Civilization

“A Father” by Bharati Mukherjee, “The Path to the Milky Way Leads through Los Angeles” by Joy Harjo and “A Bedtime Story” by Mitsuye Yamada all show how today’s culture can effect peoples’s lifestyles – specifically religion, tradition, values, and behavior. Culture and the developments from it can also alter the natural world of the earth.
“A Father” is a story of an Indian family who comes over to America because of a mother who wants to live somewhere “progressive.” His wife is “a woman of wild progressive ideas – she’d call them her ‘American’ ideas…”(663). The American culture seems to be a place where she “fits in,” implying that Ranchi (in India) was not good enough. However, despite the move, the father (Mr. Bhowmick) seems to keep his Hindu religion living among him even in America – his mornings consist of showers and breakfast, but also persistent prayer. However, the daughter, Babli seems to be the one most affected by the American culture. She reads magazines about what she should look like. The narrator says, “She read hints about dressing in women’s magazines and applied them to her person with seriousness”(662). She also has a high paying job, and drives a sporty, showy car that is red. She is “living the American dream” and being successful financially in life, which is what America ideally stresses. Babli also discredits Hinduism, saying that it is “a series of super graphics”(662). However, the culture of America alters her so much that she decides she does in fact not need a man to get pregnant, for men are lousy. The conflict of views and values erupts in the end of the story, where Mr. Bhowmick is so angered that he beats his daughter’s stomach, probably in attempt to kill this syringe baby. However, the reader must look at this story in a bigger view, and realize that it shows how culture shaped these people so much. The American culture did not really affect Mr. Bhowmick, but it changed the mother and Babli so much to a point where Babli did something shocking. It seems that what his daughter did (which is accepted in America) was completely unacceptable to him, and most likely to his religion which is why he was so angered.
“The Path to the Milky Way Leads through Los Angeles” is also a story of American culture altering lifestyles, but also seems to affect the natural world as well. The poem shows this by utilizing word choice. The poem presents things that are a product of civilization, but then also infers to things in nature. Moreover, these works of humans seem to alter or hinder nature. For example, “we can’t easily see that starry road from the perspective of the crossing of boulevards”(line 14) expresses how we can not see things in space due to developments (perhaps pollution) on earth. Also, “we can buy a map here of the star’s homes…choose from several brands of water” (line 17) describes how humans lifestyle’s are concentrated on celebrities and brand names. What happened to taking hikes? However, the speaker seems to have some site of optimism, for he still tries to find beauty in the “trash of humans.” The speaker says, “But like crow I collect the shine of anything beautiful I can find”(line 27). Despite the distractions, pollutions, and development, the speaker still attempts to find beauty in things in the world, even if it is limited.
“A Bedtime Story” is a story showing that culture can affect people’s lifestyle’s and behaviors, but that nature is what can truly show how to live one’s life. A woman is attempting to find somewhere to sleep for a night, but is turned down by everyone. This just shows how culture can really make people angry but also untrusting because of how many bad people really are in this world. Then, a full moon comes out and the woman experiences something she would not have thought to – almost like an epiphany. She says, “If it had not been for you kindness/in refusing me a bed/for the night/these humble eyes would never/have seen this/memorable sight”(lines 33-39). This image of the natural wonder making this woman see the beauty in her life, and even seeing good in numerous cruel people shows the power that nature can have on someone’s life. What the speaker is really trying to stress is that nature is more powerful than culture, and people can overcome the hysteria and hate in the world.