AN AMERICAN BRAT

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN AN

AMERICAN BRAT
Presented by Sara Adnan & Summia Gul

Introduction
An American Brat, set in late 70s, is a narration of a Parsi Zoroastrian teenage girl from Pakistan who is sent to America by her parents to adjust her ways. Back home in Pakistan she is bashful, introverted and does not socialize at all so her parents thought that a short stint in America with her uncle would develop her personality and would make her more forthcoming. The book beautifully captures America's essence from a visitor's perspective who has been there for the first time. Also worth noticing is the regular lecturing by her uncle on small trivial things about how to behave and live life in America; how to pronounce certain words; how and why not to look at strangers .

Introduction
The concluding part of the book looks at the American social life closely and how a person from a Developing country would act in response to it. The ending pages of the novel mirror the conflict of different cultures ensuing in some drama and some humorous moments. Before highlighting the cultural differences, let us see what is basically assumed when the term culture is used.

What is Culture
E. B Tylor, the first professional Anthropologist said;
Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, arts, morals, law, custom, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

Hesskovits defined culture as man- made part of environment. At the base of intercultural understanding is a recognition of the ways two cultures resemble one another as well as the ways in which they differ. Resemblances usually surface through an examination of the differences. The process of acquiring a second culture has been studied from a number of perspectives. Acculturation, the gradual adaptation to the target culture without necessarily forsaking ones native language identity, has been proposed as a model for the adult entering a new culture.

Through the eyes of Sidhwa

An American Brat was incited to some extent by Bapsi Sidhwas own experiences regarding her immigration to America from Pakistan. As the mother of two daughters she had to come to terms with the challenges and fears that western influences typified, and navigate uncharted terrain to accommodate the change. Parsi girls who marry outside the faith are not permitted to attend Zoroastrian temples or partake of attendant rites. One of her daughters was determined to marry out, but given the strictness of the non-conversion laws, there was not much she could do to merge her with the religious community. In An American Brat she had tried to represent compassionately each characters point of view by giving a psychological insight into each characters mind and by unfolding the basics that motivates their proceedings. Instead of villains or heroes, she had presented only people doing their best to manage as they face the challenges of adapting to two remarkably different cultures the conventional East and the non-interventionist West.

Cont
Hence we can suppose An American Brat, a novel that clearly demonstrates the sturdy grasp of tradition, and the consequent anguish of breaking with the recognized norms. It also shows the complex circumstances of migrant communities and their perplexing situation to adjust to the changes. Maki Kureishi also concluded her poem Kittens on the same note, showing her distressed feelings on the choice of cultures;

They are blind and will never know You did this to them. The water recomposes itself. Snagged by two cultures, which shall I choose?

Cultural demonstration
In the light of the above discussion, we can term An American Brat beyond doubt based on cultural differences. As Bapsi, herself said in an interview to a paper; "It depicts America seen through the eyes of a different culture. After moving here, I was bombarded by so many different impressions. I wanted to write about them and the adjustments my daughters went through. All these strange and wonderful experiences. Even the addition of glossary at the end of the novel is the affirmation of its cultural aspect and hence we can say that representation of culture and cultural differences is the solitary purpose of the novel.

Cultural differences
Civilized people dont kick men in the balls just because they happen to stare at them. Imagine what wouldve happened in Lahore! First shed kick me, then shed go whining to the cops wailing, O menu ghoorghoor ke vekh raha see Feroza recalled the stern, watchful eyes of uncles and cousins, ever ready to pulverize young men who dared to look at her with their languishing orbs. She heard her aunts voice, her mothers and grandmothers, Arent you ashamed, looking at women? Dont you have mothers and sisters at home? Feroza couldnt help drawing comparisons. She concluded there were so few women, veiled or unveiled, on the streets of Lahore, that even women stared at other women, as she did, as if they were freaks. ( Chapter:9, pg.106)

Above quoted lines are a perfect example of cultural difference. They are acting as a small window through which we can contemplate inside the abode of An American Brat and witness the cultural differences that Bapsi Sidhwa wants to show us as she portrays two opposite worlds with two different cultures producing their own affects on her characters like Manek and Feroza. Even Zareen, Khutlibai and Cyrus represent their part of the society in which they are placed by Sidhwa.

Methodology employed
Before moving towards more examples, it is important to differentiate between the terms cultural representation and cultural differences. When we see terms like pakoras, kurta and dhotis, we can infer that through this vocabulary cultural representation is being carried out. In order to understand cultural difference, consider the following example;
Impulsively she tucked her arm into Maneks, and for an instant lay her beret on his shoulder-something she would not have thought of doing in Lahore. (Chapter: 9, Pg. 108)

Hence we can mark a clear distinction between the two terms. However another point worth considering is that cultural representation also becomes a source through which cultural differences can be marked by simple compare and contrast method. Both these ways are employed in order to point out the cultural differences in An American Brat in this assignment. Apart from this, cultural contrast is being represented at two major levels, first within Pakistan between Parsee and Muslim communities and secondly, between America and Pakistan. Here again characters play an important role as they are the one through which Bapsi Sidhwa portrays the prevailing differences among cultures and their effects on her characters lives.

