Conflict Of Modern Vs Traditional Culture

Conflict Of Modern Vs Traditional CultureThe system of in-migration is of furbish up importance in the US national development. The country mainly stands on in-migration driven transformation through with(predicate)out the history. Looking O.K. in history, large scale immigration took impersonate in 1970s and fulfil continues bowl date. The twist of 21st coke brought virtu anyy galore(postnominal) variegates in the origination. The immigration system of US has taken a sharp deviate. a great deal important is the incident of 9/11 and the stop consonant following it.Immigrants, later having spent decades of their lives in alien environment macrocosm a instruction from kinsfolk and inborn conclusion, come across m each worrys. The problems vary according to their nature, from mixer to hea and thenish and frugal to policy-making altogether problems mainly arise ascribable to lack of tillage and primary focus on separatism.Assimilation petitions group meetin g of American immigrants into a recent shade and adopting their way of demeanor. Most first-year coevals immigrants naturally stick to their arrest countrys values and norms. For this particular designer they face indistinguishability encounter on heathen level. The scrap to a fault arises when the immigrant originally belongs to a heathenishly overabundant group in the mformer(a) country and describes him/herself as a minority in the host country. If their ethnic identity is rejected by the host society, he/she gos towards his/her inborn cultural identity.Culture is an indispensable factor of engagement and its resolution. Cultures ar like resistivity rivers that run through our lives1it shapes our ideas, perceptions and judgments of self and other. Asiatic- literature primarily addresses the concept of race. enigma StatementThe conflict among US immigrants approximately cultural assimilation is in general expressed in federation Asiatic American novels. The South Asian American novelists Mohsin Hamid and Jhumpa Lahiri portray some of cultural conflicts for instance modern and handed-d professistic assimilation. Generally, American society perceives Asian immigrants culture as handed-d own and considers their hold culture and way of look to be modern in nature. So it is to be analyzed how such conflicts are presented by some(prenominal)(prenominal) the novelists in their doings The backward Funda psychicist and The Namesake.Research QuestionsOn what stem the conflict of modern vs. traditionalistic with respect to Pakistani immigrants is presented in the novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist?How Mohsin Hamid limits modern and traditional culture?What according to Jhumpa Lahiri is modern and traditional culture?How in The Namesake the coming upon of culture is presented with respect to Indian culture?Are in that location any resemblingities in the way both novelists define the cultural conflict?Objective of the leaseThe obj ective of this research is to study how conflict arises between the native and host cultures of immigrants. And to provide the variables on the basis of which the novelists have defined modern and traditional culture in their novels. importation of the studyThe significance of this study lies in providing an in-depth analysis of the conflict that has emerged in pre and post 9/11 era with respect to The Namesake and The Reluctant Fundamentalist. methodologyThe study of conflict is based on qualitative analysis of cultural conflict in both the novels. It is based on theory of assimilation (model of Separatism). Separatism, Methodology is based on consultations from primary and secondary re line of descents. Primary source is the text of deuce novels and secondary resources are research papers, print media, net articles and critical commentaries of diverse critiques.Organization of the studyConflict of modern vs. traditional culture in The Reluctant Fundamentalist.Conflict of modern vs. traditional culture in The Namesake.Comparative analysis of The Reluctant Fundamentalist and The Namesake.Literature brushupCulture way of manners growing sum of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, nonions of cartridge clip, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions2 have by a particular group of people. It implies that culture revolve well-nigh various parameters ranging from dress code to particular political affiliation.Humans can non flap well in homogeneity diversity is a key edge in cultures. Conflict automatically arises with diversity among nature and culture of people.The saving of US has been dep hold championnt on manpower from across the globe in the form of immigration. Dating back to history starting from s chargeteenth blow slave trade till date immigrants have been the mainstream of US stinting system.in-migration, however, played a key role non only in maki ng Americas development possible further overly in constitution the basic nature of the society. Immigration has given rise to problems of assimilation of adept group into a nonher from different backgrounds. People alship canal come from vary cultures, nations, and carry differing identities they cannot completely merge with each other. The differences always arise and author issues of identity among people.3Since each of us possess several different identities of varying degrees of complexity, personal, social4 the inner desire to preserve the identities may not ascertain the kindred level of acceptance by the host society. This situation in the long run ascends cultural conflicts like identity, make water, etc.Huntington in his book The Clash of graciousizations and the remaking of worldly concern Order presents his theory of clash of civilization as he believed that clash amongst nations is based upon culture. He writesEdward Said in his book Orientalism is of the aspect that occidentals conside cerise orientalists especially Muslims to be