is the only person I have left. Give to me or take from me what you will, but I will not sign for it. I will not pretend that I accept.”(Mukherjee, 116) Through this thought, the narrator reveals her real feelings about her family’s absence, that even though they are supposed to be people only in her past, she feels even closer to them now.

                Moreover the idea of hope is introduced during the same scene in the story.  Out of frustration with the family’s resistance to signing life insurance papers the news reporter states, “ They think singing a paper is signing their sons’ death warrant, don’t they? “  The narrator comments on this by stating, “I am looking out the window. I want to say, In our culture, it is a parent’s duty to hope.” The author clarifies through this that she disagrees with the norm of managing her grief by accepting death, and instead of establishing her children as dead in her mind, she fulfills this with hope that they will return to her in some way.  Even if that way is the same as her husband coming to her as a ghost, her heart refuses to let her children go, her culture and background drives her to hold her children even closer to her with strong hope, until she is reunited with them.

Entry#3: Aldana, Jasmine, The Management of a Widow’s Grief

            In “The Management of Grief”, Bharati Mukherjee exposes the lonely and self-healing grief a widow is forced to face due to the cultures nature of favoring men and their role in society.

            Seen through Shaila Bhave’s character, a woman who has lost her husband and children due to a tragic accident, is forced to face her newly gained widow status a lone. With this identity of being a widow comes the idea of coping and grieving. The culture expects women to be ‘hysterical’. Bhave states while talking to Judith “ ‘by the standards of the people you call hysterical, I am behaving very oddly and very badly, Miss. Templeton.’ I want to say to her, I wish I could scream, walk into Lake Ontario, jump from the bridge. ‘They would not see me as a model. I do not see myself as a role model” (Mukherjee, 108-109). This demonstrates the idea that these women are expected to deal with their grief alone and in a way that shows weakness.   

            Although she is alone, she is lucky to have had the opportunity to work, Bhave explains, “there are some widows who’ve never handled money or gone on a bus” (Mukherjee, 108). These women have had to depend on their husbands for economic support for their entire lives and now that they are alone they have no sense of dealing with money or supporting themselves. When Bhave says, “At thirty-six, I am too old to start over and too young to give up” (Mukherjee, 112), we are able to see the position most of these widows are stuck in. They are not good enough to be remarried, in the standards of the culture, but they are not old enough to give up. They have to keep fighting and have to find a light through their grief in order to move one. These struggles are not faced by men instead there is a hurry to remarry a man who has lost his wife.         

            Just a short time after the accident Bhave states that, “already the widowers among us are being shown new bride candidates. They cannot resist the call of custom” (Mukherjee, 113). Demonstrating the culture and how much they favor the male role. The man has no choice but to follow the custom of the culture, their status and importance in society is set by their role, which is seen when Bhave explains, “they must marry, it is the duty of a man to look after a wife” (Mukherjee, 113). They have no other choice but to be a father, a husband, and a provider. Even though they have no choice they are still given a future unlike women in this culture.

            These widows are forced to be a lone but most of all are left to heal themselves from the grief. Shaila begin her self-healing when she states, “a wife and mother begins her life in a new country, and that life is cut short…Complete what we have started” (Mukherjee, 116). Here she realizes her what she has to do and even though she later goes on to say she does not know what or how to complete her what her husband and her have started, she no longer stuck. She knows what she has to do and her journey will take her there. Finally we see her management of grief when she hears her loves ones once more, “your time has come, they said. Go, be brave” (Mukherjee, 117). She is ready to move on all on her own, she is ready to begin her journey of a new life where she has healed herself and has managed her grief.

            Mukherjee exposes and focuses on the loneliness and self-healing these widows are faced with but through this a light of strength is seen. The widows in this culture are faced with struggles that can make them stronger. Even though they are forced to heal themselves and be alone, someone like Shaila Bhave’s character demonstrates the strength that comes from a male favoring culture. These women are empowered and made stronger through their struggles, demonstrating the management of the widow’s grief.

Ireland, Samantha Entry #3: The Mud Swallows Children

   The Mud Swallows Children  

           

        In Isabel Allende’s short story, “ And of Clay Are We Creating” Azucena symbolizes the innocence natural disaster strips from people as the meaning of her name represents the emotions survivors go through.

            Azucena is a name of Arabic origin and when translated to English means “Lily”. This name is generally used in Italian and Spanish cultures and for that reason has 7 different spellings. Moreover, a young woman who has this name is generally humble and modest. Additionally, a woman with this name is usually from a poor community. She may experience hatred from other members of society who are of higher class because of her lower socio-economic status and as a result will feel doubt and emotional pain throughout her life. Lastly, women who possess the name Azucena will triumph with the success and strength she has developed after overcoming several obstacles (Think Baby Names, 1990).

            Allende’s short story, “And of Clay Are We Creating” uses the meaning of the name Azucena to explain the hardships and stripped innocence people who lived in communities nearby the Nevado de Ruiz volcano experienced. As Rolf and Azucena wait for a rescue team to come and save her, Rolf begins to realize how little of the world she has seen: “She was thirteen, and she had never been outside her village.”(Allende, 174). Here, Rolf is expressing the sadness he feels for this young girl as her life is ending at such a young age. Unfortunately, this volcano eruption steals the innocence and childhood of young members of the Nevado de Ruiz community. Allende shares this diminished innocence when Azucena shares the depression she feels because her sibling’s dead bodies are below her. Therefore, surviving this natural disaster is twice as difficult for Azucena as she is mourning the death of her family while also fighting to keep her childhood innocence and life.

