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In the Shadow of the Banyan


A hauntingly powerful novel imbued with the devastation of monumental loss and ...
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In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?

Created: 05/24/13

Replies: 7

Posted May. 24, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?

In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?


Posted Jun. 07, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyces

Join Date: 06/16/11

Posts: 410

RE: In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?

To me her actions and responses were fairly typical of children of her age. The jealousy of her younger sister is pretty normal: her rebelliousness with the nanny too. I also see the certainty she has about many things as typical of a child since they have no broad experience of how the world works and that the adults in her life are seeing events a lot differently than she. As the story progressed and she was dealing with many hardships she does mature a lot and way more than any child should have to.


Posted Jun. 09, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
kathleenr

Join Date: 12/07/12

Posts: 68

RE: In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?

She was clearly a brilliant and self confident child and to that extent was not typical. The novel could not have been written from her view point if she did not have those character traits. However, her reactions and gradual changes seemed believable because she was a beautiful,lyrical narrator. She was a person it would be a privilege to know all these years later.


Posted Jun. 12, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
terri

Join Date: 04/11/12

Posts: 102

RE: In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?

Yes. Her actions and how she perceives certain events around her reminds us how much of a child she is.


Posted Jun. 13, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
bettyt

Join Date: 05/12/11

Posts: 228

RE: In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?

She was a typical child in her jealousy of her younger sister, her love of stories, her attachment to her father, her inability to understand what was going on, her ability to turn reality into fantasy at times. But she did have to mature way too soon due to her tragic circumstances.


Posted Jun. 14, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
crofly

Join Date: 06/14/13

Posts: 29

RE: In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?

Yes, I agree with the notion that Raami showed typical feelings of jealousy toward her sibling. Still, I feel her environment forced her to mature far beyond her years. We see her requesting food for her sister when she gets malaria, giving her much desired and hard to come by portion of fish to a pregnant woman, and taking care of Grandmother queen in her last days. These moments all stood out for me.


Posted Jun. 16, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
melindah

Join Date: 12/25/12

Posts: 52

RE: In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?

Raami started out as a typical child with attachments and jealousies like any of her counterparts. However, because of her situation, she very quickly moves beyond the typical. Because she is an observer, she seems more able to discern situations (although occasionally misinterpreting them), and unfortunately, internalizing her feelings and concerns. In this way, because her situation is atypical, Raami is as well. She is an extremely perceptive and emotionally strong character, especially for 9 (by the end). I would love to think I or my children have that kind of fortitude, but, I think Raami is definitely an atypical child by the end of the novel.


Posted Jun. 19, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebeccar

Join Date: 03/13/12

Posts: 548

RE: In what ways is Raami a typical child, despite all the hardship she endures? Were you able to relate to her?

I think all of the comments above are what I would say as to why Raami is a typical child (sibling jealousy). As for relating to her - yes, absolutely. The story is wonderful in that sense. I could clearly picture this child narrator. I'm sure this book will be a movie one day. I just hope the movie version does the book justice, and I also hope that unknown actors and actresses play the part so that nothing detracts from the tale.


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