The Shock of Arrival: Reflections on Postcolonial ExperienceSouth End Press, 1996 - 223 pages In this book, acclaimed South Asian American poet and novelist Meena Alexander unleashes a fury of prose and poetry to confront the stereotypes and explore the challenges facing postcolonial immigrants in America. Commenting on the history of memory, language, shame, and exile, Alexander poignantly describes the wealth of experiences and imaginings that have shaped her life and writing. Her project: "to make space for what was crossed out in the decorum of femininity, in the high places of classical hierarchy, in the racism of a canonical knowledge, in the obliterations of a national memory ... all this is part of our task, part of the violent, fractured worlds that we must etch into beauty". |
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Page 36
... learning was not a great believer in the cause of women's education . My grand- mother knew how to read and write , that was the extent of the book learning she was given . She was married off young . How different they were , these two ...
... learning was not a great believer in the cause of women's education . My grand- mother knew how to read and write , that was the extent of the book learning she was given . She was married off young . How different they were , these two ...
Page 38
... learning the script of Malayalam . And when , during my trips to Kerala , the tutor arrived , I would run away . Somehow Sanskirt did not bother me so much , so as a child I learnt a few lines , a few syllables . Malayalam seemed too ...
... learning the script of Malayalam . And when , during my trips to Kerala , the tutor arrived , I would run away . Somehow Sanskirt did not bother me so much , so as a child I learnt a few lines , a few syllables . Malayalam seemed too ...
Page 115
... learning how to build , but hidden in the overhanging tree , body drenched with sweat , I lose her words . I shall fall , I think , break arms , legs , split my lips into tiny morsels . I shall be silenced , entirely , or speak in odd ...
... learning how to build , but hidden in the overhanging tree , body drenched with sweat , I lose her words . I shall fall , I think , break arms , legs , split my lips into tiny morsels . I shall be silenced , entirely , or speak in odd ...
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aesthetic America artist Ashtamudi Lake Asian Asian-American art Balamaniamma bits blood born breath British burning child cloth colonialism cried culture dance dark death decolonization Delhi dharma Draupadi dream earth edge English eyes face feminine fierce figure filled fire flesh forced Frantz Fanon Gandhi garden girl hair hands Hashmi head Hyderabad imagination India Kathakali Kerala Khartoum Lalithambika language light lines living Malayalam maternal Meena Alexander memory mother mouth Native American never painted Parasurama passion poem poet poetry political postcolonial published river rock Safdar Hashmi San Andreas Fault sari Sarojini Naidu sense sexual shock of arrival Sita skin Skin Song snow Song soul space speak speech stone street struggle tell Tethi Thankam things thought tion Tiruvella tongue torn trees turned Vasco da Gama violence voice walking wall window woman words writing young