barbaric, insensitive and humble to Anglo-Saxon race therefrom presenting the clash of civilizations.The hyphenated literature of America records such clashes. The Chinese exclusion in 1882 and the superstition against Chinese immigrants in US are recorded in the following poem.The similar kind of discriminatory behavior is also portrayed by Meena Alexander in her poem. The extract below narrated the story of bigotry against Asian immigrants in the US where equal opportunities were not available for themanother(prenominal) critic Denna also comments upon the novel in the following lecture.Similarly Pakistani-American novelist Mohsin Hamid in his novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist also presents the situation of Pakistani immigrants in US by temporary hookupting the story in the backdrop of 9/11 attacks. Manish Chand, a critic quotesAccording to Irfan Khawaja, the protagonist of the novel suffers from cultural and identity conflict, as he is of the opinionChapter 2History of Cultural Conflicts in USImmigration from earliest constitutement to the presentBeing a country comprised of immigrants, United States of America from its earliest to the present settlers have generous amount of ethnic, religious and cultural multiplicity. The earliest settlers brought about homogeneity as many comprised of white race and were religiously Protestants. nevertheless as the decades and centuries passed, Asians, Europeans and South American immigrants poured into the United States. Gradually the difference began to emerge. These differences primarily became apparent on religious, ethnic and racial level as these immigrants ranged from Catholics to Muslims and Hindus to Buddhists.United States developed as an industrial nation subsequently the arrival of European settlers that started at the end of fifteenth century. Population rise, battles on land, industrial revolution, and religious persecu tion were some of the reasons to spring people leave their theaterland.5The earliest immigrants from British Isles migrated to North America and brought with them the mainstream culture which still resonates and dominates in American way of conduct. Nevertheless, it was Spaniards who first formed the eternal settlement which is now called as Florida in 1565.British developed the virgin land with the help of American Indians at first at Virginia colonies in 1607. They rated them as an inferior race having traditional and barbaric culture. They viewed them as slaves and seek to suppress them save remained unsuccessful. After realizing that they could no longer use them as slaves, they apply corrosive means to move them off the area which settlers precious for themselves.On the other hand Spaniards used different methodology with the red Indians by integrating them in to their community and exploiting their labor.6Along with British and Spanish settlers, black landowners from W est Indies also played a part in speech African immigrants to US. Slavery presently became the main solution of problem of manpower in developing American lands especially the South where saving depended on rice, indigo and tobacco.7These immigrants were a firmness of forced migration and were required to choke on hard conditions without their choice it was one of the largest population displacements in the world history. The culture of African immigrants in US has received pejorative connotation as whites presumed their culture to be sophisticated and a model to be followed by the World. The clash of cultures later emerged out in the twentieth century.The period between 1815 and World War I is significant in bringing about the greatest kink, an estimated 30 million, of European immigrants to the new land. The largest group was Irish, who became flow to British land laws and potato crop failure, in the mid 19th century. Germans constituted the second-largest group among Euro pean immigrants most of them were middle class artisans and landless people who migrated due to Industrial upheaval in Europe During the succession from 1890 to 1924, immigrants from Italy, central Europe and Russia started settling into the US.The late nineteenth century in the United States is marked by immigration re harshions. Some state laws did not allow illiterate and anarchists to step on their soil. The need of restrictions arose as many believed that the culture of newcomers is spoiling the strong essence of American culture and way of living.The turn of twentieth century and World War II brought about immigrants from Asia, Mexico and the South America.Cultural conflict and LegislationsThe major cultural conflict in American history is mostly associated with African immigrants and their exertion to retain their own cultural identity with reference to their native land. Their struggle is marked by violence, peaceful protests, establishment of certain organizations like N AACP.The time span of this struggle starts with the establishment of James Town when Africans were brought to the impudently world solely for economic purpose and their status were nothing but slaves. They were not even considered as human worlds but mere as property, the beings that are sinless of any emotion whether pleasure or pain. For that particular reason, they were transported in inhumane conditions through transatlantic route. Sometimes they were chained around their necks and were given food aft(prenominal) several hours. These conditions resulted in the deaths of so many Africans on ship and their late(prenominal) bodies were used to be thrown in rivers. On their arrival to the New World they were sold and they were departed from their families. Langston Hughes, a famous African-American poet narrates the similar incident in his poem The Negro Mother.After being sold, the slaves were vest on mostly cotton, tobacco and potatoes plantation. Some of the slaves tried to show shield regarding religion and culture and the remaining were put on so grim conditions