Jasmine's American Assualt

            Many immigrants see America as the land of freedom and opportunity.  But little do they know there are many people who will try to take advantage of them or prey on them.  My great uncle who emigrated from China has told me many times about a troublesome experience that happened to him when he first got off the boat in San Francisco.  He had only been in America two days and was trying to find a place to stay.  He said a man who knew Chinese led him to a very shabby looking apartment complex.  When he entered the apartment four other men were there.  The five men proceeded to beat up my uncle up and take all the money he had.  By some miracle my uncle recovered and was able to get back on his feet.

            When reading about Jasmines first experience in America I was reminded of my great uncles early experiences in America.  Jasmine, like many other immigrants have kind of this fantasy land vision of American, when in reality it is a very tough place live and prosper in.  When Jasmine’s late husband Prakash starts to tell her about America and all the opportunities that are there Jasmine really buys into it. For example she says, “If we could just get away from India, then all fates would be canceled.  We’d start with new fates, new stars.  We could say or be anything we wanted. We’d be on the other side of the earth, out of God’s sight” (85).  Jasmine sees the United States as a place where she can reinvent herself and become the type of women she has always dreamed about being. Little does she know that numerous troubles will accompany her on her voyage to America.

            After Jasmine gets off the boat and is finally in America trouble immediately finds her. Mr. Half-Face, the seemingly friendly scum bag proceeds to take her to a remote hotel.  From there he gets aggressive and sexually assaults Jasmine.  This scene really made me feel seedy while I was reading it, but I felt better after Jasmine gets her revenge.  “No one to call to, no one to disturb us.  Just me and the man who had raped me, the man I had murdered.  The room looked like a slaughterhouse…I was in a room with a slain man, my body bloodied.  I was walking death. Death incarnate”(117).

            This was a very traumatic situation for Jasmine, but I feel she did the right thing.  Rapists deserve to die. At the same time Jasmine finds herself and is reborn again.  She now knows she is an independent woman and is going to have to make her own way in America.  If she can survive a situation like the one in the hotel, I believe she will be able to survive in the United States.