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Kari AmrutaPatil

Theairportwasaford,andshecrossedover.AmrutaPatilsKariisanassemblageofparallel

narrativeswithin

aperson.

There

are

four

main

relationships

to

consider

With

Ruth,

Lazarus

(her

ad

campaign),herroommatesandAngel.ThedayandthenighthavedifferentmeaningsforKari.The

day,isherjob,hereverydaylife,nightherreflectionsandherperceptionofthesmogcity.Ruth

andAngelformanintegralpartofhernights.Thenightswhensheisaboatman,sheisrowing

throughthesewersofthecity.Herdaysarebustling,hernightsarelonely.Forthepurposeofthis

essay,Ishallgointothevariousthemestheauthorreflectsuponthroughthevariouselements,

charactersandincidentsinthestoryalongwiththeimageryillustratingthesethemes.Themain

themehoweverofthisbookseemstobethedeathandlonelinessthatmanifestsitselfthrough

variouswaysintheprotagonistslifeleadinghertobeonthevergeofcommittingsuicidetowards

theendofthebook.Thebookislayeredwithmultiplereferences/metaphorsandimagerythat

describesthe

culture

and

mind

set

of

acity

where

its

people

are

highly

diverse

and

baffle

the

protagonistfromtimetotime.AllofthisIwillillustrateasweprogressfurtherintotheessay.

ThecharactersRuth:sheisKarislover.Theotherhalfofhersoul.Apartofherthathaslefther,hastriedto

eliminateherselfandbeensavedandthenleft.RuthisthatpartofKari,thatismorepractical,

opinionatedandthatwhichbelievesonlyinwhatisuseful.Incrystalpalace,KarimentionsRuths

heartonlyhasroomforthatwhichisuseful,andgovernedbythehead.theimageryofRuthand

Karisrelationshipisinterestingastheauthorhasillustratedit.Theveryfirstimageisanadaptation

ofFrida

Kahlos

painting.

In

which

the

two

sides

of

her

are

split,

and

yet

joined

by

one

heart

that

is

cutintotwo.OntherightisFridathefreegirl,theloverofDiegoRiviera,theMexicanwoman,

rootedinhercultureandfiercelyindependent,theoneontheleftisFridathewife,awomanwhois

marriedandkeepingupappearancesforthesakeofherhusband,restricted(asappearstobeinher

attire),formalandmovinginhighsociety.Onemightwonderwhytheauthorpicksthisimageryto

illustratetherelationshipbetweenRuthandKari.WhatistheSplitabout?andasmuchasthis

questionbothersonefindsoutlaterthereasonwhyRuthleftKari(accordingtoRuthofcourse).in

thechapterthevigilKaritellsLazaruswhyherrelationshipbroke,becauseIhadnopolitic,meansI

havenoburningissue.Blurringgenderlines?Bigotry?Culturalgenocide?Dyingplanet?Icantpick.

Myfavouritemovementisfloat.Istandfornothing.IespousenothingbutRuth.Myloverneeded

moreroughage

than

coupledom

could

ever

bring.

This

resonates

with

the

Frida

Kahlos

painting

adaptation.RuthsignifiesthatpartofKari,thatcouldneverbecomeapartoftherealKaris

personality,herengagementwiththesocialsystematlarge,justthewayFridaKahlothewifecould

neverstaycomfortablewithinthatimageandherlifeasithadstartedtotakeshapeaftershehad

marriedDiegoRiveraandmovedtosanFrancisco,thennewYorkandfurther.

Ruthisapartofherrecentpast.AndsheisoftentherewhenKariisreflectinguponsomething(also

sinceithasbeenarecentbreakup,RuthsmemorieskeepcroppingupinKarismind).

Angel:onemightwonder,whythisname?angelisapartoftheFairyTaleHaircampaign,who

herselfis

dying

of

cancer.

Her

skin

is

wrinkling

by

the

minute,

she

has

lost

her

hair

and

on

every

onesmindisthethoughtofherdeath.Angellivesalone,withacat,isweakeningdaybydayandher

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suggestingtheadcampaignKariisinvolvedwithaarecoloured,withfewotherssuggestingsome

brighter/lightermomentslikehermotherhavinglotstotalktoher,orherroommatesspendingthe

daywithherathomewithouttheirboyfriendsandcookingameal,shemakinglovetoRuth,orwhen

AngeldrinksteamadebyKari,photographofangelsreplacementintheagencySusanLush,andKari

gettingareallyshorthaircutbeforetheawardceremony.Thehatchedlinesandroughstyleslenda

grimmelancholictoneasthebookprogresses.Overlappingoffullpagepanelswithsmallerpanels,

andsomeplacesonlyfullpagepanelsheightenthedramainthescenesandaddtotheflow.

