East of the Sun, Middle Chapters: India

[Rachel-K]

Can you describe how each of these young women--Viva, Rose, and Tor--would describe India? How are their experiences of the country different?

[Julia_Gregson]

This is a very interesting question- I was so struck when I read some of the diaries of the very few women who actually worked in India, usually as social workers or teachers, by how much more realistic their version of India was.  The Memsahibs so often lived in the same small world of the club, the polo ground, the party, the two or three posh hotels.  But having said that, it wasn't always  easy either to penetrate Indian homes because of caste restrictions, or perhaps in some cases nothing more than a kind of mutual awkwardness. J.

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rkubie wrote:

Can you describe how each of these young women--Viva, Rose, and Tor--would describe India? How are their experiences of the country different?

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[Thayer]

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Julia_Gregson wrote:

This is a very interesting question- I was so struck when I read some of the diaries of the very few women who actually worked in India, usually as social workers or teachers, by how much more realistic their version of India was.  The Memsahibs so often lived in the same small world of the club, the polo ground, the party, the two or three posh hotels.  But having said that, it wasn't always  easy either to penetrate Indian homes because of caste restrictions, or perhaps in some cases nothing more than a kind of mutual awkwardness. J.

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rkubie wrote:

Can you describe how each of these young women--Viva, Rose, and Tor--would describe India? How are their experiences of the country different?

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Through Julia's vivid descriptions of India, I think that it would be a place that one would either love or hate.  To me, it seems a very rich, sensual environment. That being said, like all such jewels of the world, there is, unfortunately an underbelly. 

[Fozzie]

There is no one India nor one India experience.  The life Rose lives in India is very different from the life CiCi leads.  Viva's life is yet again different from either of the lives of the other two women. 

It is interesting to note how the women treat the natives.  CiCi is mean, rude, and brusque to her servants.  Viva doesn't have servants, but lives among the people of India more so, in a regular neighborhood, in the same house with a family.  Rose lives in military housing, which sounds bleak and doesn't seem to interact with the people of India much and is uncomfortable having anyone work for her.