Reading Packet

"This Blessed House" was probably my favorite part of the reading packet we had for class today. I always enjoy reading Diana Eck and I do enjoy Li-Young Lee, but there was something about the way that the characters in the short story reacted to the religious experiences that they encountered that really struck me.

Both Sanjeev and Twinkle are Hindus - this is made very clear from the beginning of the story when Twinkle begins to find the Christian paraphernalia around the house. This interests me because the pair are from India, come from families that believe in the caste system, and are the product of an arranged marriage. Why, then, is there so much strife between the two when Twinkle begins to display the Christian stuff?

One might be inclined to lean towards the possibility of Twinkle not being quite as religious as Sanjeev who is more of a traditional Hindu and is irked by Twinkle's findings and subsequent reverence for said findings. However, I think that there is a possibility of being able to characterize Twinkle as being more religious/pious in that her superstitions revolve around more than just the religion she personally identifies with. I've not fully thought this through yet, but a religious person with pluralistic leanings - someone who is respectful of other religions (even if she is driven by superstition) - is generally more comfortable and in touch with the religion that she identifies with.

It's a big statement, I know, but here Sanjeev merely comes off as insecure and I'm not sure what else to make of it.