Time lines and fault lines an autobiography book also available. Nov 21, 2018 meena alexander, indian poet and teacher whose works reflect her multicultural life in india, sudan, and the united states. Here, alexander uses a dictionary definition of the word fault to add further emphasis to this word, fault. With a literary career spanning three decades, alexanders writ ing has generated sufficient scholarly interest. With a dismal tone she uses figurative language, stream of consciousness, and rhetorical questions to bring the reader face to. Meena alexander was born in allahabad, india, on february 17, 1951. Meena alexander traces her life from childhood in india through youth and education in africa and england to marriage. Meena alexander indian poet and teacher britannica. She had grown up in sudan, and described the experience in a book called fault lines. Pdf download time lines and fault lines an autobiography. Alexander wants to pay attention to the fact that living in a female body in a world where the female body is a site for endless struggles. An analysis of fault lines by meena alexander kibin.
Diasporic experience in the poetry of meena alexander. Meena alexander fault lines thesis proposal directions. Meena alexander, fault lines analysis essay step 2. Memory and the transformation of identity in meena alexander s fault lines. Meena alexanders acute poetic sensibility makes this memoir a joy to read. Multiply fragmented by relocations and remembrances, flights and motions, alexander. Meena alexander india in the 1returned to970s to teach at the university in hyderabad. What could i ever be but a mass of faults, a fault mass. The excerpt focuses on the authors lack of identity as she struggles to identify an image to which she belongs. As the title of the memoir indicates, her sense of displacement or dislocation is such a strong sentiment, owing perhaps to the physical. Born in allahabad, india, poet meena alexander was raised in kerala and sudan.
Along with a past serrated amid changes and restless moves, her intense lyrics orbit around. Stimpson, university professor and dean of the graduate school, new york university this new edition of fault lines shows us a poet intent on seeing herself straight. Download time lines and fault lines an autobiography in pdf and epub formats for free. Faultlines a journey through meena alexander s life, conflicts and adjustments with the host society as a result of multiple dislocations. She received a bachelors degree in french and english from khartoum university and a doctorate degree in english from nottingham university in england. Search for identity in meena alexanders fault lines international.
Her poetry publications include stone roots l980, house of a thousand doors l988 and two long poems. Meena alexander, a south asian immigrant writer, through her memoir fault lines, draws attention to the problems of multiple migrations and the sense of loss of homeland. Here alexander s lines marked by diasporic sensibility and diasporic experience which finds highly emotion, large expression in sensual, lyrical and metaphoric language. Like many of meena alexander s poems, the storm is largely about.
Postcolonial diasporics writing in search of a homeland meena alexanders manhattan music, fault lines, and the shock of arrival 1. Brief sections of this essay were presented at the literature of indian diaspora conference, university of west indies, trinidad, march 2000, and the melus europe conference, orleans, france, june 2000. In this examination of what it means to identify with a particular people, alexander uncovers a childhood trauma that she had nearly forgotten. Meena alexander, a south asian immigrant writer through her. I picked up fault lines shortly after that, and was surprised that i hadnt heard of it before. You should read the passage several times, first for an overall understanding and then for the particular aspects mentioned in the essay prompt.
Excerpt from fault lines by meena alexander the plate glass window that protected me inside the place of delicate teas and sharply flavored asparagus, tuna fish sandwiches with heapings of scallions and mint, glinted bad oddly in my face. Described as undoubtedly one of the finest poets of contemporary times by the statesman india, she was the author of numerous collections of. Meena alexander 17 february 1951 21 november 2018 was an indian poet, scholar, and writer. It is a memoir that, like many of alexander s other works, focuses primarily on trauma, migration, and memory, as well as traumas impact on subjectivity, and the violence that often compels people to cross borders. Meena alexander, fault lines analysis essay step 4. Memory and the transformation of identity in meena alexanders fault lines. Born in allahabad, india, and raised in india and sudan, alexander lived and. Fault lines, which was reissued in 2003, was indeed far more lyrical and exploratory than the average autobiography, a search. Like many of meena alexanders poems, the storm is largely about. She feels that her life consists of many fault lines.
