New Cultures

I loved the discussion in class about the struggle Omishto has between the two worlds she has been exposed to. The first, the one of public school and technology, is one that we can all relate to, and so it is comfortable, and seems normal. The other is the native culture that is introduced to her by Ama, and it is a foreign concept to most of us, and that is why I think I struggle with understanding every aspect of this novel. It is hard for me, someone who has never been exposed to a radically different culture, to understand the full severity of the situation with the panther. The idea that the panther and Ama are connected due to the creation story in the Taiga culture is something that is difficult for me to wrap my brain around, but at the same time I think that is a good thing for us to study them. I have enjoyed learning about each of the different cultures in all of the works that we have looked at this semester. As privileged American college students it is easy for us to live in a bubble, but I think that by looking at these different cultures it is opening my eyes to what is around me.