Jasmine - Prompt Eleven: The Self-Reliance and Selfishness

Throughout the novel, it was imperative for Jasmine to be self-reliant.  From working alongside her first husband, Prakash, to saving herself from the mad, disfigured, disgusting rapist, Half Face, this quality was a running thread through the novel that continued until the conclusion.  Jane herself, said, “My grandmother may have named me Jyoti, Light, but in surviving I was l already Jane, a fighter and adapter.”  (chapter 6, page 40)  Jasmine had to gather all her things, her necessities, confidence, emotions, and love; and as a mere teenage girl in India, devise a plan along with her brothers to get herself to America to fulfill the dream of Vijh and Vijh.  She then survived starvation along with brutal and numerous rapes.  She had to save herself from another rapist, and find the courage within herself to murder him.  But even before these adversities, Jyoti had the drive within herself and chose to push herself forward to learn English in a land where she was already disadvantaged by virtue of the fact that she was female, and without a dowry.  She was smart enough, creative enough, and determined enough to take a chance meeting and weave it into the fabric of her life, so that she could create the life for herself that she needed at that particular “incarnation.”  Her personality was contagious, people saw in her a spark.  Jasmine was like a woven, quilt-like “tornado” that blew through communities in various parts of the world.  She was a storm of passion, self-reliance, and determination that aided others with the gift of her lightning that powered the flash of inspiration and awe for people to help her and themselves. Lillian gave her the foundation to prosper, Kate introduce her to Taylor, and Mother Ripplemayer introduced her to Bud. What then evolved, was if given an inch of help, Jasmine would be able to create a yard in the fabric of her life and theirs.  

Throughout the story, Jasmine brought out her inner light through her perseverance and self-reliance.  She pushes herself forward, and in the process, ultimately aids others.  However, Jasmine used her independence and self-reliance to help others – thus she became trapped in a cycle of servitude.  This is what occurred with Bud.  So, when she finally saw how her servitude grew from her emigration, she became rightfully selfish.  She took her fate into her own hands, and used her self-reliance and selfishness (satisfaction and understanding of ego) to achieve not only her goals and others’ goals, but her wants and desires as well.  Jasmine evolved from being solely self-reliant and selfless to being healthily self-determined and selfish.  (go get ‘em Jase) 

          - J. A. Kind