SewerandtheBoatmanTheimageryofwaterisverystrongthroughoutthebook,morespecificallythesewer.Smogcity(as

evidentfromthemapinthebook)isMumbai.Andthesewerthatrunsthroughitapartfrombeinga

physicalrealityisalsoanelementofrealismwithahintofmagicandmystery.Thesewersavesher.

InthebeginningofthebookKarimentionsthesewertothestinkingriverofeffluentsthatsnakes

pastourneighbourhood,theoneourbuildingsaverttheirfacesfrom.Thisstatementestablishes

thesewer

as

something

that

is

an

everyday

reality

which

no

one

likes

to

confront.

A

place

that

stinks

andinordertokeepappearancescleannooneevenwantstolookatit.Itcarriesthedirtinwhichno

onewantstoputtheirhandsin.butthedayKaricrawlsoutofthesewer,shedecidesthatshewould

givebacktothewater,itdeserves.IpromisedthewaterIdreturnherfavour.ThatIdunclogher

sewerswhenshecouldntbreathe,thatdayshebecomesaboatmanandasaboatman,youlearn

torowcleanthroughthedarkestwater.Thesewer/waterherestandasametaphorforKarisown

psycheandexperienceswiththecity.Atnightshedelvesintoherdarkestplacesandtriestorow

throughthem.Itreflectsherfears,anxietiesandevencertainvaluessheholdstrue.Forexample,

whenshevaguelyhearsofBillodroppingthechild,andaboutunwantedpregnancy,shewanders

intothewatersfollowingthecriesofthebabyandtriestosootheitdown.Shethentellstheunborn

babythatnothingshouldlivethatisntthelabourofgreat,greatlove.Asaboatmansheisalsoa

traveller,aconveyerofmiseryandtranscendence.InthechapterBoatman,Kariiscalleduponby

Angelwhoistakingherlastbreath.AlthoughbythetimeKarireaches,Angelhasputeverythinginto

place,butitisinKarisarmsthatshegivesoutherfinalsigh.

MovingtowardsdeathAsthebookprogressesitgetsdarkeranddarker.Layersofbirthanddeathareintertwined.Angel

getssickerandsickerandinthemeanwhiletherearevariousinstanceswheretheauthorsbringsin

theelementofdeathandbirth.InchaptertheUmbilical,Lazarusexpressesanxietyoverthethought

thathe

might

contract

adeadly

disease

through

his

last

sexual

intercourse,

although

he

says

he

had

safesex.HeisveryupsetandKaridulytriestocomforthim.NextwegettoknowthatBillois

pregnantandthatsheabortsthebaby.ShereflectsbacktothetimewhensheandRuthwere

makingloveandRuthexpressedhowtheywouldneverhavetoworryaboutunwantedpregnancy.

TowhichKarirespondsIdgiveanythingintheworldtobeabletoknockyouup,Ruthie.Karis

wishtobeabletoprocreatewithRuthandheruneasinessoverBillosabortion,tellsthereaderthat

Karitreasureslife,butalifewithsomeoneshelovesevidentasshementionsearliernothingshould

livethatisntthelabourofgreat,greatlove.Thenextfewpanelspreparethereaderforthedeath

ofAngel.ClearlythisisadarkmomentforKari.

Eventhough

her

Ad

campaign

wins,

and

she

and

Lazarus

(who

is

steer

clear

of

any

sort

of

illness

now)areawarded,hermomentaryhappinessissuspendedwhenLazarussgirlfriendTinaappears

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withhim.Sheisdefinitelyaprettygirlandwithheraround,Lazaruswontneedanyone.Thismeans

thatshemustleave.Slowlylosingoutontherealbondsshehaswithpeople,perhapscontributesto

drivinghertotheedge.Evenafterreceivinganawardandbeinginasuccessfulspot,sheismetwith

aprofoundsenseofloneliness.

Howevertowards

the

end

she

hold

herself

back,

from

that

dysphoria

that

may

consume

her,

from

theedgeofthatterracethatmaydeliverhertotheotherside,fromherselfthistimetosavesome

partofherself,toleaveatanothertime.