I thought that this novel was very interesting and something that I haven’t really read about; Culture Diffusion. This is when cultures collide together, forming many different outcomes. Also, it is about cultures modernizing. It’s culture diffusion when Rukmani meets Kenny, the white doctor and they kind of see each other’s cultures. Kenny is sometimes gets aggrivated with the Indians because he doesn’t understand a lot of their ignorance. While Rukmani and Nathan struggle with their ‘oldschool’ style of farming, a tannery opens and her two sons decide to work there, disappointing their parents because they do not want to take on what their father does. The new tannery is not helpful at all to her sons, because they go on strike for more money and they lose their jobs.
There are a lot of hardships that Rukmani and Nathan have to go through. This book also shows a lot of determination because of all the hard things that Rukmani and her husband have to go through. No matter all the bad things, they stick together and help each other through thick and thin. There is a famine and they struggle to survive, barely surviving and starving to death. Also, their daughter has to live with them since she is not fertile and her husband leaves her.
Rukmani and Nathan keep a few things from each other. Rukmani had gone to Kenny in the beginning of the novel since she was not fertile and he helped her so she could have children with her husband. She kept that from him for a very long time. Nathan had been having an affair with the town prostitute for a while and Rukmani had especially not liked her. They both find out each other’s secrets in the end but still stick with each other because of how much love and respect they have for each other.
rice farming
Tannery
Personally, I think it’s horrible how Orgon believed Tartuffe, the biggest pathological liar, over his own son, Damis. When Orgon realized that Tartuffe was actually plotting against him, he must have felt pretty dumb and like crap. He disowned his OWN son just because he had his own fatherly love for Tartuffe. Hopefully, Damis will come to forgive his ignorant father. It will take some time, but maybe their bond will become stronger over time.
It seems to me as though Orgon stands up for Mr. Tartuffe, also. There must be a few reasons to explain why he likes him so much. The majority of his family cannot stand him, yet his mother practically praises him.
- Is it because Orgon doesn’t want to disappoint his mother, Madame Pernelle.
- Has Tartuffe done something in the past that has earned Orgon’s respect?
- Does Tartuffe have somethig against Orgon that he can use against him?
It seems to me as though Dorine has a lot to say; and also has a lot of insight about people. I’m definately suprised on all of the things she says having to do with her neighbors especially, when she is just the maid of Mariane. She has ro respect others and be quiet and shut her mouth. Dorine says while speaking to Madame Pernelle that their neighbors just talk poor of them since they are jealouse that age has ‘weaned’ on them.
Dorine: ” ..They loudly blame their neighbor’s way of living, Not for religion’s sake, but out of envy, Because they can’t endure to see another Enjoy the pleasures age has weaned them from.”
- What have the neighbors done so bad that Dorine speaks so harshly over?
When speaking to Madame Pernelle, Dorine finds a good reason specifically why Madame Pernelle wants to leave, and why she thinks everyone is out to get her. Also, she thinks she has to leave her son’s house, once and for all, and now there might be a reason to leave..
Dorine: ” ..She lives the model of austerity; But age has brought this piety upon her,…As long as she could capture men’s attentions She made the most of her advantages; But, now she sees her beauty vanishing, She wants to leave the world, that’s leaving her,…”
When saying this, Dorine is speaking the uttermost truth saying that Madame Pernelle is realizing that she is aging. She must be in denial, and is very upset that she is not as attractive as she used to be. She realizes also that she doesn’t get as much attention as she did when she was younger and more attractive.
Madame Pernelle must see that Mr. Tartuffe finds likeness in her and loves the attention she gets from him so she will show him her nice side just for the attention that she once loathed.
When Madame Pernelle, Damis, and Dorine are arguing how Mr. Tartuffe is a bad person, Dorine has a quote that pretty much gives the reason of the title of the play, Tartuffe(The Hypocryte).
Dorine: “He passes for a saint in your opinion. In fact, he’s nothing but a hypocrite.”
When saying this, she is talking about how Madame Pernelle sees him as such a good person and how all he does is look out for the family, but in fact, he is just a hypocryte and does nothing of that. Tartuffe is considered a hypocryte because he makes himself look like he is such a good person and all he does is help and he’s a good person.
Madame Pernelle sees him as a ‘holy man’ as so she says..
