Dusk: Signe

1. CHARACTERISATION OF LATA:

A) describe Lata's development:

in the beginning of the story Lata talks about her "home" - back in India. Several places in the text she talks about friends, family and places. She has not yet accepted that living in Cardiff with her husband Anuj, now is her home. 

B) describe her relationship to Anuj:

Lata's relationship to Anuj seems tensed - maybe cause it is an arranged marriage. it is like they really do not know each other - and understand each other  Anuj seems to not wanna know of Lata's past, and only wanna look forward, where Lata has a whole other way of seeing it. She thinks and talks a lot of her past. Lata rather spend a night reliving her old memories, than creating new memories.

2. INTEGRATION IN THE TEXT:

A) the phrase "you alright?" - what situations it appears in?

The phrase "you alright?" is used several places in the text:

- The first time is when Lata is waiting for Anuj who is getting them tickets to a movie. While Lata stands in her own thoughts a complete stranger ask her "you alright, love?"

- shortly after Anuj is coming back from the ticketline and askes Lata "you alright, my dear?" 

- in this situation Lata questions the meaning of those words, and askes Anuj what people mean with it:
"Why do people here ask: you alright. nothing is visibly wrong with me, is there?" 

- in the end when they are out of the movie theater and gets in to the car, Lata starts to cry. when she dries of Anuj asks her quitely "you alright?" and she replies with "yeah, im alright. lets go home." 

B) Lata's development in the way she uses/understands the phrase?

In the beginning Lata does not really get the meaning of the phrase, but in the end she seems to have gotten it. The phrase is used as a normale question in Cardiff, and it is not because a stranger wants to know your lifestory and comfort you if you are not alright. it is just a normale question, that you just answer "yes" to. 

C) What does the development symbolize?

Lata's development symbolize that she in the end of the story accepts Cardiff as her home. 

D) The tie between how the phrase is used in the text and integration?

.....

E) Find two examples where the text deals with integration (quote and reference)

 ....

3. THE ENDING:

A) Describe what happens in the end of the story (maximum two lines):

in the end of the story, the couple just finished watching the Bollywood film and Lata is happy to have relived her past, but realizes that the past is the past, and even though she just has relived it, she is back in the present.

B) Interpretation of the ending:

When Lata starts to cry in the ending, she somehow faces the reality  - That Cardiff is her home, and India is her past. 

Dusk - Rune laursen and Villy Jørgensen

1.     Characterisation of Lata (continued).

Describe her 
a) development,and
She starts out bored, but then see watch a bollywood movie and she starts to feel sad because she misses her home(india)
b) relationship to Anuj. 
Their relationship new, they have recently been married and because it is an arranged marrige, they dont know eachother that well but they still hug and support eachother. Look at page 8 line 45-47:" "now, you want to do something exciting," Anuj looked at her, concerned." My bride is already bored? Look, mehendi has not yet faded from your palms." "Liar! look, it´s faded," Lata laughed, " I´m not a bride anymore!" she waved her hands about and did a mock pirouette in front of him."
She probably would like to go back to india if she could choose. But she is commited to him and she will try to love him.  Look at page 8 line 56-60:" Lata closed her eyes and held on to him, breathing in his sccent. He smelled so clean, of that lovely shower gel she´d bought in boots. She took a deep breath. she would learn to love him. Yes, Ma said so; she would learn to love him."

