“I feel like my dad should be here,” I said to my friends. They looked at me like I was crazy, but the statement made perfect sense to me. I was with my friends, making dinner and listening to music, when a song by Def Leppard came on and reminded me of a string of events. Other factors in the room, talking about sports with the guys for example, made me think of my father. The string of concurrent events tied together in my mind, making me feel like my dad should have been there. This is a more structured form, for me anyway, of a thought process that brings me to a completely different topic than the subject at hand. For this same reason I have come to terms with the fact that I am a horrible story teller; that is until I read the book Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee.
Similar to Jasmine, when I tell a story I try to stick with one story the whole time, but it is inevitable that I will end up throwing in some random side stories along the way. I personally feel that this method of storytelling keeps the reader/listener entertained with the content. Some reading this novel may think that it jumps around too much, but I think that’s just to keep the readers on their toes. The side stories that are mentioned in the novel are presented to help the reader understand the main character, Jasmine. In the epigraph of the novel is a quote by James Gleick from his Theory on Chaos: “The new geometry mirrors a universe that is rough, not rounded, scabrous, not smooth. It is a geometry of the pitted, pocked, and broken up, the twisted, tangled, and intertwined.” Perfect quote to start out the novel because that’s exactly how it is written; everything is “twisted, tangled, and intertwined.” Gleick refers to the old geometry in the idea that it is smooth, structured, and namely that it has somewhat of a finish line. If this novel were simply about Jasmine’s journey from India to the United States, that’s what the book would have been entitled. However, naming the book Jasmine makes it clear that the novel will be about her entire life, not just one aspect or one story. What person do you know with a structured, complete story to tell?
One side story in particular shows a lot of importance to Jasmine herself, and to the ‘structure’ we are trying to find in the story. Chapter 17 of the novel gives a detailed outline of Jasmine’s first day in the United States. In this chapter she is raped by a man, and murders him shortly after. This side story was important to the content of the novel because it not only shows that Jasmine is a strong woman and that she can clearly handle herself in a time of need, but it reflected back to the astrologer that was mentioned in the beginning. The whole novel, which is Jasmine’s life story, seemed to revolve around what this astrologer told her; one cannot challenge destiny. Rather than killing herself, she replicates an act portrayed by an Indian god. Jasmine did not believe that she had completed the task on earth that she was meant to do.
The astrologer believed that everyone on this planet was given somewhat of a task, and once that task is completed, your purpose on earth is no longer important; to say it coldly. The story of the astrologer himself is another perfect example of a side story. I see the side stories as back flashes that Jasmine has, and she tells us the stories in a manner that relates to that part in the main story. It’s like a jumbled up film reel. When you look at the reel lying on the floor, you don’t see any specific order or clip; just a big mess. You know, though, that there is a beginning and an end, because as we are all taught, that’s how stories work out. If you zoom in on one section of the reel of film, you will see that clip. It’s like zooming in and out with a camera; you have to get it in focus before you can see what you’re really trying to look at.
The side stories are what construct the big story. It is almost like we are in the mind of Jasmine throughout this novel; like we’re living life through her eyes. When she begins to realize this, she’ll step aside and fill us in with a side story to help us understand better. Although we may see everything as being twist and tangled, intertwined with one another, Jasmine zooms in on the old geometry and helps create a more structured environment for the reader. The old geometry has a shape; it’s uniform. It’s like the simple version that is smooth, usually having a happy ending. We all are clearly aware that life is in no way an example of old geometry. We have to zoom into the non-uniform shaped, the tangled geometry, and look for a uniform shape. Straightening out the reel of film and watching it from beginning to end will help you understand better, but finding your own beginning and end is what makes life interesting.
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You seem to have a very good textual grasp on the story, and much like you the jumping around doesn't bother me too much, in fact I believe it keeps you involved because you are constantly discovering new things about the main character.