            As the story progresses, Rolf continues to stay with Azucena with the hope that they will receive a pump to save her life. Contrasting with the names definition, a reporter of higher class is helping her fight for survival. He realizes all of the opportunities she has never had and wishes to give her the chance to see more of the world. Allende shares Rolf’s wish by stating: “she perhaps did not know there was a world beyond the sea or time previous to her own; she was not capable of imagining Europe in the years of the war…How could he tell this dying child about ovens and gallows?”(Allende, 175). For a moment, Rolf contemplates sharing the parts of the world she has never seen so she gets the chance to understand the world better through stories. However, he decides not to share those stories so she can hang on to her childhood innocence and positive memories.

            As Rolf and Azucena establish a friendship, she opens up to him and shares her fear. This connects to the meaning of her name because she is expressing her doubt of survival as well as the physical and emotional pain she is feeling from being stuck in the mud. During one of their late night conversations Allende shares: “ Azucena had surrendered her fear to him” (Allende, 175). When she opens up, Rolf and Azucena begin to form a friendship that develops as they spend all day and night together. As it “drizzles” Azucena mumbles: “The sky is weeping. And she began to cry” (Allende, 175). Here, Azucena is realizing that she is going to die. Allende uses the rain to represent the sadness and depression survivors are feeling as they have lost so many loved ones to the volcano eruption. The three days continue to pass and on her last day Azucena tells Rolf: “Don’t cry. I don’t hurt anymore. I’m fine.”(Allende,177). Azucena is staying strong and is accepting her near death. Even though she does not survive, Azucena experiences the “triumph” her name stands for because she stays proud of her accomplishments in life while she fights for survival. After they have the conversation about what life will be like if she dies, the president comes to visit and finds a pump to help her. Sadly enough, the pump does not arrive fast enough and Azucena dies: “She sank slowly, a flower in the mud”(Allende,178). Her death symbolizes her lost of innocence to the volcano eruption along with her siblings and the rest of the children who were killed while.

            In conclusion, the natural disaster strips children of the innocence they still had as young members of society. Allende uses the short story “And of Clay We Are Created” to represent children’s loss of innocence and uses the meaning of the name Azucena to explain how disasters of the world end lives before they have even begun.

Entry #3 Pelosi, Joe, Symbols In The Downed Airplane

In Bharati’s Mukherjee’s “The Management of Grief”, the unfortunate event of the  explosion, causing the downed plane, symbolizes the difficulties of moving forward from grief, and the uncertainty of the future, expressed through the third person view of Shaila Bhave. The bombing of Air India Flight 182, affected many people and families, whom where not prepared for such a horrific event.

 

Through Mukherjee’s work she expresses the symbolization of the tragedy, as it had a great affect on the families of the victims. Shaila Bhave had lost a great part of her family, her husband Vikram Bhave, and her two sons Vinod and Mithun Bhave. Shaila is a soft spoken, strong hearted women whom eventually comes to the terms of accepting the plain bombing and the fact she will never see her lost family members again. Tragedy more times then others is an unexpected occurrence, and when it strikes, theirs no way to avoid the difficulties that follow after. Shaila being the strong-hearted person she is express, “I tell myself I have no right to grieve. They are in a better place than we are. My swami says depression is a sign of our selfishness (Mukherjee 109)”. She is dealing with the process of moving forward from grief, though it’s a difficult process, she states remaining depressed and sad is the incorrect thing to do. Remaining bold and strong should be the process taken when dealing with grief. Although many peoples process’s taken with grief are different, there are many difficulties when attempting to move forward from grief. While a government appointed official learns of the way Shaila had been managing the grieving process, she comes to her and asks for assistance to reach out to other families whom have dealt with the tragedy in a different manner. Upon visiting an elderly couple that has lost their two sons in the crash, it becomes apparent to Shaila that they have not accepted the fact of the loss of their beloved children. She attempts to get thorough to them expressing that “the government wishes to give money (Mukherjee 116)”. This elderly couple has gone about grieving in a completely different manner, believing that “God will provide, not the government” “When our boys return, the mother says (Mukherjee 116)”. They chose to remain dependent on their sons, as they have not accepted the fact of their loss through unexpected tragedy.

The plain coming down in comparison also symbolizes the uncertainty of the future through the third person view of Shaila Bhave. Though she has dealt with the management of grieving in an open minded, strong-hearted manner, she still remains uncertain of what the future has in store. “I am trapped between two modes of knowledge. At thirty-six, I am too old to start over and too young to give up. Like my husband’s spirit, I flutter between worlds (Mukherjee 112)”. Shaila doesn’t want to let go of the memory of her lost family members, but doesn’t want to remain trapped, reminiscing on the tragedy that took place, ultimately changing her outlook on the future.

The Air India Flight 182 could have held much different symbolization towards the affectedness on people’s perspective of tragedy, but the symbols in the downed plain, which boldly stood out the most, were the difficulties of moving forward from grief, and the uncertainty of the future.