On 24-Mar-10, at 2:19 PM, Charles Haynes wrote:
On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 7:26 PM, Sirtaj Singh Kang
<[email protected]> wrote:
On 24-Mar-10, at 1:50 PM, Charles Haynes wrote:
[snip]
Why? Why should she be expected to live to your expectations?
I don't expect her to; she's free to do as she pleases. And I am
free to
feel whatever I like about it.
Fair enough, but when you say "I don't think it's too much to ask that
a de facto cultural ambassador for our country rise above that kind of
nonsense" to me that's indistinguishable from putting expectations on
her simply because she's famous.
(I can only speak for my own motivations here)
I have not read God of Small Things. My entire exposure to Arundhati
Roy's writing consists of her impassioned, widely disseminated
expressions of disappointment in all of us. It is her achievement as a
writer (widely regarded as a rational, even "intellectual" pursuit at
that level for better or worse) that puts her in the opinion page of
Outlook magazine rather than LiveJournal. That very same public
expression of disappointment makes her fair game for criticism when
she disappoints us and our expectations of what we hope from someone
who appears capable of reasoned and well-written analysis of social
injustices. You are perfectly correct, it's our fault! We expected too
much from her.
Is it because she's bringing disrepute or is disrespectful? Why is the
same level of vitriol not directed at Modi? Is it because we think Roy
"should know better?"
Yes. I haven't had a chance to read any of Modi's writing, but as an
amoral politician he is par for the course - certainly not admired,
but _not surprising_ either. If this thread was named "For the Modi
haters out there" I'm pretty certain there will be folks on this list
willing to weigh in on their disappointment in his very existence.
I'm bemused by how much ill will is directed towards someone who, from
my point of view, is nothing more than an outspoken writer pandering
to popular prejudices.
India doesn't have many Booker Prize winners. We like our heroes. We
are also willing to pull down the tall poppies if they fail to live up
to our hopes. Arundhati Roy's entire post-Booker output consists of
tearing us all down, repeatedly, because we are selfish and civically
short-sighted and have it coming. I think it's okay for us to turn it
around and tear her down when it's clear that she is not being
entirely honest in her judgement of us.
-Taj.
