Youth and Young Adult Activities

Programs for Children

Parent-child relationships are an important element in The Death of Vishnu, and are a subject which even young children can discuss and share. Give this discussion an added connection to the novel by basing it on books which reflect Indian culture.

Open a discussion for very young children (ages three to five) with an introduction such as:

 “We (adults) are reading a book about a far-away country, India . In India , there are holidays that are different from the holidays that many of us celebrate, food that is different from the food many of us eat, and clothes which are different from the clothes many of us wear. Of course, many things in India are also the same as they are here. For example, mothers and fathers love their children. One mother in the book we are reading loves her little boy, Vishnu, very much. On a rainy night, they play a game where she guesses what animal he is pretending to be. Vishnu pretends that he is a fish, growing bigger and bigger all the time. Here is something that happens as they play: “His mother scoops him up into her lap. ‘Oh, my – you are a big fish. How happy you might make some fisherman if he caught such a big fish in his net.”

Ask the children if they play games like that in their house. Encourage group participation around information that is shared. For example, if someone says he pretends he is a lion, ask everyone to stretch and roar and show their big teeth for a minute.

Next, give a dramatic reading of Jessica Souhami’s No Dinner!:The Story of the Old Woman and the Pumpkin (Marshall Cavendish, 1999). The children will enjoy imitating the animal “parts” from this boldly illustrated retelling of a popular Indian folktale, in which a grandmother outwits a wolf, a bear, and a tiger. Take a moment to point out that the grandmother is wearing an orange sari, or wrapped dress, with a pink choli, or fitted blouse. Then, read My Mother’s Sari (NorthSouth Books, 2006), written by Sandhya Rao, and illustrated by Nina Sabnani. This sweet story of a girl playing with her mother’s saris begins and ends with clear, illustrated directions for wrapping one. Try following them with one of the girls present, using an actual sari or a six-yard length of light-weight cloth. Finish with a taste of mango lassi for all, multiplying the recipe which follows as needed.

Easy Mango Lassi

Blend together the following ingredients, and serve immediately.

1 cup yogurt

1 cup canned mango pulp, chilled

¼ cup cold milk

2 tablespoons sugar

For older children (elementary grades), add a map or globe to your introductory remarks. Encourage children to find India , and compare it in location and size to the United States . Continue with the introduction, quoting the same short passage from The Death of Vishnu. Follow it with one of the lovely animal stories found in most compilations of traditional Indian folklore, such as “The Loyal Parrot” from Jasmine and Coconuts: South Indian Tales  ( Libraries Unlimited, 1999), by Cathy Spagnoli and Paramasivam Samanna. Then read Mama’s Saris (Little, Brown, 2007), a picture book for older readers by Pooja Makhijani, illustrated by Elena Gomez. In this story, a mother looks at her saris with her young daughter, and remembers the special occasions on which each were worn. Finish with the sari-wrapping activity and mango lassi, as above.

Program for Middle School Students

Middle school students may be introduced to another important aspect in The Death of Vishnu, the possibility of perfect devotion. This is illustrated in the novel through the marriage of Vinod and Sheetal Taneja, and connects strongly to the story told in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.

The concept of perfect devotion could be introduced through this passage from the novel, which follows Sheetal’s death, and refers to Vinod.

“His mother tried several times to get him remarried. But he had closed the door to that possibility. He felt he had already experienced whatever there was to be experienced between a husband and wife, that he had shared a part of himself with another person in a way that was too profound to be duplicated.”

After reading this passage, ask the students if they know of any other instances of deep devotion. The story of Ruth and Naomi, from the Old Testament of the Bible, might be one example given. Then, introduce the Ramayana, which tells the story of the unbreakable bond forged between Vishnu’s avatar, Lord Rama, his wife, Lady Sita, and the monkey warrior, Lord Hanuman. Select an outline of the Ramayana prepared for young readers, such as “Rama Rescues Sita” in Hindu Stories (Picture Window, 2006), by Anita Ganeri, or The Story of Divaali (Barefoot Books, 2002), by Jatinder Verma. Divide responsibility for reading the story between those present. When they have finished, discuss who is devoted to whom, and how that devotion is expressed.

