From Fiction to Facts: Rohinton From Fiction to Facts: Rohinton Mistry‘s Mistry‘s Lend me your Light Lend me your Light as a as a

literary reflection on emigration from literary reflection on emigration from India to CanadaIndia to Canada

StructureStructure

Fiction: short story by Rohinton Fiction: short story by Rohinton MistryMistry

Facts: General information about Facts: General information about emigration from India to Canadaemigration from India to Canada

Comparison fiction and facts Comparison fiction and facts

Lend me your LightLend me your Light

Written by Rohinton Written by Rohinton MistryMistry

Indian Kersi emigrates Indian Kersi emigrates from India to Canadafrom India to Canada

Problems to adapt to Problems to adapt to the new culture the new culture

Feeling of guilt Feeling of guilt Visits Bombay Visits Bombay

disappointed disappointed Not able to overcome Not able to overcome

his problemshis problems

Message of the Message of the storystory

Shows how difficult Shows how difficult living in a diaspora living in a diaspora situation can besituation can be

Story is part of the Story is part of the book „Tales from book „Tales from Firozha Baag“ Firozha Baag“

Rohinton Mistry Rohinton Mistry Emigrated from Emigrated from

Bombay to TorontoBombay to Toronto won several prices won several prices

and two of his and two of his novels were even novels were even shortlisted for the shortlisted for the Booker PriceBooker Price

Immigration regulationsImmigration regulations 1960s harsh 1960s harsh

immigration immigration regulations were regulations were abolishedabolished

new immigration new immigration system, based on system, based on division of immigrants division of immigrants into 3 categoriesinto 3 categories

The Independent and The Independent and Economic classEconomic class

Family classFamily class Refugee class Refugee class

Indians living in CanadaIndians living in Canada

Canada‘s Canada‘s populationpopulation 30 30 millionmillion

About 5 Million About 5 Million foreign bornforeign born

5.7% Indian5.7% Indian 713.000 people of 713.000 people of

Indian-originIndian-origin 10% of Toronto‘s 10% of Toronto‘s

population is Indianpopulation is Indian

IntegrationIntegration Indian culture is Indian culture is

present in Canadapresent in Canada Indians suffer from Indians suffer from

many problemsmany problems homesickness, stress, homesickness, stress, have to cope with have to cope with discriminationdiscrimination

Problems to enter Problems to enter labor marketlabor market no no Canadian work Canadian work experience, degrees experience, degrees aren't acceptedaren't accepted

Jobs don‘t fit to their Jobs don‘t fit to their level of educationlevel of education

But majority But majority economically successfuleconomically successful

High level of High level of integrationintegration policy of policy of multiculturalismmulticulturalism

1960s discussion started1960s discussion started 1988 policy of 1988 policy of

multiculturalism part of multiculturalism part of constitutionconstitution

Cultural mosaic- unique Cultural mosaic- unique parts fitting together parts fitting together into a unified wholeinto a unified whole

MeasuresMeasures dual dual citizenship, support of citizenship, support of cultural works of cultural works of different ethnic groups, different ethnic groups, education in language education in language and democratic rights and democratic rights

Comparison fiction and factsComparison fiction and facts

Story reveals problems of emigrationStory reveals problems of emigration There are many problem, but there There are many problem, but there

are success stories eitherare success stories either Influence of Mistry's personal Influence of Mistry's personal

emigration experience emigration experience just one example, emigration is an just one example, emigration is an

individual experienceindividual experience