Contrast 2 Readings- Blog 9

The works Wilshire Bus and Monkey have many differences. In Wilshire bus, a lady deals with racism and identity. A Chinese couple is called out in front of everyone on the bus by and American. He tells them to go back to china if they do not like what he is saying. The American is being racists towards the Chinese couple. Esther thinks to herself, does he think I am Chinese because I am Japanese. She does not want to be associated as a Chinese person. She also feels bad she did not stick up for the Chinese couple. I feel this is a clear case of identity crisis. She is more worried about what her true identity is, and does the American guy know she is not Chinese or is he even thinking she is Chinese? From my opinion, Ester is thinking he has me confused, Chinese and Japanese people look alike. Then she feels guilty for being more worried about if the American knew she was Japanese and not Chinese, instead of standing up for the couple. She got off the bus feeling down because she did not help them. I think that also tied into her identity. Ester felt as if she did not put her best foot forward by not standing up for something she felt like was the right thing to do. She lies to her husband about why she is upset. She is not true to her identity. This contrast with the story Ghalib, in this poem he feels lost and hurt. He has a bit of an identity issue with not writing in his language. He wrote his poem in Urbu. He made things different and easy but hard to understand. The poem had a sadness to it. For example, “springs cloud dies into its weeping rain.” He at the same time gives mixed feelings. He seems to feel lost. He says The rose changes, gives us joy, our eyes should have always been open. Ghalib was letting the readers know that in the day time the sun shines and he is great, but when night falls he remembers grief and pain. He wants the starts to look another way. Ghalib has troubles of letting go of the past I would say. Something has really affected him. It is not so much identity he is dealing with. He has a problem with letting go I think. He wants people to have sympathy for him. He lets everything out in a poem and writing. He seems to be lost in his past. He is perfect and precise by writing in couplets. And the lines of the poems he makes them equal length. He seems to be depressed with himself. He feels like a prisoner of love. He does not let the good emotions come through. I think in Wilshire bus Ester has issues with identity and racism. In Ghalib he feels stuck, not so much identity wise. He feels trapped in love and shows the good and bad of his problems. Although he does not tell us his problems, he uses other words to show us.