'An Unknown Girl'

ISCS Grade 11

Overview

Moniza Alvi was born in Pakistan but left when she was a few months old to live in England Set in India Appears autobiographical in tone

Narrator is reaffirming her cultural roots as they are being reawakened in her when at the bazaar as an 'unknown girl' hennas her hand

Discussion
Read about what Moniza Alvi says about her background and its links to her poetry on pg. 52 What do you think it feels like to move from your birth-country at an early age and to be raised in a different culture and then return to your birthcountry at a later date?

In-class reading of text

What are her thoughts and feelings about the country she visited? Focus on
The images of the country

The way she feels about having her hands painted

The writers use of words, phrases and techniques

Biography
Moniza Alvi was born in Lahore, Pakistan in February 1954. She had a Pakistani father and an English mother. Her father moved the family to England when she was very young and she grew up in Hertfordshire, going to university in York. She did not go back to Pakistan until after her first book of poems had been published. She worked for several years as a teacher in London, and has written a number of books of poetry, which have been very successful and nominated for various awards. She now works as a freelance writer and tutor, and lives in London.

Why is the poem presented on page as one long verse? How might the free verse style match the poet's feelings?

Answer

Free verse matches the narrator's thoughts.

She is exploring and wandering back to the roots of her culture.

Also reflects the fact that she is describing what is happening around her.
The poem's layout is visually pleasing just as her hennaed hands are.

Her culture is also beautiful as is the henna and she is grateful to this girl for having awoken her awareness of an essential part of her

How does the poet manage to constantly bring our focus back to the place she is describing?

Answer

She uses a pattern of three

By repeating the first four lines with only a slight variation she maintains the unity of the poem and creates a chorus like effect It also again has the importance of drawing our attention to how significant this seemingly insignificant act was as this is what essentially woke her up before her culture was not significant to her; it wasnt on her radar; it was unknown to her

Implying that no matter where you go, your culture or heritage is apart of you and that you must get in touch with that side of you as it is an integral part of your identity you must come back to it or gravitate back to it whether you wanted to or not something in life will compel you back to it she did not go out initially searching for her cultural identity

Give 3 words that distinctly place this poem in a particular country.

Answer

Rupees

Henna
Kameez

Two words that refer to texture

Answer
'wet...satin peach knee...cloth canopy me' appeals to our sense of touch

Two words appeal to our sense of sound

Answer
'furious. . .hushed'

Two words associated with light/colour

Answer
'neon . . .peacock . . .balloon. . .amber red'

 Mainly bring life to the poem; creates a sense of reality

The reference to colour makes these images come alive The contrasting sounds reflect the stark contrast in her country between her embracing her culture and those who have embraced the western culture - to someone already confused, seeing people living there conflicted would make you feel even more conflicted

She sees conflict in people living in her birth country as they have embraced aspects of the Western society that goes against values inherent to eastern cultures Could also suggest internal conflict with the furious sounds indicating her resistance and hushed sounds indicating her acceptance and embracing the culture.
She does see known things to her in the bazaar such as the dummies with permed hair and a competition that is very much like that of Miss America yet to her these familiar things look out of place in the context of the bazaar

 The girls is also unknown to her a girl that is from her same birth-country and probably looks like her is seen as unfamiliar because this girl is in touch with her culture and practicing it as she wears traditional clothes and practices traditional art this girl symbolizes the narrators disconnect with her culture which is unknown to her just like this unknown girl With her arms outstretched as the unknown girl hennaed her hand, the narrator felt a reconnection - symbol of her connection

The use of vocabulary from that region makes the poem authentic and highlights the traditional ways the girl finds herself clinging onto although others in her culture have compromised some of these by embracing or imitating the west.

In what ways is the poet reminded of her English culture, even though she is in the midst of an Indian market?

