Emily Buettemeier's Born Confused
Emily Buettemeier Author: Tanuja Desai Hidier
Humanities II Title: Born Confused
Period 2 Genre: novel
1-20-05 Pages: 500 first quarter
Plot
Born Confused is a coming of age story of Dimple, an American-born Indian girl. During the summer before her senior year of high school, Dimple's parents decide it is time for her to find a "suitable Indian boy" to marry. Dimple's mother chooses for her daughter, Karsh, the son of her best friend. Karsh acts the part of the perfect Indian gentleman, which of course turns off Dimple. The first turning-point occurs when Dimple finds out that Karsh is the DJ at a dance club on the NYU campus. Suddenly Karsh, the DJ, seems much more appealing than Karsh, the suitable Indian boy. Unfortunately, Dimple's best friend, Gwyn, also finds Karsh to be appealing. A crisis occurs when Gwyn and Karsh form a friendship based …show more content…
on their mutual interest (learning to be a DJ) and exclude Dimple. When Dimple confronts Gwyn and accuses her of stealing her boyfriend, Gwyn breaks off their friendship. Dimple finds life difficult without her best friend and initiates a conversation with Gwyn. Gwyn then reveals that she and Karsh have broken up. This news frees Dimple to reveal her true feelings to Karsh. The resolution occurs at the dance club where Dimple was first attracted to Karsh.
Setting
Most of the story takes place in New Jersey and Manhattan. The atmosphere is laden with teenage angst. Initially the tension is between Dimple and her parents, but then shifts to tension between Dimple and Gwyn. Through it all, Karsh is the center of the conflict, without even doing anything to initiate the conflict. The Indian culture of her parents contrasts sharply with the setting of university club life. I believe the author choose this setting because she is familiar with the geographical location and it reflects her personal experience.
Form, Structure
This story is told in the first person, by Dimple. The 44 chapters are organized chronologically and are humorously titled. A nostalgic look through a photo album triggered flashback memories of Dimple's grandfather. A visit to the temple with her father prompted another flashback of spending time with her father when she was little. This flashback reminded Dimple to spend more time with her family and share her problems with them and listen to their advice. Flashbacks to childhood memories provide insight into Dimple's upbringing which formed her personality.
Characters
Dimple Lala is the 17 year old protagonist of this story.
She is an American-born Indian girl, who considers herself to be an ABCD, which stands for "American-Born Confused Desi. Like many ABCD's, she finds herself struggling to fit in. She feels as though she doesn't quite fit into the Indian culture of her parents nor is she comfortable in the American culture. "I tell whether I'm Indian or American half the time. I don't know how I'm supposed to act, who I'm supposed to relate to, where I fit in. I don't know how to bring anything together" (Hidier 395). Dimple is extremely shy and often confused.
Gwyn Sexton is Dimple's best friend and the antagonist. She is a fair-skinned, blonde, attractive 16 year old. Gwyn is the polar opposite of Dimple, out-going, confident, perky and thoroughly American. As described by Dimple, "diva of the dramatic entrance swinging up, lunchbox purse in one hand, shades atop a shiny blond chignoned head, and sleek blue mini turning purple as her fishnetted legs slunk around underneath, activating its iridescence" (Hidier
6).
Karsh is a student at NYU and is initially described by Dimple as "the most unsuitable suitable boy between the Hudson and the Ganges" (Hidier 115). He displays two different personalities. Alone with Dimple he is caring and sensitive, whereas on the job as a dance club DJ he is wild and crazy.
Title
The title Born Confused comes in part from the ABCD term as described above. The significance is both literal and symbolic. At the beginning of the story, Dimple relates that her mother described her has being born "holding my head in my hand . . . like Rodin's Thinker sculpture" (Hidier 1). Dimple goes on to say "But I think that was just a polite way of saying I looked like I didn't get it. Born backwards and clueless. In other words, born confused" (Hidier 1).
Memorable Quotations
"it really taught me what it means to seize the day and know what is important. Life is too too short, Dimple" (Hidier 92). This bit of advice is given to Dimple by her cousin Kavita. It motivates Dimple to expand her horizons and get out and be a part of life. Dimple starts going to clubs and meeting new people and having new experiences.
