Jasmine: Analysis of Major Characters
"Jasmine: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the complex identities and transformative journeys of Jasmine Vijh, later known as Jane Ripplemeyer, the narrative's central character. Born in Hasnapur, India, as Jyoti, she faces societal challenges, including being deemed unwanted in her family due to her gender. After marrying Prakash Vijh, who renames her Jasmine, she navigates significant trauma after his murder, prompting her migration to the United States. In her new life, she takes on various identities, reflecting her struggle for agency and self-definition amid her past and present experiences.
Key figures in Jasmine's life, such as Prakash, whose dreams inspire her, and Taylor Hayes, who offers her respect and a sense of family, play pivotal roles in her development. Jasmine's relationship with Bud Ripplemeyer, a banker whom she loves, is complicated by her past and the lingering effects of trauma, particularly as she grapples with her fear of widowhood and the societal expectations tied to her identity. The narrative also introduces compassionate characters like Lillian Gordon, who aids Jasmine in her transition, and Du Thien, her adopted son, with whom she shares a deep empathy. Through these relationships and her evolving identity, the story examines themes of resilience, love, and the quest for autonomy amidst cultural and personal challenges.
Jasmine: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Bharati Mukherjee
First published: 1989
Genre: Novel
Locale: Hasnapur, India; New York City; and Baden, Iowa
Plot: Social realism
Time: 1965–1989
Jasmine Vijh, later called Jane Ripplemeyer, the narrator. She was born in Hasnapur, India, and given the name Jyoti. She is the fifth daughter of her parents and the seventh of nine children; as such, she is somewhat unwanted. An astrologer predicts that she is doomed to widowhood and exile. Jasmine is determined to chart the course of her own life. She marries Prakash Vijh at the age of fourteen, and he renames her Jas-mine as a means of breaking her from her past. After he is murdered by a Muslim fanatic, Jasmine fulfills Prakash's wish and goes to the United States, entering illegally. She first works as a caregiver for Taylor Hayes, a college professor in New York City. She then flees from Sukhwinder, the man who killed her husband, and moves to Baden, Iowa, where she falls in love with Bud Ripplemeyer and becomes his common-law wife, living as Jane Ripplemeyer. Taylor eventually finds Jasmine, and the two decide to move to California. Jasmine has several identities; she is a different person to different people. To Prakash, she is Jasmine; to Half-Face, the man who raped her, she is the goddess Kali; to Lillian Gordon, who helped her find a job in New York City, she is Jazzy; to Taylor, she is Jase; to Bud, she is Jane. Her various identities finally make Jasmine realize that she is who she wants to make herself. At the end of the book, she is ready to take control of her own destiny.
Prakash Vijh, Jasmine's husband in India. Prakash is an aspiring engineer. He has graduated from a technical college in India and has worked at two jobs, one as a repairman and bookkeeper and the other as a math tutor. Prakash's ambition is to go to the United States and finish his college education. He instills hopes in Jasmine by describing what he has learned about the United States and plays a crucial role in helping reshape her identity.
Taylor Hayes, a college professor. Jasmine works for Taylor for two years as a caregiver. Theirs is a mutually respectful relationship. Both of them share the love for Taylor's adopted child, Duff. In fact, one of the reasons Jasmine decides to move to Iowa is to find out about Duff's origins. After Taylor's wife, Wylie, is divorced from him to be with another man, Taylor expresses his affection for Jasmine. Seeing Sukhwinder in a park, however, precipitates Jasmine's decision to run away from New York City. Eventually, Taylor finds Jasmine and talks her into moving with him to California.
Bud Ripplemeyer, a banker. After Jasmine moves to Baden, Bud's mother finds her a job at the bank where Bud works. Bud falls in love with Jasmine. After his wife divorces Bud, Jasmine moves in with him. Harlan Kroener, a disgruntled farmer who believes that the bank is exploiting him, shoots Bud, paralyzing him. Jasmine takes the responsibility of taking care of him and their adopted son, Du Thien. Bud asks Jasmine to marry him several times, but Jasmine hesitates, for various reasons including the facts that Karin, Bud's divorced wife, still loves him and that she still wishes to escape the astrologer's prediction of widowhood. Finally, Jasmine decides to leave Bud for new opportunities in California.
Du Thien, Jasmine and Bud's adopted son, a Vietnamese refugee. Jasmine's affection for Du results in part from her empathy for him. She can empathize with Du's origin, with the discrimination and mistreatment he receives in school, and with his ambition to prove to the world that he is just as American as everyone else. One of the main reasons why Jas-mine decides to move to California with Taylor is to find Du, who has moved to Los Angeles to be with his sister.
Lillian Gordon, a social worker. Lillian is a self-appointed social worker who has dedicated her life to help undocumented immigrants. She saves Jasmine from the street and helps her find her first job in the United States.
Mrs. Ripplemeyer, Bud's mother. She and Jasmine understand each other and share affection.
Half-Face, a trawler captain. After Half-Face smuggles Jas-mine into the United States, he rapes her.
Harlan Kroener, a farmer. Harlan's prejudice eventually leads him into shooting Bud.
Darrel Lutz, a struggling farmer, Jasmine and Bud's friend. He has a college degree and is thinking about selling his farm to move to New Mexico. He is in love with Jasmine and eventually commits suicide.