that they could not find of anything else but pain.Americans considered the slaves to be devoid of any culture and religion but despite persecution, slaves managed to retain some part of their native culture. Though folk narratives, slaves were able to save their culture from perishing in United States. apart from that, they crafted certain objects in accordance with the traditions of AfricaAs there was restricted time of leisure allotted to slaves especially on Sunday, the slaves used to rejoice themselves through dance and music. They used to play variety of musical instruments and the music for them connoted both spiritual as well as secular meanings. But not many slaveholders were lover of slaves music as many considered especially in South Carolina, the beating of drum as the call for rebellion on the part of the slaves.When in 1776, America gained independence, the author of Declar ation of Independence , doubting Thomas Jefferson chose beautiful phrases to signify whtat the new country stands for in these words but the Constitution of United States and the practices spoke otherwise. Under the Article 1, naval division 2 of the Constitution, while discussing about the representatives in the Government, give slaves the proportion of one-third fifth. It is interesting that the authors of the constitution has not used the word slaves, but the word others has been used for them.After the independence of United States, the South economy verbalise to boom because of slave. They were expensive and the number of slaves determined the status of the land owners. apart from few landowners no one allowed slave the right to education and if slaves used to run away to some other place, it was the law that they had to be returned back to hi/her owners. On the other hand North was moving towards industrialization. In 1860, during the presidential campaign, the Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln based his campaign on anti slavery slogan, which highly disturbed the South because they reckoned the slogan as an attack to their economic institution and warned North that if slavery would be abolished, then they would secede. In early 19th century anti slavery societies began to mold who called for the rights of slaves.The campaign became so severe in late 19th century the civil war broke out in 1861 and lasted till 1865. The Civil War resulted in the abolition of slavery. Behind the abolition of slavery there were various actors that played their part to raise awareness that blacks are also human beings and should be given appropriate rights. Abolitionist used various strategies one amongst them was the publication of anti slavery alphabet. Through alphabets, the abolitionist presented their suggest of view in front of white Americans.Despite the end of slavery, it existed in the form of segregation more specifically through Jim Crow laws. The laws m ake segregation legal from transportation places, to theatre etc. The Jim crow laws connoted that blacks are separte and could never assimilate or adjust themselves with the whites based upon their culture and mental capabilities.In an effort to revive their culture, African- American started to publish their literature and consequently fixed the openation of jazz poetry, jazz music, etc which has now pass away the dorm mark of American culture. The epoch of 1920s is marked by Harlem rebirth or is often referred as Jazz age.After facing hardships of decades, it was genus Rosa Parks who when refused to give seat to a white American was arrested and it laid the foundation of Montgomery bus boycott which later became one of the contributory agents of Civil Rights movement of 1960s. The leader of the movement, Martin Luther King Jr called for an end to racial distinction and demanded the equal rights for the colored people. He called for non violent civil disobedience which co mpelled US Government to put an end to Jim Crow Laws. Martin Luther Kings sppech I have a dream is significant in this remark which calls for segregated free American society, where colored people would get equal chances of progress.The history of ethnic and racial conflict is mostly recorded in parallel to the history of immigration in the United States. Moving in to a new society, the immigrant suffers from discrimination which varies in degrees ranging from verbal abuse to physical violence. This discrimination has to be experient by the migrant if he/she wants to be recognized as Americans.The melting Pot theory formulated in eighteenth century is of the essence(p) to the understanding of cultural conflict in United States.The basic hold of melting pot theory requires all immigrants to assimilate into the American dominant culture. It laid stress on homogeneity on religious as well as an ethnic level. During the late eighteenth century, it is estimated that 99 percentage of US population comprised of white Protestants.8They good were able to assimilate themselves in white Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) as there was uniformity among them in terms of ethnicity, religion, and race.9But for the migrant the whole story was upside down. They found it difficult to melt in to the dominant culture especially African immigrants with lower socio-economic status and color. They were relieved as mentally and physically inferior and their culture also became the victim of ethnocentrism. Similarly by the end of nineteenth century, it became questionable whether European immigrant of lower economic status could be assimilated.Among immigrants, who were physically weak and were of lower economic status struggled hard to make their place in fast moving American society.The American Congress, dreading foreign-born political reformists, passed the short lived Alien issue in 1798 to exorcise alleged spies. Although undesirable submission was controlled by local and sta te control on immigration the first major federal immigration legislation