Life Assignments

Life Assignments

To ponder human existence in a sense of having some greater purpose beyond processing resources, is a concept which brings many persons peace and/or turmoil.  Weather the “assignment in life” be to carry out the will of a God or to reach the pinnacle of self-gratification, mankind eternally seeks out a reason in being. 

            The question of purpose becomes most prevalent during the clash of cultures.  East v. West, Christian v. Other, the ideas vary to an extent that it is often difficult to understand how man has survived this long.  Nonetheless, all coexist and intermingle, sharing ideas and beliefs.

            One specific exploration of differing ideas about human’s “mission” in life is in the novel Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee.  A story of a woman who immigrates to the United States from India, true insight is given to the conflicts of assimilation.  In one particular scene, the main character Jasmine discusses with her American companion weather or not human mission is infinitesimal by examining the death of Jasmine’s father Pitaji.  Killed unexpectedly by a bull, Pitaji’s untimely death is viewed very differently from a western and eastern perspective.  Hindi belief is that every second and interaction with particles of the universe is an assignment of God (Mukherjee 61).  The western response to this idea is, “where’s the incentive to do anything?” 

Herein lays the conflict.    It is apparent that Jasmine is pulled between what she wants to believe as a new American, and what is engrained deep in her soul.  Although she has fully embraced the new culture, she seems to recreate in America “a past that I was still fleeing” (Mukherjee 34).  Jasmine was depriving herself true happiness by subconsciously clinging to the belief that true happiness only comes after death (the Hindi belief about women. (Explored: Mukherjee 40).

A “reason in being” is to (as I see it) to simply live your life to its positive and fullest potential.  As history shows, mankind’s attempt at defining our purpose and identifying God has leaded to complete turmoil.  The one thing that we do have control over is how we live our lives and how they affect others.