Cracking India

Blog Paragraph # 2

Feeling like one belongs to a nation is the most important aspect of nationality, In Bapsi Sidwa's Cracking India, Lenny notices everyone's feelings change among her friends, when the going gets tough. Cracking India discusses a time in India when everyone was clinging to a nationality, whether it was Hindu, Muslim, or Sikhism. Lenny notices differences through out this book that separates the different religions. From hair, to the young Muslim girls being allowed to wear make-up, everyone notices each others differences at this time to cling to religion, without anything else to cling to. Throughout the book Lenny's Ayah is a popular character at the Queen's Park. This is a place where everyone comes and wants to impress Ayah, from the ice-candy man, to  Masseur. Ayah ends up becoming fond of Masseur. Later in Cracking India Ayah's friends all flee Lahore and leave her there alone, and Masseur passes away. At this point, feelings are such a strong part of belonging and Lenny feels for Ayah " And Masseur's death has left in her the great empty ache I know sometimes when the muscles of my stomach retract around hungry spaces within me.... but I know there is an added dimension to her loss I cannot comprehend. I know at least that my lover lives somewhere in the distant and possible future: I have hope"(p.188).  Lenny begins to feel for Ayah because she means the world to Lenny, this feeling is also like the feeling of of belonging in a nationality. It is just that "a feeling". McLeod talks about how feeling is just part of why we have a nationality "These feelings of community are the emotive foundation for the organisation, administration and membership of the 'state', the political apparatus which enforces the social order of the nation"(p. 82). Everyone wants to feel like they belong, Lenny wants to Ayah to feel like she belongs, and also wants to someday find someone to share her life with. The feeling of belonging is the feeling of nationality and in Cracking India Lenny struggles to find where she belongs, wanting everyone to be the same.
This Muslim girl with make up on reminds me of the ones that Lenny would see walking around the park.This novel is completely about womens issues. Lenny being a young girl with polio and her Ayah who she eventually tried to cover for because she is of different religion but ends up hurting her by mistake. To the right is a picture of Ice Candy Man. This is the name they gave the book in India. They called in Cracking India in the United States.