Feasting Fasting By Anita Desai (Essay)

The novel Fasting Feasting, was written by Anita Desai in 1999. Desai was born in India, although her first language was German, Desai started writing in English at the age of seven.
Anita Desai’s Fasting Feasting, is a novel of contrast between two cultures, the Indian and the American. The story is divided in two parts. The beginning of the strory is told through theperceptions of Uma, the eldest daughter of a typical upper-middle-class family in India, and of Arun, the youngest and only son of the family, who lives in America. Both are trapped by the oppression of their parents, forced to live a life none of them has chosen. Uma and her younger sister, Aruna had only one choice by being women. They are both educated and grown to find a suitable husband. Once theonly son of the family is born, MamaPapa decide to take Uma out of the school and make her stay at home to take care of the new-born baby. While Aruna has no problems to attract men and find a husband, MamaPapa’s attempt to marry Uma off have already failed twice. Uma is condemned to spend the rest of her life serving her parents, while Arun is sent to a University in America. Once the summerbegins, Arun is invited to spend the holidays as a guest in the house of the Pattons, a typical American family.
Although the story takes place is two separated countries, the main theme of families and how its members relate to each other. The importance of family in the Indian culture seems to be very important. They come together when Uma’s cousin Anamika gets married and alsoagain when she dies later in the novel. From the beginning of the novel the reader is able to understand that in Uma’s family, the only ones able to make decisions are her parents, Mamapapa. Both are descripted in the book as one all-powerful entity, “MamaPapa, PapaMama. It was hard to believe they had ever had separate existences, thay they had been separated entities and not MamaPapa in one breath”(p. 5, ll 14-16). MamaPapa remain nameless though the story, representing their power. They have the power to decide and do whatever they want with the lives of their children, without the contemplation of the possibility that they could have the opportunity to decide for themselves and have al life of their own without MamaPapa’s interference.
Through the first part of the storythe reader becomes aware of how Uma becomes a prisoner in her own house and is repressed by her parents. “All morning MamaPapa have found things for Uma to do. It is as if Papa’s retirement is to be spent in this manner—sitting on the red swing in the veranda with Mama, rocking, and finding ways to keep Uma occupied. As long as they can do that, they themselves feel busy and occupied” (p. 133,ll. 1-5). The second part shows her brother Arun being sent to America to get a higher education. Arun feels trapped by his parents’ planes although he is actually far away from home.
Desai uses Uma’s lack of beauty and clumsiness to stablish a contrast with her cousin Anamika. Anamika is beautiful, smart, and graceful. While Uma’s failure in school supports her parent’s decisionto keep her at home, Anamika wins a scholarship to Yale University for her excellent performance during her school years. Higher education is considered to be appropriate for males and marriage for females. Anamika’s scholarship is used to find her a suitable husband. After getting married to a man older that her, Anamika feels trapped. One day she wakes up, goes to the kitchen, and pourskerosene over her head burning herself to death.
The women in the story are the ones who suffer the worst parts. Uma is a prisoner under her parents control, Anamika does not bear her miserable life and decides to kill herself. At this point, Desai portrays Aruna’s story. Uma and Aruna could not be more opposite to one another. Aruna’s marriage is perfect to everybody’s eyes. In...