One week, One book - 03

 

I was fascinated reading Rosarita by Anita Desai. 💐

Once before, I had entered Anita Desai’s imaginary world through "The Village by the Sea". Rosarita, for me, was a huge turn from that world. From the simple language to the lyrical richness of the vocabulary, and more than that, the mind blowing story itself truly deserves to be praised as “Desai’s transcendent late gift.” 

It is really a gift. 😌

The story begins in Mexico, in a park in San Miguel. There, a strange woman, who introduces herself as Victoria, sees a young girl who looks very much like her old friend Rosarita. Years ago, Rosarita had come to Mexico to learn painting, and now Victoria approaches the girl with so much happiness, believing she has met the daughter of her beloved friend. But the girl, Bonita, who is clearly Indian, rejects her completely. She says her deceased mother’s name was Sarita, not Rosarita  and that she had never come to Mexico or studied art.

From one situation to another, the novella increases the breathing rate of the reader, making us constantly think what the reality is.

Did her mother come to Mexico and learnt painting? Is Victoria telling the truth?

Or? 

Whatever the truth may be, the long lasting absences in Bonita’s life, the experiences she had in her grandparents’ house, the silence around her mother, and the emptiness of her own home, make her travel with Victoria, the woman whom she calls “The Trickster” (brings the archetypal meaning of Trickster) to reveal the secret. It happens with Bonita's deep need to find the real identity of her mother: Rosarita, whom she has  known as Sarita.

More than that, as readers, we engage with the journey because Desai has used the second person point of view, making us Rosarita. We are not only readers, we search. 

Since the writer has touched both the Indian Partition and the Mexican Revolution, the story strongly presents themes of partition, identity, and belongingness.

Furthermore, Desai has carried rooted Indianness throughout the novella: from the rejection of Victoria, to the University of Benares, to Rosarita’s role as a wife and mother, and the interventions of Bonita’s grandparents. 

Even Bonita’s wish to learn language beautifully suggests another bitter truth of many Asian countries which is the desire of youngsters to escape to Europe hoping for a better life, just as people once chased the American Dream.

A magical literary piece. ♥️♥️

Tharushi
23.04.2026

One Week, One Book 02

“One morning, without having done anything wrong, Joseph K. was arrested.”

Franz Kafka always begins his writings in a way that shakes the reader. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa wakes up as a vermin. ("One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a vermin") In The Trial, Joseph K. wakes up to find himself arrested for no reason, no explanation, no clear accusation or no justice. Only fear and confusion.

The story runs with Joseph K. as he tries to understand what is happening to him. He goes from place to place, meets strange people, enters dark courtrooms and endless offices, in order to find one clear answer. But the more he searches, the more lost he becomes. He never truly reaches the center of the system that controls him, neither the Judge nor the High court.

What touched me most here is, how real this feels. Maybe it is not the arrest itself, but the feeling of being trapped by things we do not understand such as rules, expectations, society, anxiety, even our own thoughts. Kafka has turned that silent human fear into a story.

Some say that Kafka has penned about the meaningless world being an atheist, dealing with absurdism, or influencing from the thinkers like Nietzsche. But Kafka is beyond labels. He writes the emotions we struggle to name!

Even though this novel was written long ago, it still addresses us. His world is strange, uncomfortable, and sometimes painful, but it feels close to our own. So, the world is Kafkasque. 

Sometimes life itself is a Trial. 😌

Tharushi
19.04.2026

One Week, One Book 01

Siddhartha, as a person on a self-pilgrimage, feels very connected to the modern era in an interesting way. At first, when we start reading, we are almost pushed to think that this is similar to the story of Gautama Buddha. But as we go further, it slowly opens into something else. The introduction of Gotama as a separate character creates a shift, and Siddhartha steps into his own journey.

Hesse seems to move between the outer world and the inner self very smoothly. It feels like he is also touching on something very modern, the way people keep searching for meaning and trying to understand themselves. There is this sense of a divided self or restless human nature, and Siddhartha’s journey brings that out in a simple but deep way.

Even though the story, on the surface, may feel like a loose or even distorted version of Buddha’s life, Hesse’s use of Eastern philosophy gives it a different layer. It becomes more about how the modern mind understands life and meaning rather than just retelling a spiritual story.

To me, Kamala’s death feels like the end of a certain phase (maybe desire, love, or attachment)which marks a change in Siddhartha. And characters like his friend: Govinda, the ferryman, and even his son somehow act like bridges, helping us see different sides of reality through his journey.

I really noticed the ambiguity. As with the modern narrations it reminded me that self is not something fixed it keeps changing. And this reading made me feel that finding meaning is not simple or direct. It is personal, sometimes confusing, and always evolving.

"Siddhartha, what are you waiting for?"

"You know what."

"Will you always stand that way and wait, untill it'll becomes morning, noon, and evening?"

"I will stand and wait."

"You will become tired, Siddhartha."

"I will become tired."

"You will fall asleep, Siddhartha."

"I will not fall a sleep."

"You will die, Siddhartha."

"I will die."

So, we search, we find and vice versa. We will become tired and die but we will not fall a sleep.