Cultural Differences within Pakistan

The book opens with a conflict, as Zareen told her husband Cyrus, Im really worried about Feroza. This problem gives us an insight of the differences of norms and culture that exist between Parsee and Muslim communities within Pakistan. We are introduced with Feroza who is disturbed and confused among two cultures. She is unable to decide whether she is supposed to follow her Parsee culture or is to adopt the ways of the society in which she is believed to move and survive! As Cyrus concluded;
I think Feroza is confused by these sudden switches in attitude. She probably feels she has to confirm, be like her Muslim friends. ( Chapter:1, Pg. 12)

At different places we find references that underscore the cultural differences that make a distinction between the Parsees and the Muslims.
Since it was Friday, the Muslim sabbath, Cyrus was home The farewell was an almost ceremonial occasion and, as such, an essentially Parsee affair. ( Chapter: 4, Pg. 42)

This is the first level of comparison among two cultures that we come across in An American Brat. Here we also find political influence on both of the cultures. As a matter of faculty, General Zias government was more effecting the Parsee culture, as we have Zareen in chapter 1 saying;
She objected to my sleeveless sari-blouse! Really, this narrow minded attitude touted by General Zia is infecting her, too, I told her:Look were Parsee, everybody knows we dress differently.

Cultural Differences within Pakistan

One finds a lot of examples that represent the cultural differences between the two communities, respectively. Here the thing which is important is the fact that Parsees were a minority and they had the obvious influence of the majority upon them. Natural though it is, as far as their survival is concerned. Consider the visit of Zareen along with her daughter Feroza to the shrine of Data Gunj Baksh.
Zareen selected one vat of sweetened yellow rice and one of aromatic rice with chick-peas. They covered their head with their dupattas (Chapter: 2, Pg. 19)

Bapsi Sidhwa has also pointed out the affinity between the two communities. Although they have different religions and beliefs still they share their happy moments together. At certain places we find references to such gatherings where the two communities mix with one another;
Cyrus led the guests- mostly relatives, Parsee friends, and a sprinkling of close Muslim friends from their nightly round of parties- (Chapter: 4, Pg. 42)

Cultural Differences; Pakistan - America

I think hes going to surprise us all, Zareen said, Simultaneously her eyes filled with tears of relief and thankfulness at the thought of the alteration America had wrought in her brother.(Chapter:3, Pg.38)

H. Douglas Brown described in his essay Learning a second culture the concept of social distance, that has emerged as an effective construct to give explanatory power to the place of culture learning. Social distance refers to the cognitive and effective proximity of two cultures which come into contact within an individual. Here distance is obviously used in an abstract sense, to denote dissimilarity between two cultures. For example;
Feroza had no experience with socializing with boys; there is no such thing as dating in Pakistan. It was excruciatingly painful for her to be among so many young people and not know how to respond or behave. (Chapter: 15, Pg. 162)

Mark Clarke (1976) has characterized certain aspects of the acculturation experience. He discusses what he terms the clash of consciousness problem. It is in some sense the second wave of culture shock, a common experience for a person during the process of acculturation. To pass beyond the final threshold of that clash, is to become virtually a native-a state few ever reach. But Feroza did reach;
Something within Feroza must have changed imperceptibly, because suddenly one spring evening Feroza discovered that the boys were talking to her Feroza felt she was growing the wings the Father Fibs had talked about (Chapter: 15)

Cont
Like Manek she had become used to the seductive entitlements of the First World. ( Chapter: 30, Pg. 312)

It is said do at Rome as the Romans do. During the process of settlement, our immigrant protagonist, Feroza not only adapted the new culture but also compared the changes that came into her. She was quite aware of her changing personality She was fighting the war of survival in a completely opposite culture. As we find in the last chapter;
Not that she thought, with his emphasize, that time was money, but because the waste of time represented to her loss of privacy. And privacy, she had come to realize, was one of the prime luxuries the opulence of the First World could provide, as well as the sheer physical space the vast country allowed each individual, each child, almost as a birthright She realized now that the convenience provided by servants brought its own baggage of responsibilities, Feroza knew her thoughts would be considered despicable and selfish were she to voice them at home. But it was a selfishness sanctioned by the values of the prosperous new world in which she wished to dwell.

Conclusion
I will go where no road goes And the road will go with me. Ill greet you in the sunrise When the sunset sets me free.
(Where no road goes By Jocelyn Ortt Saeed)

There would be no going back for her, but she could go back at will. The image of Father Fibs suddenly filled her minds eye. . . Had she flown and fallen and strengthened the wings he had talked about? . . . Maybe one day shed soar to that self-contained place from which there was no falling, if there was such a place. (Chapter:30, Pg. 317)

Conclusion
The plot of the novel and the examples from history tell us one thing that culture has got nothing to do with the inheritance or the blood relations. If it is linked with inheritance then Parsee will remain Parsee and Muslim will remain a Muslim. Culture is directly linked with the prevailing environment. The influence of the culture of the majority over minority is unavoidable as Muslims could not protect their pure Islamic culture during the era of British rule in Subcontinent. As minorities in Pakistan tend to adopt the Islamic culture being the culture of majority and in the same manner Muslims in U.K and U.S.A are deeply influenced by the Christians and Jews. In the present era of technology explosion its very difficult to have the pure cultures. The best option with Zareen to protect the culture of her daughter was to curtail her daughter with in the boundary wall of the house without any media interference.