excluded prostitutes and convicts in 1875.10An uniform display of persecution was observed against Asians on the West Bank. The gold rush of 1848 brought most Chinese immigrants to the country. Chinese came as individuals, not in families, since they intended to return back after earning significant amount of money. They primarily were employed to work on railroads as well on remotems. The discrimination against Chinese include accusations of vice and idolatry. They were considered inferior and a potential threat to Americans on economic level. For this particular reason, the bigotry against Asian also included use of violence. primal born Americans made use of legislation to remove this threat as Congress passed Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882.it remain enacted till 1943.During early 20th century Nipponese immigrants entered US initially soon they allegedly took away most jobs by providing cheap labor. The number of Japanese entering US was particular(a) by the gentlemens agreement signed between US and Japanese governments in 1907 ultimately all Asians were prohibited from entering US by the year 1924.Racial profiling was not limited to work places but students at college campuses and religious places also suffered from bigotry.The conflicts based on culture and race which demands their life-styles be accepted and given space in the society are prevalent till date.The increasing number of unregistered and illegal immigrants residing in US paved way to another wave of Nativism during 1980s and 1990s. Most illegal immigrants came from Mexico, Asia, Latin America and Caribbean. It was assumed by Americans that these people were taking away job opportunities and hence became a consignment on economy of US.Local political and social movements generated national demand to restrict immigration in late nineteenth century. The Ku Klux Klans actions were strict against foreigners as well as against African Americans. Eastern and Southern Europeans were easily recognizable due to their appearance and traditions, which made them easy targets of bigotry.Congress allocated quotas for immigrants comprising of complex sets of rules about national origin, most of which helped northern Europeans in the Immigration Act of 1924. professorship Harry S. Truman deviated from this policy when he granted asylum to European refugees who fled World War II. Quota system was revised to control immigration in McCarran-Walter Act (the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952), it also sustained marginalization of immigration from Asia. The Immigration Act of 1965 finally ended national origin to serve as basis for system of quotas.After the incident of bomb shelling at Pearl Harbor in 1941, Japanese were hauled away by the FBI restrictions and bans were primed(p) on people of Japanese descent to be expatriated from US devoid of the fact that they had acquired US citizenship. They were c aught and sent to internment camps. It gave an air of Japanese being captives of US forces. All the metaphors of freedom and liberty that were pure American phrases did not apply to Japanese immigrants in US.Immigrants to the United States, have adapted to the new culture despite of their many cultural diversities they have been displaced from the familiar lifestyles and having to settle in the alien life and the new circumstances. After assimilation, the new comers assume themselves as Americans the situation becomes ironical when these assimilated groups start to doubt more recent immigrant groups as a threat to American way of life.By the turn of twenty first century, September 11, 2001 attacks on World Trade core group and Pentagon terribly affected the lives of Asian immigrants in the United States most specifically, Muslims. many of the immigrants became the target of bigotry, harassment, and hostility. In the year 2004, the council on American-Islamic relations processed a g rand total of 1,522 incidents where immigrants complained of ethnic and religious profiling. Hence 9/11 has served as a catalyst for producing a cultural conflict among Asian immigrants. The religious differences are also contributing to this problem. The 9/11 incident, has brought this conflict to height and has proved American society a failure for multiculturalism.Chapter 3Cultural Clash in The NamesakeThe Namesake is a remarkable autobiographical tale of the novelist. Jhumpa Lahiri, being brought up in Bengali-American family, shares immigrant experiences and all the underlying conflicts she states about musical composition the perfect inscription in an interviewJhumpa Lahiri was born in London, and bred and ripe in Rhode Island (US) thus attaining an immediate familiarity with living two lives in one. This distributed life made her much sensitive to the intense pressure to be two things, loyal to the old world and fluent in the new.11She has been successful in concisely portr aying her diaspora experiences in a collection of short stories part of Maladies (which won her the Pulitzer prize for fiction in 2000). Similarly, once more inherited the attention of literary world, through her first novel The Namesake sheHoughton Mifflin Company produce an interview of Jhumpa Lahiri , she expresses about The Namesake the novel is definitely about those who are culturally displaced or those who grow up in two worlds simultaneously.Jhumpa Lahiris The Namesake conveys clash of cultural assimilation where first generation of immigrants natively belong to Bengal, India and are seen as traditional people loving their motherland and her culture. They dont assume America as their own place but their son Gogol is born and bred in United States and he carries an opposite approach as that of his parents. Gogol is uncomfortable with his own name which carries in itself a whole history of his grows association with an author he himself understands his name neither his fr iends outside the home and this becomes