"And this much was clear now: It was no passive homogenous creature, identity, but rather diversity, a thrashing, grinding, and all-out dirty dancing together. It moved and it grooved and it might even sleep with you before marriage. You were the dancer and the dance, and you could shape yourself through a riff, or a shrug, or an on-the-back spin, adapt to new rhythms without losing a sense of harmony with yourself" (Hidier 491). This quote from the end of the story is Dimple's epiphany. She finally realizes that she does not have to choose between the Indian culture of her parents and the American culture of her peers. She can live in harmony, being a part of both worlds.
Personal Response
I enjoyed learning about the Indian culture and how American-born Indian girls feel caught between two worlds. It was difficult, however, to understand some of the Indian words which were never defined and difficult to understand even in the context of the story.
Monomyth
Loss occurs when Dimple's best friend Gwyn falls for the boy (Karsh) that she likes. The journey parallels the time when Gwyn is pulling Karsh away from Dimple. Dimple is tested when Gwyn severs their friendship and refuses to talk to Dimple. The return occurs when Dimple finds out that Gwyn and Karsh have broken up and Karsh reveals that he liked Dimple all along.
Ontogenetic Metaphor
For Dimple, birth occurred before the beginning of the story when Dimple first met Gwyn and Gwyn brings Dimple out of her shell. During the infancy/childhood phase, Dimple keeps to herself and only relates to people close to her. Dimple lives out the adolescent phase as a classically rebellious teen, using a fake ID to get into clubs to drink. The adult stage occurs when Gwyn tries to "act Indian", prompting Dimple to learn more about her Indian heritage. With senescence comes with wisdom that one does not have to choose between two cultures. In this story, there is no symbolic death for Dimple.
For Karsh birth occurs the first time he sees Dimple. The innocence of infancy/childhood is seen in Karsh' perfect behavior as a "suitable Indian boy". During the adolescent phase, Karsh' rebellion is seen in his job as a nightclub DJ. Having Gwyn for a girlfriend marks the responsibility of the adult phase. Karsh achieves the wisdom of senescence when he realizes that it is Dimple that he wants to be with. Symbolic death was not apparent for Karsh.
Comparison
In A & P, by John Updike, Sammy, the clerk is attracted to the swim-suit clad girl who is rebelling conventional dress codes, just as Dimple is attracted to Karsh with his career as a nightclub DJ, which is a rebellion against appropriate Indian behavior. Both stories conclude with the protagonists (Sammy and Dimple) getting together with the objects of their affections.
Humanities II Title: Born Confused
Period 2 Genre: novel
1-20-05 Pages: 500 first quarter
Plot
Born Confused is a coming of age story of Dimple, an American-born Indian girl. During the summer before her senior year of high school, Dimple's parents decide it is time for her to find a "suitable Indian boy" to marry. Dimple's mother chooses for her daughter, Karsh, the son of her best friend. Karsh acts the part of the perfect Indian gentleman, which of course turns off Dimple. The first turning-point occurs when Dimple finds out that Karsh is the DJ at a dance club on the NYU campus. Suddenly Karsh, the DJ, seems much more appealing than Karsh, the suitable Indian boy. Unfortunately, Dimple's best friend, Gwyn, also finds Karsh to be appealing. A crisis occurs when Gwyn and Karsh form a friendship based …show more content…
on their mutual interest (learning to be a DJ) and exclude Dimple. When Dimple confronts Gwyn and accuses her of stealing her boyfriend, Gwyn breaks off their friendship. Dimple finds life difficult without her best friend and initiates a conversation with Gwyn. Gwyn then reveals that she and Karsh have broken up. This news frees Dimple to reveal her true feelings to Karsh. The resolution occurs at the dance club where Dimple was first attracted to Karsh.
Setting
Most of the story takes place in New Jersey and Manhattan. The atmosphere is laden with teenage angst. Initially the tension is between Dimple and her parents, but then shifts to tension between Dimple and Gwyn. Through it all, Karsh is the center of the conflict, without even doing anything to initiate the conflict. The Indian culture of her parents contrasts sharply with the setting of university club life. I believe the author choose this setting because she is familiar with the geographical location and it reflects her personal experience.
Form, Structure
This story is told in the first person, by Dimple. The 44 chapters are organized chronologically and are humorously titled. A nostalgic look through a photo album triggered flashback memories of Dimple's grandfather. A visit to the temple with her father prompted another flashback of spending time with her father when she was little. This flashback reminded Dimple to spend more time with her family and share her problems with them and listen to their advice. Flashbacks to childhood memories provide insight into Dimple's upbringing which formed her personality.
Characters
Dimple Lala is the 17 year old protagonist of this story.