2.     Integration in the text.

a) Write down how many times the phrase ‘you alright?’ is mentioned in the text and what situations it appears in (also write down which page and line you have found the phrase).
"you alright?" is said in the text 5 times. On page 9 its said at line 92,98,101,104b) Can you see any development in the way Lata uses/understands the phrase?
In the start she is confused and does not know how to respond to the phrase, but as the story progresses she gets to know the meaning of it.

c) What does this development symbolise do you think? 
That she is getting more used to the enviroment and starts to be a part of the society.
d) Can you find a tie between the way the phrase is used in the text and integration?


e) In what other ways does the text deal with integration? Find at least two examples in the text to support your answers (quote + reference). 
Page 8 Line 64-69:" A gaggle of teenaged girls stood outside the nightclub, talking in high-pitched voices. They wore tiny leather skirts and tank tops, and braced themselves. They tottered on high heels that click-clacked as they walked. Lata looked down at her blue silk sari and black overcoat. She felt like an old woman, even though this sari was what she had worn at her engagement party back home." This clearly shows the diffrent cultures, atleast in what they put on. It is a big clash of culture.  

3.     The ending (p. 10, line 122-50).

a) Describe in maximum two lines what happens at the end of the story. 
Lata is commenting on the bollywood film throughout the entire thing. After the movie she "returned to reality" and she starts to cry and he ask:" you alright" she tells him yes and drive home.
b) How do you interpret (fortolker) the ending? For instance you can look at the way Lata and Anuj’s relationship is pictured in the end (development or not?), how the integration issue is developed/explored in the ending (development or not?), or something else which has relevance to the story.
Lata and Anuj´s relation ship is still in a "India way". by that i mean, when she starts to cry, he just fiddle around whith his car keys instead of comforting her. In this text that is the first time i really noticed that the realtion ship is "Indian".
 The male in the relation ship, has a higher rank than the girl.

Dusk :Tina

1.     Characterisation of Lata (continued).
Describe her

in the beginning Lata seems so trying to adjust, she miss her old home in India, and her friends. After she have seen the film from India, which she miss because she begins to cry in the car, she now realize that se now has a new home, in another country (P. 10 L. 150)
b) 
it is like they do not know each other that good, their marriage is also arrange marriage, and in the text Lata also thinks that she would learn to love him (P. 8 L. 59-60) I do not think that Lata and Anuj know each other that good, and mabye dont know always what to say to each other, especially when Lata begins to cry, Anuj just fiddling with the car keys, and first when Lata stops crying, Anuj ask if she is alright (P. 10 L. 149)


2.     Integration in the text.

a) 'you alright' is mentioned four times, the first time is where Lata is in the cinema, where Lata she looks at all the people there, the a man ask her if she is alright, she dont know what to answer. And then Anuj ask if she is alright, and she do not know what to answer to that. And the last time it is asked is when Lata cries in the car, when she stops Anuj ask if she is alright.
b)
the first times she gets the question she dont know what to answer, it is first the last time the knows what to answer. I dont know if she understand the phrase when she cries, because she answers that she is alright (P. 10 L. 150) but otherwise she do not understands the phrase (P. 9 L. 101)
c)
in the end she begins to understand the new country, and the way they speak to each other.




d)
in every country people have some things they say to each other, in USA they often say, how are you? Not to know how people are, but it is just something they says, like in the text they ask your alright.
e) when they gets out of the car, and there is some teenage girls in tiny skirts, tank tops and high heels, the Lata looks at her self, and feels like an old woman, even though she have her silk sari on, which she worn at her engagement party, that shows that she feels different

3.     The ending (p. 10, line 122-50).
a) after they have seen an bollywood film, Lata realize that she miss India, and she begins to cry, and Anuj dont know what to do or say to Lata. 
b) The new country begins to feel like home to Lata, because she says ''let's go home'' (P. 10 L. 150)

Line S, Jeanette

. Characterisation of Lata

a) In the beginning she finds it difficult to accept that Cardiff is her home now. Lata finds India as her home.

     P. 8 L. 49 – “Anuj burst out laughing. “You are quite funny, you know...” “Yes, Mina used to say, you know Mina, my best friend back home, said I was the joker in the group. Stand up comedian.” Anuj looked at her steadily, not smiling. He took her hands in his. “This is your home now. Cardiff is home. That is India, your parents’ home. You must adjust as soon as you can, my dear. Otherwise things will be more difficult for you, isn’t it?”