Answer
Her personal, inner conflict between cultures is also demonstrated publicly by the shop dummies who are most likely wearing traditional costumes yet have Western perms - dummies outwardly reflect this internal conflict; act as a visual aid to help us appreciate the internal conflict In addition, the posters of Miss India, which is a competition that has Western origins, requires females to be less modest than what the traditional Indian culture would permit How can one embrace and accept their culture when another is superimposed onto theirs

Since she was raised in the west she views it as her culture and yet she knows that it is not her birth-culture; how does one separate one from the other?

The whole experience has clearly been a powerful one, as the poet tells us 'I have new brown veins. . .I am clinging to these firm peacock lines.' What does she really mean by this and what technique is she using here to communicate her idea?

Answer
The narrator is dealing with her personal inner conflict. Initially she applies her existing cultural references to the girl's artwork, 'She is icing my hand, seeing it as something outside of herself and belonging only to the unknown girl Yet, as her cultural identity is reawakened she associates her traditional culture within herself and feels as if she must cling onto it sees it is apart of her and Eastern blood (culture) begins to replace the Western blood that once filled her only at first she only saw her culture in the artwork but now she sees it is in her, a part of her She feels the pull of her Indian heritage and even when back in England she will lean across a country in order to regain her cultural identity The verb scrape implies effort and suggests that if you dont work at it you cant uncover the beauty behind those brown lines behind your culture

 Therefore the henna and the unknown girl serve as a symbol of the narrator's rediscovery of her birth-culture It is as if she has a new life force flowing through her veins I have new brown veins

If she does not cling onto it she will lose her cultural identity just as the henna will fade from her hands

Additional Notes in Reference to activity on ActiveBook CD

Use of repetition of evening and unknown girl
Her cultural identity was dormant in her, asleep Repetition creates a chorus-like effect and draws importance to fact that it was this unknown girl and the process of hennaing her hand that woke her up Creates also a trance like state/dream like state and it is in our dreams that we figure out or review what is important and her culture is important Also repetition of unknown emphasizes that her culture is unknown; foreign to her unknown girl is repeated to show that it was this girl who is the key to this awakening

 Dummies/ personification
Negative image Tilt and stare as if they are judging her They like her are confused as they wear eastern clothes and have western perms and seem to be questioning her as to what she is doing in this evening bazaar reaching out across the table for her contact/connection with her birth culture

They are an outward symbol of her internal struggle

 Furious street
Shows her confusion but also shows that people around her are also confused having emulated much of the Western culture that is contrary to theirs Shows how she once viewed her culture in a negative light but later once she sees the beauty in it the streets become hushed.

 Colours
Bring poem to life creating a sense of realism Perhaps highlighting the fact that her birth culture is real to her for the first time in her life Also reflect the beauty in her culture

 Longing/clinging
Cling is emotive and metaphorical
Showing her need to hold onto this culture that has been woken up in her and is now spreading through her being like the henna on her hands; if she doesnt it will fade like the henna The unknown girl must look like her so she can see a little of herself in her, yet the unknown girl wears traditional clothes and practices a traditional art form embracing her culture whereas the narrator hasnt and feels uncomfortable in the traditional clothing . However the henna is so beautiful that it inspires her to get to know the girl and thus get to know her culture

 Contrast between West and East

Henna reminds her of icing a cake which is a Western art form and the henna is also beautiful She lived in a country where she was different and beauty was light skin and now that she is in India she sees that people who look like her are considered beautiful like Miss India
So now she sees that she may be beautiful too just like her culture

 Similes
Her initials awareness of her culture is weak like the snail trail of the henna

As the henna grows in colour it will remind her more about her culture and her awareness will grow
But if she doesnt maintain interest and actively work to reconnect with her birth culture, this initial awareness and interest will fade like the henna on her hands will fade She must cling onto it or lose it and be left behind in the dark again she could miss out on her chance to know her culture like missing a train and not knowing when the next chance will come so like those running after the train she reaches across the table to hold onto a girl who can help her.