She is an American-born Indian girl, who considers herself to be an ABCD, which stands for "American-Born Confused Desi. Like many ABCD's, she finds herself struggling to fit in. She feels as though she doesn't quite fit into the Indian culture of her parents nor is she comfortable in the American culture. "I tell whether I'm Indian or American half the time. I don't know how I'm supposed to act, who I'm supposed to relate to, where I fit in. I don't know how to bring anything together" (Hidier 395). Dimple is extremely shy and often confused.
Gwyn Sexton is Dimple's best friend and the antagonist. She is a fair-skinned, blonde, attractive 16 year old. Gwyn is the polar opposite of Dimple, out-going, confident, perky and thoroughly American. As described by Dimple, "diva of the dramatic entrance swinging up, lunchbox purse in one hand, shades atop a shiny blond chignoned head, and sleek blue mini turning purple as her fishnetted legs slunk around underneath, activating its iridescence" (Hidier
6).
Karsh is a student at NYU and is initially described by Dimple as "the most unsuitable suitable boy between the Hudson and the Ganges" (Hidier 115). He displays two different personalities. Alone with Dimple he is caring and sensitive, whereas on the job as a dance club DJ he is wild and crazy.
Title
The title Born Confused comes in part from the ABCD term as described above. The significance is both literal and symbolic. At the beginning of the story, Dimple relates that her mother described her has being born "holding my head in my hand . . . like Rodin's Thinker sculpture" (Hidier 1). Dimple goes on to say "But I think that was just a polite way of saying I looked like I didn't get it. Born backwards and clueless. In other words, born confused" (Hidier 1).
Memorable Quotations
"it really taught me what it means to seize the day and know what is important. Life is too too short, Dimple" (Hidier 92). This bit of advice is given to Dimple by her cousin Kavita. It motivates Dimple to expand her horizons and get out and be a part of life. Dimple starts going to clubs and meeting new people and having new experiences.
"And this much was clear now: It was no passive homogenous creature, identity, but rather diversity, a thrashing, grinding, and all-out dirty dancing together. It moved and it grooved and it might even sleep with you before marriage. You were the dancer and the dance, and you could shape yourself through a riff, or a shrug, or an on-the-back spin, adapt to new rhythms without losing a sense of harmony with yourself" (Hidier 491). This quote from the end of the story is Dimple's epiphany. She finally realizes that she does not have to choose between the Indian culture of her parents and the American culture of her peers. She can live in harmony, being a part of both worlds.
Personal Response
I enjoyed learning about the Indian culture and how American-born Indian girls feel caught between two worlds. It was difficult, however, to understand some of the Indian words which were never defined and difficult to understand even in the context of the story.
Monomyth
Loss occurs when Dimple's best friend Gwyn falls for the boy (Karsh) that she likes. The journey parallels the time when Gwyn is pulling Karsh away from Dimple. Dimple is tested when Gwyn severs their friendship and refuses to talk to Dimple. The return occurs when Dimple finds out that Gwyn and Karsh have broken up and Karsh reveals that he liked Dimple all along.
Ontogenetic Metaphor
For Dimple, birth occurred before the beginning of the story when Dimple first met Gwyn and Gwyn brings Dimple out of her shell. During the infancy/childhood phase, Dimple keeps to herself and only relates to people close to her. Dimple lives out the adolescent phase as a classically rebellious teen, using a fake ID to get into clubs to drink. The adult stage occurs when Gwyn tries to "act Indian", prompting Dimple to learn more about her Indian heritage. With senescence comes with wisdom that one does not have to choose between two cultures. In this story, there is no symbolic death for Dimple.
For Karsh birth occurs the first time he sees Dimple. The innocence of infancy/childhood is seen in Karsh' perfect behavior as a "suitable Indian boy". During the adolescent phase, Karsh' rebellion is seen in his job as a nightclub DJ. Having Gwyn for a girlfriend marks the responsibility of the adult phase. Karsh achieves the wisdom of senescence when he realizes that it is Dimple that he wants to be with. Symbolic death was not apparent for Karsh.
Comparison
In A & P, by John Updike, Sammy, the clerk is attracted to the swim-suit clad girl who is rebelling conventional dress codes, just as Dimple is attracted to Karsh with his career as a nightclub DJ, which is a rebellion against appropriate Indian behavior. Both stories conclude with the protagonists (Sammy and Dimple) getting together with the objects of their affections.