-Tharushi-
12.04.2026

GOALS!

              It was the time of the moon nor the time of the sun. I felt it as the time of death. Death to life. Life to death. The battle was crawling here and there with the groan sound.

"Bring me to hospital"

 
Finally she caught a breath and fired it out. This is how we spent countless nights with tears, fears and miracles.

 
I knew Amma was suffering from Asthma severely.

I still can remember the nights that we had to secure under neighbors roofs.

 
I have never seen her tears. But I will feel her pain till my last breath. She is the fairy mother of my life story. I thought she had a magical power to actualize the things what we needed, what we expected and even what we thought till I grew up.

She never meant 'no' and 'impossible' under our demands.

 
Finally, I accepted that she is having a super power and I realized it as her sacrifices.

Amma, literary I am crying.

I saw the way you got old. You are too older than your age. You are about to fragile. So, I hate myself!

I have seen the way you applying balm and oil to avoid your pains with a light whimpering.

I have seen the way you sleep being crook to make us more comfortable with a spacious bed.

I have seen thousands of incidents which my eyes get wet.

You have been facing unimaginable challenges and you handle them strongly. You didn't teach me how to live. But you showed me. You didn't tell me how much you are strong. But you proved. But you never showed your pains, feelings, expectations and willingness. Instead you hid them.

So Amma, 

I am on the way finding them out. ❤

                                                                                  (***********)

HORACE

          Quintus Horatius Flaccus or Horace who was the chief spokesman of the Ancient in the battle between the Ancients and modern was lived in 65 BC to 8 BC in the Glorious Augustine age. It was an age of peace and two Scholars of writing in those days; the old Latin and Modern Alexandrian such as Horace, Virgil, Livy etc. turned to literature to achieve distinctions.

 "Among Roman poets he was the best critic, and of all the Roman critics he was the best poet" is a quote  about Horace who ranked next only to Virgil and classed equal to Aristotle. Mainly he wrote two books of satires, four books of Odes and Ars Poetica / Art of poetry. This was his chief critical work which caused to begin a new tradition in literary criticism.

          When we consider about Horace's observation of poetry and drama Ars Poetica takes an inimitable place. It is a letter in verse by original Latin that offering advice on literary matters to a father and two sons of the naming Piso. It mainly about poetry, poetic style and drama using less than 500 lines in the Poetic form. Moreover it can be divided into three parts.

1. Poesis - Subject matter of poetry

2. Poema - Form of poetry 

3. Poeta - The poet

          His observation of poetry can be analyzed under several sections; its nature, function, subject matter, kinds, language and its nature and art.

          According to nature of poetry, he said that writing poem is not an inspiration it's only Madness. And he believed that poetry is not mere imitation alone. As well as he didn't like too much fancy due to too much fancy can make something unbelievable. Horace stated that the function of poetry is both instruct and Delight. Therefore, he moved one step ahead Plato and Aristotle. Its subject matter should be Universal and Poets should choose a theme suited to his powers, and should consider what weight his shoulder refuse to bear and support. Under his observation, poetry has "settled kinds" with an appropriate metre. When a poet use language that poet is free to use both "familiar words" and "new ones" with clearness and effectiveness. Finally he also examines the question of the place of genius and art in the success of a poem. Genius as the natural talent and Art was meant training.

          Then he studied drama broadly under the three-heads; 

1. Plot,

2. Characterization 

3. Style

 Plot should be borrowed from familiar material to the audience and only relevant events of the story should be joined into an unbreakable union. They cannot be Supernatural things and if dramatist use horrible things, all should be reported instead bringing them directly on the stage. According to him a plot must keep Ancient Greek tradition and take clear attention of length of a play. 

"Neither shorter no longer than 5 acts" 

          Further, one scene must use no more than three characters and drama should follow the order; start, middle, end without any flashback. Thus the dramatist could either draw on the Ancient Greek legends or they can invent new characters while to be true to their tradition, to themselves or to consistent. Then he considered iambic meter as the most suitable style for drama for both tragedy and comedy.

          However with these all we can understand that Horace has closely followed Aristotle. But surprisingly there is no mention of the satire in his Ars Poetica. Though he has dealt earlier with satire using his two books Lucilius in Book I and II.

                                             By,

                                   ❤  Tharushi ❤

BE YOUR OWN STIMULATION 💐

"The most difficult thing is not to continue something but to start." 

People will laugh at you, try to put you down, they will gossip about you. 

It's okay!  

Yeah.... It's okay....

Let them to be happy with their own preferences. It is not a matter, not a new thing to you. 

But, 

you don't care.

Listen! Listen carefully to your inner voice.

 "Yes it's possible, you can do it, you can manage yourself, you are the best one for it. Go! Go ahead................."

If these are the words from your good Angel, what should you do?????

Say thousand times - Yes!

Now anyone cannot stop you. There will be no one to pull your leg. 

Go ahead!

 Future is waiting for you. So, build up the power to reach it out everyday. Then only the hands which used to pull you down will clap on you. 

 

Don't be a same model of Adam and Eve. Try to be a unique one whome anyone can easily recognize even among thousands of people.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Kick on your weaknesses, and observe how they convert into your strengths.

