Week Six: Marriage of a Thousand Lies

Recently for my literature & media studies, we were assignment to read Marriage of a Thousand Lies.  A novel written by SJ Sindu.  I wasn’t able to finish it before the class, but was more than captivated, enjoyable, and easy to get through.  The novel is wrapped around the idea of two girls who love each other, going against the norm.  I was most interested in the two female characters’ on how they develop and slowly go different paths.  In class we watched a film called Circumstance, which is an adaptation to Sindu’s Marriage of a Thousand Lies.  After the film, Sindu got to talk about developing her novel and we got to ask her some questions.

The novel focus around two sisters.  One is very disruptive and a bit more rebellious.  And the other sister is just disruptive but with limitations.  The rebellious sister challenges and goes against the traditional norms.  These two girls share intimate moments that leaves one unease when one is arranged a marriage.  The sister accepts even though she truly didn’t want it, however this part of the story shows that we are always presented with two ideas or paths and we must choose one.  Which ever we choose, we have to make the best of it or at least put up a front and pretend. 

Hearing how Sindu goes on to create her characters was pretty interesting.  These two girls and along with the other character were pretty vivid.  The information and description was enough and not overboard with the characters.

Week Five: Cosmopolis

Cosmopolis, a novel about the lifestyle behind a very wealthy male and his journey to the barbershop.  He travels through the city in his limo that is later vandalized by street protesters.  Along his journey to the barbershop is meets and is greets friends.  In some cases, with his lady friends, he would sleep with.  In the novel this rich fella, the main character, talks with some confidence on his future, as if he knows where it is going.  Slowly, as the novel and movie progress we notice that the main character isn’t is in full control of his surroundings. 

The topic for this novel and book was about privilege.  In the novel we get to see the lifestyle of this rich man play out from good to bad.  We the reader, get an understanding this man has a good grip and control over his life, especially when he gets personal doctor check ups whenever and where ever.  However, we also get the since his control around his life is limited.  Such as the main journey to the barber shop that happens to be in a bad neighborhood.  We get to see the struggles he faces such as slowly losing his wealth, get very little to no love from his wife and even losing a somewhat close friend who happened to be a music celebrity.

His main struggle I got from the novel and film was how no matter his wealth or privilege, he couldn’t buy real friendships.  No matter how much money he had, he couldn’t make things last forever, such as his musician friend who passes away.  No matter how much money he had, he couldn’t buy a normal conversation.  He was sort of discounted.  This novel to me seems to be more about whether you agree to some the actions and ideas the main character presents.