After lecture and discussion section last week of Ghosh's Calcutta Chromosome, I was perplexed by the theme of reincarnation in his novel. When I was reading the book, I thought that it was just a coincidence that certain characters had similar traits to other characters from different time periods in the novel. However, after mapping out the connections with Kira in discussion last week, I realized that Ghosh purposely created characters within the book's different time periods to have similar traits to subtly and almost seemingly secretly integrate this concept of "reincarnation."
I remember leaving discussion section last week amazed at how Ghosh carefully crafted his characters to align with one another to show the idea of reincarnation of certain key characters, such as Mangala and Lutchman. The more I thought about this idea of reincarnation, however, I was left with one question: so what? So what about this idea of reincarnation; what is Ghosh trying to depict through this idea?
As explained (by Murugan) in the book, Mangala figured out not only that Malaria could be used to treat syphilis, but also that in the transmission of Malaria blood into one infected with Syphilis, certain characteristic traits of the donor were passed onto the recipient of the Malaria blood. This transmission of traits that Mangala noticed allows for a person to be "reincarnated" over generations of time. And it was this process that Mangala sought to refine. Thus, Mangala reincarnates herself (as well as her servant Lutchman into Romen) into Mrs. Aratonium then later Urmali (and eventually Tara) in order to allow this secret knowledge (this "chromosome" as Murugan calls it) to be forever preserved throughout generations overtime.
So, in a same way, Ghosh uses his theme of reincarnation to explain the significance of preserving one's knowledge, oneself, one's story. In our fast-paced technology-run society, things of the past can quickly become forgotten unless we take the time to preserve it. In the same way that Ms. Reyes shows the importance of having a voice, I feel that Ghosh not only believes in the importance of having a voice, but also and perhaps more importantly the significance of preserving one's voice, or story, once it is found.
Stories of folklore myths and biblical passages such as the ones that Reyes writes about in Diwata are one mechanism in which our voice and stories can be preserved over generations of time. Another mechanism of preservation that Ghosh alludes to is one that our contemporary society does not yet have access to but that Greg Park in his film "Robot Stories" describes: the idea that we can preserve our minds (or soul) even after our physical body has died. Ghosh alludes to this futuristic technology in the last page of his novel when Tara tells Antar that she, "they," can help him "cross over," into becoming a holographic image (like Murugan) physically dead, but who's mind and soul are preserved...forever.
Reincarnation, as Ghosh seems to imply, allows for one's voice to be forever preserved. Would you "cross over?"
--Abigail Huliganga
I remember leaving discussion section last week amazed at how Ghosh carefully crafted his characters to align with one another to show the idea of reincarnation of certain key characters, such as Mangala and Lutchman. The more I thought about this idea of reincarnation, however, I was left with one question: so what? So what about this idea of reincarnation; what is Ghosh trying to depict through this idea?
As explained (by Murugan) in the book, Mangala figured out not only that Malaria could be used to treat syphilis, but also that in the transmission of Malaria blood into one infected with Syphilis, certain characteristic traits of the donor were passed onto the recipient of the Malaria blood. This transmission of traits that Mangala noticed allows for a person to be "reincarnated" over generations of time. And it was this process that Mangala sought to refine. Thus, Mangala reincarnates herself (as well as her servant Lutchman into Romen) into Mrs. Aratonium then later Urmali (and eventually Tara) in order to allow this secret knowledge (this "chromosome" as Murugan calls it) to be forever preserved throughout generations overtime.
So, in a same way, Ghosh uses his theme of reincarnation to explain the significance of preserving one's knowledge, oneself, one's story. In our fast-paced technology-run society, things of the past can quickly become forgotten unless we take the time to preserve it. In the same way that Ms. Reyes shows the importance of having a voice, I feel that Ghosh not only believes in the importance of having a voice, but also and perhaps more importantly the significance of preserving one's voice, or story, once it is found.
Stories of folklore myths and biblical passages such as the ones that Reyes writes about in Diwata are one mechanism in which our voice and stories can be preserved over generations of time. Another mechanism of preservation that Ghosh alludes to is one that our contemporary society does not yet have access to but that Greg Park in his film "Robot Stories" describes: the idea that we can preserve our minds (or soul) even after our physical body has died. Ghosh alludes to this futuristic technology in the last page of his novel when Tara tells Antar that she, "they," can help him "cross over," into becoming a holographic image (like Murugan) physically dead, but who's mind and soul are preserved...forever.
Reincarnation, as Ghosh seems to imply, allows for one's voice to be forever preserved. Would you "cross over?"
--Abigail Huliganga
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