As the story is the basis for the Hindu celebration of Divaali (also spelled Divali or Diwali), an appropriate conclusion to the event would be the sharing of a platter of traditional sweets, such as burfee, (also spelled barfee)  and an activity such as making rangoli  patterns. Directions and illustrations of these patterns, created with colored rice flour in front of homes and shops to welcome a visit from the goddess Lakshmi, can be found in many books about India and Indian holidays, including Dilip Kadowala’s Divali (Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1998).

 Discussion with Teens

Victor Turner, a British anthropologist, explored a concept known as ‘liminality.’  This idea had referred to the transition phase of a rite of passage.  Turner expanded that notion and said that this liminal state, when individuals had left one society and were about to enter another, was characterized by seclusion, humility, and ambiguity.

The idea of liminality is found in The Death of Vishnu, perhaps most clearly as Vishnu lives and dies in a stairwell, as well as in other novels that focus on a protagonist in transition.  Born Confused (Scholastic, 2002), a novel for young adults by Tanuja Desai Hidier, centers on a young Indian American woman who feels trapped between her family’s heritage and that of her friends and peers.  Lala Dimple, the main character, frequently feels in a state of limbo, unsure of whether she belongs in one context or another.  As she learns more about her family’s culture, she leaves this liminal or transitional state and becomes fully involved in what she refers to as the “South Asian scene.”

Readers young and old can share a discussion regarding important transitions or states of liminality – whether they be from one culture to another or from one stage of life to the next.  Think about these questions as you discuss commonalities between The Death of Vishnu and Born Confused:

1.  In Born Confused, Lala comments that her peers misunderstand her because she is “too Indian,” and that her parents misunderstand her because she is “too American.”  She says, “Sometimes I was too Indian in America , yes, but in India , I was definitely not Indian enough.” (p. 11)

What does Lala mean by ‘too Indian,’ and ‘not Indian enough’?  How does she think that people perceive her in each setting?  What influences how people see her – the way she dresses? the way she talks? the way she eats?

2. As discussed above, Lala goes through a liminal phase in Born Confused.  What are some signs that she is exiting this phase toward the end of the book?  What major changes occur in her life as she accepts her dual identity, and what do these mean for her?

3.  One of Lala’s cousins, still in India , is entering into an arranged marriage. This forces Lala to think about the differences between what is acceptable in the United States and what is acceptable in India .  What would you do if a relative were entering an arranged marriage?  Would you object?

4. Several of the clearest examples of the liminal state in Born Confused occur when Lala is watching her best friend, Gwyn (a white American) interact with Karsh (her American-Indian crush).  Gwyn tries taking on an Indian identity in order to impress Karsh, and Lala feels like an outsider as she watches.  Her voice becomes more and more removed as she watches them together. 

Why does Gwyn feel the need to “become Indian” to impress Karsh?  Why does Lala feel jealous when Gwyn wears Indian clothes and cooks traditional Indian foods?  How does she react, and would you feel the same way?

5. Lala decides to immerse herself in her heritage, and spends days reading about Indian culture and religion.  Does this make her ‘more Indian,’ as she seems to hope?  Does it help her move out of her liminal state – from denial and embarrassment regarding her roots to pride and awareness?

6. Lala tells Gwyn, “…I can’t tell whether I’m Indian or American half the time.  I don’t know how I’m supposed to act, who I’m supposed to relate to, where I fit in.  I don’t know how to bring anything together.  To be myself.”

Have you ever felt this way?  If you moved here from another place, or have friends or family who immigrated, can you sympathize with Lala’s feelings?  How do you figure out how to fit in, or to be yourself?  How can you make the transition from one culture to another?