An American Dilemma

Mythology is fascinating. Of course it is fascinating because of the intriguing tales of demons, gods, and mortals. Yet does it escape our minds that these religious texts which we demean by calling “myth”, are true sources of everyday guidance to millions of people around the world? Is the “myth” of Hindu Shiva and Kali true? Many people would demean this as just a fantastical bedtime story. Yet what about the Christian story of Adam and Eve? If I’d call this story a myth, many fundamentalists would swear by it as history. The truth varies based upon each person’s perspective. And perhaps these truths can occur simultaneously. Perhaps Kali and Shiva can exist amongst Adam and Eve, Jack Keroac and Walt Whitman.

This co-existence of seemingly conflicting mythologies occurs in Bharati Mukherjee’s novel Jasmine. The title character, Jasmine, depends upon both Hindu and American mythologies to carry her through daily life. Jasmine, and Bharati Mukherjee herself, embrace both ideas of the Hindu goddess Kali, and the Manifest Destiny of America. These two concepts rest within Jasmine as something especially American, not the death of Jasmine’s Hindu self, but the rough blending of two unique cultures. If Jasmine had “murdered” her Hindu beliefs as Mukherjee suggests is vital to growth, she would not have this typical American struggle between two cultures.

The Hindu mythology which resonates through the novel rests in Jasmine’s tendency to take on characteristics of the Hindu pantheon. Jasmine is often related to Vishnu, the preserver. At several moments in the novel Jasmine takes this role, such as during her short time with her husband, Prakash. Jasmine acts as many traditional women do, fighting to preserve her marriage during times of hardship. At one point in the novel her husband grows angry with her, telling her that she’s become “like all the others” because she’s forgotten her English schooling. In order to preserve Prakash’s idea of her as a progressive woman, and therefore to preserve her marriage Jasmine begins to study English once again. The role of Jasmine as Vishnu comes up later in the novel as Jasmine, who now calls herself Jane, tends after Bud, the crippled father of her baby.

During times of transition Jasmine takes on the role of goddess Kali. Western perceptions of Kali restrict her to the title of “goddess of destruction”. However, in India Kali is revered as the “liberator of souls” and the “source of being”. During times of transition Kali acts through Jasmine to destroy in order to liberate her soul. We see this during Jasmine’s first day in America, when she is violated by the smuggler Half-Face. Jasmine/Kali murders Half Face in order to free herself, liberate her soul, from his control. Later, at the end of the novel Jasmine/Kali leaves Bud for another man, destroying her relationship, yet liberating herself from the stifling confines of the role of “farmer’s wife.”



In a Hindu myth Kali defeats her enemies, drinks their blood and dances madly. Her consort Shiva, the only one who can calm her down, comes to earth in the form of an infant. She coddles the infant and all chaos is forgotten. This myth relates directly to Jasmine’s story. As Jasmine/Kali destroys Half Face she becomes liberated, yet unstable. Taylor acts as Shiva, a calming influence in her life, at least until her next Kali episode. Duff, Taylor’s child, acts as the infant in the myth who Jasmine/Kali is distracted by, and allowed to love.

Despite the obvious heavy influence of Hindu mythology upon this story, American mythology is clear throughout the plot as well. The concept of Manifest Destiny, the idea of movement and the expansion of America is illustrated as Jasmine moves west. She seeks to expand her character as she literally moves towards the west from India to New York, New York to Iowa, and finally Iowa to California.

Jack Keroac once said that the, “first thought is the best.” This idea would be very appealing to Jasmine as it is in direct conflict with all traditional ideas of duty and responsibility. How can duty exist in a land this impulsive? Jasmine does not embrace this impulsive nature until the end of the novel when she leaves her duty of Bud to join Taylor in the move west. It is interesting that Mukherjee would choose to leave most of the American mythology to the end of the novel. Perhaps she considered this acceptance of American mythology to be the natural conclusion of an immigrant’s experience.

Can Jack Keroac and Walt Whitman live in harmony with Kali and Shiva? Through Jasmine we see understand this typical American dilemma is possible. Jasmine is the saga of an old world goddess making transitions and compromises in order to survive in a world of impulse and movement.