Meena alexander, women studies, south asian american poetry, fault lines, third space, ethnic. Meena alexander is an eminent poet and one of the finest thinkers of. Fault lines by meena alexander overdrive rakuten overdrive. Nov 26, 2018 meena alexander in 2018 at hunter college, where she taught. Styles themes connection piece literary criticism worldview evocative and moving publishers weekly truth vs. Described as undoubtedly one of the finest poets of contemporary times by the statesman india. Seldom can a person not find some sense of belonging in their lives, whether it be belonging to a culture, to a nation, or to a religion. Read carefully the following passage step 2 from meena alexander s autobiography, fault lines 1993. Her 1993 memoir, fault lines, was one of the best books for. Fault lines analysis when the average person looks upon their past, they usually recall memories and facts that categorize them into a predefined group of people. Then, in a wellorganized essay, analyze how alexander uses language to explore and represent her fractured identity.
Click download or read online button to get fault lines book now. This acclaimed book by meena alexander is available at in several formats for your ereader. Like many poets, meena alexander writes excellent prose, crafting each sentence with care and taking chances with language that not many prose writers would risk. Fault lines as a memoir, is doubly unique as alexander rewrote it ten. Meena alexanders quest for a homeland in her memoir fault lines. Essay 3a in meena alexander s autobiography, fault lines, the reader is introduced into the authors tragic state of mind. In an excerpt from her autobiography, fault lines, meena alexander shares with her readers her shaken identity from a first person point of view. She has undergone multiple identities in multiple places. Pdf faultlines a journey through meena alexanders life. A memoir by alexander nampally road, 1990, tracing her life from childhood in india through youth and education in africa and england to marriage and motherhood in manhattan. Meena alexander s fault lines was first published in 1993 and expanded in 2003.
Deception what the actual truth is and the lies we tell ourselves to protect us fault lines is an. Critical essays on meena alexander, seeks to address. Meena alexander fault lines thesis proposal i help to study. Fault lines meena alexader meena alexander uses language to express the fractured and disjointed view of herself. Pdf memory and the transformation of identity in meena. Described as undoubtedly one of the finest poets of contemporary times by. At the same time, the writing is grounded enough to evoke the earthier loam of.
She earned a ba at khartoum university and a phd at nottingham university. Introduction author information soaps analysis soaps cont. Meena alexander essays in an excerpt from her autobiography, fault lines, meena alexander shares with her readers her shaken identity from a first person point of view. Alexander struggles to develop her sense of identity in a culture still imprinted with the stamps of britain. Critical essays on meena alexander, edited by lopamudra basu and cynthia leenerts, was published in 2009. Passionate, fierce, and lyrical, meena alexanders memoir traces her evo. Some of the same images used in fault lines surface in alexanders poetry. The storm, a poem in five parts l989 and nightscene, the garden l992.
Three specific metaphors that are dealt with throughout this thesis are based on the inanimate objects, door, stone and silk. Home archives reading room search editorial info books subscribe west links winter 1998, volume 15. Buy fault lines by meena alexander, ngugi wa thiongo foreword by online at alibris. Question 2 excerpt from fault lines by meena alexander. Alexander demonstrates in this autobiography both her triumph of will and her artistic talent. Through the usage of motif and diction, meena alexander distinguishes her fractured identity by illustrating the confinement of the many fragments of her identity that do not seem to fit together, creating a dissatisfied and despondent tone. In fault lines, she tells of her attempts to navigate the class system in india and abroad, as well as the conflict between her personal ambition and the expectations placed on her by indian tradition.
The personal narrative derives its power and charm from the heightened awareness of the interaction between the self and the world. The author makes a reference to the origin of in her nampally road autobiography fault lines. Passionate, fierce, and lyrical, meena alexander s memoir traces her evo. Meena turned to poetry at the age of eleven or twelve for her.
It is distinguished by a peculiar mode of experiencing and recording reality. Faultlines a journey through meena alexanders life, conflicts and adjustments with the host society as a result of multiple dislocations. In the early pages of fault lines, meena alexander describes her situation very clearly. With a dismal tone she uses figurative language, stream of consciousness, and rhetorical questions to bring the reader face to face with her real. Meena alexander in 2018 at hunter college, where she taught. Reading the passage steps to write the essay 1 analyzing the essay prompt 2 reading the passage 3 preparing to write 4 writing the essay 5 sample student essays. Critical essays on meena alexander fault lines fault lines, lopamudra basu and cynthia leenerts. The 1990s saw a tremendous growth in the fields of postcolonial literature and theory, as well as in the field of us ethnic studies, which includes asian american and more specifically south asian american studies.
Thats all i am a woman, cracked by multiple migrations. Postcolonial diasporics writing in search of a homeland. The narrative digs deeper into childhood and reexamines adulthood more painfully than its predecessor, but image. Meena alexander and the postcolonial memoir baltic worlds.
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