 
In the end, she accepts that Cardiff is her home now. She now calls Cardiff for her home.

P. 10 L. 149 – “You alright?” he asked quietly. She patted his hand and replied, “Yeah, I’m alright. Let’s go home.”

b) Lata married Anuj, too safe a good future. Lata’s Baba arranged the marriage.

P. 7 Line 30 – “He had lived in Cardiff for six years, five years and eight months more than her. And he thought he was as British as the white people. Well, of course he was. He had the red passport, hadn’t he? Wasn’t that the reason Baba got her married to him? Good future for you, beti, he had said.”

She does not love him, but she is trying. Anuj made it difficult for Lata to love him.

P. 8 L. 57 – “”Let’s go to the Bay, and watch a movie,” he said, pulling her close to him. Lata closed her eyes and held on to him, breathing in his scent. He smelled so clean, of that lovely shower gel she’d bought in Boots. She took a deep breath. She would learn to love him. Yes, Ma had said so; she would learn to love him.

 2. Integration in the text

a) They say “you alright” five times in the text.
P. 9, Line 92 –  ““She laughed out loud at the memory and a man standing next to her exclaimed. “You alright, love?”

P. 9, line 98 – “You alright, my dear? Lata jumped. It was Anuj. Was is the answer to that? She asked.  Answer to what? Why do people here asked, ‘you alright?’ Nothing is visibly wrong with me, is there? Whay are you talking about? Come on now, I have a treat for you. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were set to a thin line. Are you alright? She asked.”

P. 10, line 147 -  “He waited till she dried her eyes and then started the car. You alright? He asked quietly.

b) In first place she does not understand the meaning of the phrase you alright, and she do not know how she are suppose to answer the question. In the end Lata knows the meaning of the phrase. 

c) Lata begins to understand the culture, and the British proverb.

d) She is interested to know the meaning of the phrase You alright, and it shows that she wants to  understand the English language. 

e) P. 7, line 5 “... let’s go out for dinner or something. Lata’s eyes brightened. A new Indian restaurant had opened in Mermaid’s Quay. She had read the review in the Western Mail and it was not the usual chicken tikka and curry, but authentic recipes from the Malabar Coast. Only if we don’t eat Balti, Anuj chewed his pencil. Want to try Welsh? The Armless Dragon is good. Had a meal there once with the department. No. There’s food in the fridge.”

Lata is afraid to try something new; she is not open for a new culture.

P. 10, line 135 “ Lata was happy, having spent three hours in sunny Mumbai, reliving her past. We
must buy a DVD player, she told Anuj. I can watch all my favourite films at home. Anytime I want to.”
Lata have to accept that she now living in Cardiff,  she still living in the past instead of accept that she now lives in a new culture, but she still lives like she is in India. 

3. The ending (p. 10, line 122-50)

a) She is looking at the background in the film, instead of enjoy the film. Lata have spent three hours reliving her past, so she want at DVD player, so she can hold on to her memories. 

b) It is the first time Lata fells that Cardiff is her home now. P. 10 line 150 – “Yeah, I’m alright. Let’s go home.” 

  

  

DUSK-Jesper

A: Her development: She has a inner conflict. She left her safe homeland in India, and went over to another culture and another land. She does not feels as quiet British as her hosbond. She tries hard to fit in. But it seems like Anuj does not pay attention to her feelings.

B: Her relationship to Anuj: It is "good", but she does not love him but she tries.
As said before, he has- a justed his new life in England, he feels 100% British, and she is still a India women in her mind. It is like Lata, and Anuj lives to different life under same roof.

