This week: Depict Your Culture Edited by: THANKFUL SONALI back on Jan 4  
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| When I write stories set in India, I sometimes have reviewers ask me questions about an aspect of the culture that I have depicted. Here's what I try to do now, to give an authentic feel to the writing while, at the same time, making sure that folk from another culture aren't confused. |
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Dear Reader,
Here in India, we call anyone elder to us 'brother' or 'sister' or 'uncle' or 'aunt', regardless of actual ties of blood or family.
The first time I posted a story in which a child said 'Uncle' to a non-relative, a reviewer mentioned being confused - was the boy related to the other character? And if they were family, their behaviour in the story made no sense.
It was then that I realised that things that I take for granted in my social environment may be interpreted differently by readers.
Here's what I've started doing now:
1. A note at the beginning of the story, separate from the main story. (I put it at the beginning so that the reader already knows of that aspect before it arises.)
2. A Pop note
| See? It popped up. Good for short explanatios. |
3. A Drop Note ▼A drop note requires clicking and is useful for longer explanations. I try to keep these for the end of the piece of writing, as they may interrupt the flow.
4. In the dialogue, especially if there is a character from another culture who needs the explanation, or a child. This needs to be handled cautiously, and sound natural.
5. In the narration, especially when it is the third person narrator. Again, careful not to talk down to the reader. A friend who read one of my stories pointed out that I had too many sentences beginning 'Here in India' and it sounded patronising.
Here's an example of a cultural aspect that may come up.
My friend's domestic-helper went on leave, without indicating how long she would be gone. My friend hired a temporary to take her place. The temporary wanted to know how long she would have this work, so that she could line up the next job accordingly.
My friend phoned the original helper and asked when she'd be back, and she replied, "In a few days." This went on for more than a month.
What we have to understand is that most middle class (and above) households in India have part time or full time domestic helpers, to do chores like sweeping the floor or washing the dishes. Also, in some regions, it is considered impolite to say, "I'll be off for a month", it's politer to say 'a few days'. While this isn't professional, it is ingrained into people from those cultures. When my friend finally yelled and demanded a more specific time, her helper was genuinely puzzled about why she was upset.
Were I to write a story which included this, I'd definitely need to give a note about these points.
Well, that's it for this Newsletter!
Thanks for listening!
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For Authors: September 27, 2023 Issue [#12177]
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