a source of tension for him. He also feels distress over his parents Bengali rituals and rites that they occasionally practice. Such things become a source of inner battle for Gogol.Immigration is a public practice in the present globalized age. People from across the world change places and face different languages, cultures, and everything that is new to their lives. One common situation that they all face is natives un forgetingness to accept them this also applies within the country or within small states. Gogol, the protagonist, is unable to understand the account behind his name, when his father tries to explain. At one stage in his endeavors with his self, he isolates himself from the rest of his family to get rid of traditional culture but he returns to his home after death of his father and adopts the rites that he used to practice. As a result of all this conflict, with his identity, he loses his young womanfriend.Gradually, Gogol turns back to his parents culture and family, he mystifys himself attracted to a Bengalese girl that his mother introduced him to. He gets married to her where it seems the story has finished happily, but that is not the case. Moushumi, who is a shy Bengalese young lady, after getting away from strict and traditional environment of her parents house seems to enjoy the freedom of married life and loses interest in him and builds an affair.The Namesake gives an insight into the lives of immigrants to United States, the cultural and identity crisis they find while assimilating into the new society.12The Gangulis, although live in United States but they socialize and live away from American culture as far as parents are concerned. Ashima wears traditional clothes and speak their native language. But once the children are in school, she observes American occasions like Christmas, but that too is celebrated in her Bengalese circle of friends and serves her home-based foods.Gogol, seems in trouble all the time because of his inner conflict. He always detests Indian culture and wants to oblige an American identity as a result he doesnt even refrain from leaving his parents home and abandon his relationship with family.Issue of cuisineThe trouble regarding the cuisine also surfaces when Ashima realizes the difference of Chicken being butchered in the two countries i.e., India and America.ApparelGogol while assimilating into the land of his dreams, America, he wears American styled clothes. On the other hand when he visits India, he wears Indian clothes. This means that he has not abandoned both the identities. Yet at the same time he is confused regarding the choice of his apparel.Difference of Perceptions regarding various countriesThe plot contains the best travelling experiences of characters regarding India, America, Paris and Venice. Each person assumes the places differently, from escape to home and freedom to failure To the children of first generation immigr ants, on the other hand, their parents native place seems old fashioned and outdated. Their lives become collaged between Indian and American rites as they face troubles with their selves in becoming Indian or Indian-American. As a result this conflict ends when in Europe where they can easily cut their connections.The people live, share and celebrate even the minor events conjointly in India, but the situation is different in United States. As the character of Mrs. Jones reveals that she lives alone and sees her children and grandchildren rarely this is a life that Ashokes mother would find humiliating.13In America, the Ganguli children are raised up as Americans, and want to celebrate events as their fellows. For instance, Gogol celebrates his fourteenth birthday in two different ways, one traditional Bengali and other American.The wedding of Moushumi and Gogol is also an example of clash between traditional and modern values. Their parents plan the whole event in their way and pe rform various customs that none of them understands. Gogols friends on the other hand design and plan the whole event of marriage personally.The difference between traditional and modern values is also evident in Gogols divorce from Moushumi. Since Ashima thinks, Fortunately they have not considered it their duty to stay married, as the Bengalis of Ashoke and Ashimas generation do.14In her view, the pressure to settle for less than their ideal of ecstasy has given way to American common sense.15Surprisingly, Ashima is pleased with this outcome, as hostile to an unhappy but dutiful marriage for her son.16In The Namesake, characters make perpetual contrasts between India and America, between tradition and modern way of looking at things, and so on. First generation immigrants like Ashoke and Ashima consider American ways as alien and foreign but to accommodate to pleasure of their American born children, adapt to certain occasions like Christmas. Second generation immigrants like G ogol and Moushumi, who are now Indian-American, feel alien in both the countries. They seem misplaced in their parents homeland as well as the land where they are born and bred.Gogol faces another cultural shock when he becomes aware of immolation tradition in the treatment of dead bodies. It becomes haunting for him to think that unlike his American tradition of burying the bodies in grave, his body will be burnt after death.Estrangement and alienationThe theme of alienation, of being isolated in a distant land, is dominant in the whole novel. During her period of first pregnancy, Ashima was anxious to raise the child in a foreign land, a country where she is related to no one, where she knows so little, where life seems so tentative and spare.17This alienation is mainly due to her inner conflict of fast and modern life of US and her traditional simple life back at home. At childs birth, she feels alone and helpless and considers his birth, It is unlike the popular gathering of w hole bunch of people around the lady and c