Arrival of Things from Another Culture in Hurricane hits England and Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan :: essays research papers

In ‘hurricane hits England’ (hurricane) by Grace Nichols the arrival of the hurricane challenges the thoughts of the poet, she is initially from the Caribbean but now live in Sussex, until the arrival of the hurricane she has not felt at home in England. This is similar to ‘presents from my Aunts in Pakistan’ (presents) by Moniza Alvi, she also has roots from another country and now lives in England. The arrival of presents from the Pakistan culture challenges her thinking, as does the hurricane to Nichols. The hurricane challenges her thinking by making her realise that it is possible to bring your roots anywhere. She comes to this realisation through the poem and at the end of it comes to the conclusion that ‘the earth is the earth is the earth’. She originally feels torn between her two cultures, it takes the arrival of the hurricane ‘to bring her closer’. Whereas in ‘presents’ it is the arrival of the presents from Pakistan that make her feel torn between cultures. The clothes are a symbol of culture, she feels ‘alien’ and awkward wearing them and much more comfortable in her English ‘denim and corduroy’. Nichols also uses symbolism in her poem, the hurricane is a symbol of her Caribbean culture. They are very irregular in England but a regular occurrence in her childhood in the Caribbean, this makes her feel comfortable and at home. The hurricane is used along with many other natural images, this is mainly because of the effect of the wind on the landscape, for example the 'trees / Falling heavy as whales' is an effective line because the huge trees become like whales when the torrential rain that accompanies a hurricane makes the land become almost like a sea. Another natural image is the ‘frozen lake in me’ which metaphorically is the poet being ‘frozen’ away from her county and now the hurricane has arrived to break the ice, so she can bring her roots anywhere. ‘Presents’ also uses natural images, the poet describes the sari that is sent as ‘apple-green’ and the salwar kameez as ‘peacock blue’ and the other ‘like an orange split open’. This vibrant simile and the repeated reference to colour draws her to the loveliness of the culture and emphasises the contrast to the boring English