Madame Pernelle: ” I don’ know what the servant’s character May be; but I can guarantee the master A holy man. You hate him and reject him Because he tells home truths to all of you. ‘Tis sin alone that moves his heart to anger, And heaven’s interest is his only motive.”
When Madame Pernelle said this, she is merely saying that Mr. Tartuffe is definately not a hypocryte, but a holy man that tells nothing but the truth and they don’t want to hear it. She is also saying that he is wise, and he knows what he is talking about, but they just dont want to listen and they don’t understand.
- As I read through Act 1, Scene 1 of Tartuffe, the character, Madame Pernelle, made it clear she was not happy at her son, Orgon’s house, and did not want to stay there anymore. She is not happy with anyone at the house, except Tartuffe; even though that is the one person everyone does not like at the house. They say he is a mean person and a hypocrite. My last posts show how rude Madame Pernelle is to her daughter-in-law, but this is what she says about Tartuffe.
Madame Pernelle to Damis about Tartuffe after Damis ‘attacks’ Tartuffe: ” He is a holy man, and must be heeded; I can’t endure, with any show of patience, To hear a scatterbrains like you attack him.”
Damis’ response to Madame Pernelle: ” What! Shall I let a bigot criticaster Come and usurp a tyrant’s power here? And shall we never dare amuse ourselves Till this fine gentleman deigns to consent?”
Madame Pernelle stood up for him saying, ”And all he censure is well censured, too. He wants to guide you on the way to heaven; My son should train you all to love him well.”
I guess there must be something about Mr. Tartuffe that Madame Pernelle loves. She only has nice things to say about him, and nothing wrong. Something before this must show extremely high respect for him that he must have earned because obviously, she is ‘one tough cookie’. =] There are quite a bit of mysteries already in this play that I need to figure out.
- What is the reasoning for Madame Pernelle’s harshness and blunt attitude towards people?
- What did Elmire do in the past that has made Madame Pernelle despise her?
- Does Madame Pernelle and Mr. Tartuffe have a deeper relationship than we know of as right now?
Hopefully, these answers can be answered sooner or later.
Madame Pernelle, in fact, is as bitter, harsh, and chaotic as can be. When talking to her grandson, the son of Orgon, Damis, she totally puts him down and probably makes him feel really low.
Madame Pernelle to Damis: ”You’re a fool, my boy-f,o,o,l Just spells your name. Let grandma tell you that I’ve said a hundred times to my poor son, Your father, that you’d never come to good Or give him anything but plague and torment.”
It seems as though nothing in her poor son, Orgon’s, life is good enough for him in her eyes. Already in the first scene in the first act of the play, I can already see that she really doesnt like her daughter-in-law or even her grandson. She tells her daughter-in-law, Elmire, that she doesn’t feel welcome at all in their home. She tells her grandson that he was pretty much a plaque on her son; that he was just something bad in the family. A grandson/son should be a blessing, but Madame Pernelle thinks different. I wonder what Orgon thinks of his family…or even his own mother? If I was him, I’d feel smothered and crushed by how my own mother treats my family.
When Madame Permelle says, ” Because I can’t endure your carryings-on, And no one takes the slightest pains to please me, I leave your house, I tell you, quite disguested; You do the opposite of my instructions; You’ve no respect for anything; each one Must have this say; it’s perfect pandemonium.’‘ (Pg. 5, Act 1 scene 1)
When reading this on the first page of the book, i got a few ‘first impressions’ of the mother of Orgon, Madame Pernelle.
My first impression of her was that she was extremely needy to Elmire, her son’s wife, making that her daughter-in-law. She is really upset with her saying that she didn’t feel welcome in her own son’s house, and she was really disappointed. Also, she believes that Elmire doesn’t listen to what she tells her to do. This makes her extremely upset and distraught.
My second impression of her is that she has never liked Elmire, and makes many excuses to give reasons not to like her. Maybe there are fair reasons for Madame Pernelle to not like her? I will have to read further to see what it is that Madame Pernelle does not like about her.
My third impression of Madame Pernelle is that she is a rude, high-class snob that does not like anything. Something in her life before-hand could have made her bitter like this. As I said before, I will have to read more to see more deep inside this character. She might be expecting more than she should, and is disappointed that her expectations might have not been met.