Quotes

 "It`s such a dull day. Let`s do something exciting" page 7 line 1

 "It was true, she was his bride and wanted to love desperately, but he made it so difficult for her at times" page 8 line 55

Dusk: Vicky, Line p, Henrik

1. Characterization of Lata:

a)     At the beginning she feels like a visitor in her new home, which we can see in p. 2, l. 50: ‘[…] my best friend back home,’ where she refers India as her home. Later in the story after they have seen the movie from her hometown, she refers her new home as home, as she says in p. 4, l. 150: ‘Let’s go home.’

b)     Her relationship to Anuj is arranged by their families. She does not love him yet, and we can see that in p. 1, l. 59: ‘She would learn to love him.’ Lata is described almost as if she was Anuj’s property. For example it says in p. 3, l. 83: ‘Anuj deposited her in a corner and left.’

2. Integration in the text

a)     P. 3, l. 92: A stranger asks her when she is thinking back on memories from back home while waiting for Anuj to come back from buying tickets.
p. 3, l. 98: Anuj asks her when he returns from buying tickets.
p. 3, l. 101: Lata asks Anuj what people mean when the say it.
p. 3, l. 104: Lata asks Anuj because she can see that he looks worried.
p. 4, l. 149: Anuj asks Lata when they sit in the car and she begins to cry.

b)     In the beginning she does not understand the use of the phrase, and takes it more literally than it is, as if it is a sincere question, but in the end she understands that it is more superficial, because she says that she is alright, even though we know that she is not because she has just been crying.

c)      At the end she accepts the new culture that she now lives in, and she knows that she has to learn the differences in the new language and the meaning behind the words.

d)     The way the language is used in a culture often reflects its personality. In Britain the people are maybe more superficial than in India and therefore a phrase like “are you alright?” may not be a sincere wish to know how the person you ask really feel.

e)     P. 2, l. 65-68: “They wore tiny leather skirts and tank tops, […]. They tottered on high heels that click-clacked as they walked. Lata looked down at her blue silk sari and black overcoat.” It shows the difference of what is normal to wear for girls from India compared to girls from Britain. She does not feel integrated in the way she looks.
P. 1, l. 35-36: Another difference is that in India the families often hire help for cleaning, cooking, washing and cleaning the toilet. In Britain you do it yourself, and Britain people are not social with others as much as the people are in India.

3. The ending

a)     As Lata and Anuj goes to the car she realizes that she is not home in India, and when they sit in the car ready to go home, she breaks down and cry, and Anuj asks her if she is alright, and she says: “Yeah, I’m alright. Let’s go home.” (p. 4, l. 150)

b)     Lata’s memories are brought back to her hometown while she watches the movie. When she comes out, she is realizing that she is not home in India, but that this is her home now. When she breaks down, she accepts that this is her new reality, and she refers Britain as her home for the first time in the text. This is the moment where she is about to get integrated.

Dusk Over Atlantic Wharf, Part Two

In groups, pairs or on your own write a blog post with all your answers to the questions below. Remember to give it the labels 'Dusk Over Atlantic Wharf'. Give the post the title 'Dusk: [Name of groupmembers]'.

Post your answers when the three lessons are over (15.35).

1.     Characterisation of Lata (continued).

Describe her
a) development, and
b) relationship to Anuj.
Use at least two examples from the text to support your answer (write the entire quote + reference - the reference alone is not enough).

2.     Integration in the text.

a) Write down how many times the phrase ‘you alright?’ is mentioned in the text and what situations it appears in (also write down which page and line you have found the phrase).
b) Can you see any development in the way Lata uses/understands the phrase?
c) What does this development symbolise do you think?
d) Can you find a tie between the way the phrase is used in the text and integration?
e) In what other ways does the text deal with integration? Find at least two examples in the text to support your answers (quote + reference).

3.     The ending (p. 10, line 122-50).

a) Describe in maximum two lines what happens at the end of the story.
b) How do you interpret (fortolker) the ending? For instance you can look at the way Lata and Anuj’s relationship is pictured in the end (development or not?), how the integration issue is developed/explored in the ending (development or not?), or something else which has relevance to the story.