Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan Essays

Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan Essays Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan Essay Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan Essay The poem Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan is about a young girl called Monzia Alvi, which additionally is the writer. She emphasises about her clothes and jewellery that her aunts have sent over from Pakistan. In her writing conveys an image of self-confidence and ambivalent about her self.  The structure and language of this poem is spread out across the page to make the reader read the poem slowly. The have to read it loud as well to emphasis the image and to give a better feel and understanding. For example  I longed for denim and corduroy This is read slowly to create an image to the reader that she is sad or homesick and ambivalent.  However the language is a sequence of personal memories. It could be seen as repetition because she brings us back to the image of her memorise and sadness of her culture or background. The poet is clever because she illustrates that she can contrast her images to sadness and homesick for example  But often I admired the mirror-work  tried to glimpse myself in the miniature  glass circles, recall the story how the  three of us sailed to England  This shows or conveys that she is homesick and confused, but her clothes remind her of her culture and reminiscing on her good times she had with her aunts. However she gives an imagery of her clothing or traditional name for example   Salwar Kameez  This is an example of the type of clothing that she wares. In the first stanza Alvi describes how she receives her two Salwar Kameezes outfits. She uses colours and references to food to describe the beautiful vivid colours that appeal to the reader, with the second Salwar Kameez she uses sensual imagery and it is described in a more intense way; Like an orange split open symbolizes how she feels as if she is being split between the two cultures and the plosive in split stresses the sense of division within Alvi. She also expresses how similar to oranges, she feels she has to appear tough on the outside but she feels weak on the inside and has to put on a front. The colours of fruits in the fabrics add to the fact that the clothing is fresh, vivid and vibrant. The clothing is lush, luxury rich in colours which are traditional in India and compared to British clothing seem striking and beautiful. The use of bold and flamboyant colours such as peacock-blue is a good comparison; the peacock is a bird that is native to India and a very decorative animal. Like the bird, Alvi feels that when she wears these clothes she is on show just as the bird is when it walks around showing off its beautifully marked feathers. Alvi however feels unworthy of such beauty as she thinks she is not truly Pakistani. Alvi tells us that the style of the salwar trousers move in and out of fashion just as the fashions change in England and this increases her confusion as she is not truly Pakistani The aunts send Alvi some oriental pointed slippers, which are magnificently described as gold and black. The colours are rich, expensive and almost royal kind but, although they are very decorative, the slippers are extremely impractical for our culture and climate and would be of no use in England. The embossed part suggests that her past is also imprinted onto her life, just like scars which are a deep and a hurtful reminder of who she truly is.  Alvi goes on to talk about her colourful jewellery. Candy-striped bangles  Snapped, drew blood.  The candy appeals to our senses using food imagery but the image is tainted as the bangles are exquisite but a painful and constant reminder of her culture and past life. The bangles broke and drew blood and this seems as though the snapping of the bangles is symbolic of how her life in Pakistan was broken off like a branch off a tree in a storm and the items are hurtful as they constantly suggest she does not deserve such beautiful jewellery. In the stanza two I tried each satin silk top relates to how Alvi attempted to try on the clothes, but they did not suit her at all especially within her Western surroundings, she just did not blend into the scene. The british and Indian influences definitely conflict and there is no possible way she believes they could come together. The Indian clothes absolutely stand out, clashing with the typical British sitting room as this makes her feel almost like an alien in her own home despite her efforts.