                     

                                      -Tharushi-

THE GREAT GATSBY

 

The Great Gatsby (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby)

Scott Fitzgerald (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Scott_Fitzgerald)

          The Great Gatsby is a tragical love story on the surface, but when we deeply go through it, it furnishes a pessimistic critique of the American dream. The term "American Dream" was first coined by James Adams in his book, "The Epic of America" written in 1931. At that time it was a dream of a land where life was better and richer for everyone else and it was based upon innocent, religious values. The reason why people wanted to work hard to prove themselves to God because they believed better people were in eyes of God. But with time passed they started to chase material wealth and it corrupted the people as well as the true value of the dream.

          This controversy formed the basis of the writings of many writers in the modern period. Among them, Scott Fitzgerald who was born in Minnesota USA in 1896 is one of the Great American novelists. He was influenced by his contemporary writer and artist Ernest Hemingway and Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby as his most famous and 3rd novel in 1925.

           Using New York City to the suburbs known as West and East egg, during Jazz Age the author interpreted the concept of American dream which shifts to social status as everything, through dazzling characters. However the story flows on first person limited point of view make use of sympathetic and Melancholic tone.

            Nowadays, there is nothing wrong with saying that social status and materialism are similar to the American dream. With that, we can say three types of characters belong to three statues in the novel. They are the old money class, new money and no money. With the short glance old money can be interpreted as Aristocrats who inherited the money. These people do not work hard and instead they attend to parties and have fun. Thus, they don't need to achieve the American dream in order to they were born with it. Daisy Buchannan the Mistress of the main character Gatsby, her spouse Tom Buchanan and Jordan Baker; the flapper woman all are belong to this status. Daisy is a wealthy woman and her expectation is to maintain her status. Therefore, she acquired it by marrying Tom who promised her a wealthy life, without getting a risk by marriage to Gatsby, though she promised to wait for him.

           Jay Gatsby, the protagonist of the novel who raised on a rural Farm in North Dakota and had a desire to become fabulously wealthy is a young man around 30 years and he represents new money. As well as he is the best character to read American Dream throughout the novel.

           With the passage of the eighteenth amendment in 1919, which banned the scale of alcohol, an undergone culture was designed in America. To illustrate this, the author has used Gatsby and few others who belong to new money and become wealthy  doing illegal things because all for attaining American Dream.

          When we consider about American Dream through Gatsby, Fitzgerald has connected his dream not onlu mainly to material wealth but with the love of his life: Daisy. She's just like a dream because being desirable, materialistic, careless, selfish, beguiling and haunting. Gatsby achieved fantastic amount of money by participating in organized crime in order to win Daisy back. Therefore, American dream is personified through Daisy.

"She was just eighteen, two years older than me, and most popular of all the young girls in Louisville.

She dressed in white and had a little white roadster. "

(White signifies purity as well as innocent.)

          American dream is beguiling. At first it is innocent like Daisy, when Gatsby saw her first time. Though she seems attractive at first time then leads him towards destruction, as American Dream.

          American Dream also be haunting, which lose the ways of people eventually. That is what happened on Gatsby too. He didn't give up love for Daisy, even took the responsibility for the murder from her. Then it caused to his death too. 

"He stretched out his arms towards the dark water..... I distinguished nothing except a single green light.............."

          Nick Carraway observes this. Green light is an important symbol in this novel and in one side traditionally green color associated with money and wealth and another side it represents Gatsby's inability to reach the dream.

The novel begins with an advice of the narrator's father.

"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world hasn't had the advantages that you have had."

          It emphasizes that every people does not have same status. The narrator is Nick Carraway from Minnesota who moved to New York because his interest over the bond business. He stands for both old and new money. Once there was a conversation between Gatsby and Nick.

"Gatsby : Meyer Wolfsheimn? No, he's a gambler.

Nick : Why isn't he in jail?

Gatsby : They can't get him, old sport. He's a smart man."

          It shows how America has been corrupted with criminals who are going to achieve American Dream.

            More than that in 20th Century, automobiles were characterized the high class of America. Instead think about the car as a way of transportation they consider it as a way of the exhibit their Fortune to the society. Myrtle Wilson and her husband George Wilson who ran automobile shop are the people, representing no money. These people have least amount of money and survive through buying and selling. They try to achieve American Dream but though they work hard they are unable to get a chance for it.

"I married him because I thought he was a gentleman." 

            

          With the mistake of believing that George had good breeding, Myrtle married him. Then seek to better life than she has, she reaches for Tom Buchannan and died due to a car accident, with making the role of automobile as the failture  of American Dream. 

"He borrowed somebody's best suit to get married"

(To show status)

           Finally The Faded paint of the eyes of Eckleburg can be seen/ it symbolizes that Humanity has lost its connection to God, as they interpreted American Dream before. However, while some people born with the dream, some will never have the opportunity to achieve it.

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future year by year receds before us."

           Therefore, at the end of the novel Fitzgerald writes above lines and this description shows that the most important quality of American dream is its inaccessibility, it means a dream is not a reality.

                                                   By,

                               ❤️ Tharushi Fernando ❤️