Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
How is dual identity presented in the poem? - Coggle Diagram
How is dual identity presented in the poem?
Dual identity is presented through the portrayal of the girl's week connection to her culture and identity
the use of the declarative sentence, "i have new brown veins" shows that the unknown girl has taught her more about her identity and culture than the world has, emphasizing the weak bond she initially had with her culture.
this juxtaposes with the quote, "i will scrape off the dry brown lines". the "dry" lines are symbolic for her culture which hasn't been watered, hasn't been acknowledged, nor embedded into the girl- it also shows how her culture hasn't sunk into her yet, highlighting the constant fight she's having, in order to keep her culture safe and acknowledged.
I have new brown veins.
In the evening bazaar
The use of the metaphor "henna" links her to her culture as the henna is described as "brown veins" which says that it is a part of her as her blood.
"is hennaing my hands"
the verb "hennaing" can show that no matter what people will do its not permanent and it will slowly fade away
the adjective "new" shows that she's accepting the fact that doesnt belong to only one culture but she can belong to more than one
identity is presented as something sometimes you cannot control or choose this is shown by the frequent use of "longing" shes always wanted something different but she can't have it.
Alvi describes her strange foreign surroundings of the bazaar and how she accepts it.
"banners of Miss India 1993, for curtain cloth and sofa cloth canopy me"
Alvi describes her foreign surroundings in the Indian Bazaar and her mixed feelings about it. She describes herself as being "canopied" by the soft and embracing texture of the "curtain cloth and sofa cloth".
The reader is able to sympathize with how Alvi embraces her dual identity. The adjective "canopied" helps create a soft and gently tone, making it as though she fell gently into the world of dual identities.
Alvi presented her culture gently entering and effecting her
"she is squeezing" and " she is icing"
The use of gentle verbs creates a great sensation as her culture is slowly and gently effecting her . The use of the present verb shows that her going to her country is effecting her thoughts and feeling.
the juxtaposition in the first two lines shows the confusion of the girls life of not knowing her own identity
"in the evening bazaar studded with neon"
"evening bazaar"
the evening is such a cozy soft time of the day and the noun bazaar represents a traditional environment
neon
neon is a really bright color which shows confusion and not stable life
the juxtaposition between the evening bazaar and neon shows the girls confusion about life where she doesn't know if she is more into the traditional side or more outgoing and she sees herself as the "unknown girl"