writing assignments
Write 2 character profiles.
Supra looks typical of teenagers her age. Jasmine-oiled hair and sleeked back, a long braid all the way down to her waist. 5 ft 4 tall, 14 and growing, she had just gone through her coming of age ceremony, where everyone from the village took part in blessing her for having reached puberty. There is always a cause for colorful celebration where she lives, and getting her period was one of them. She sighed.
2 big celebrations in a month- the other of which belonged to her 17 year old sister, who was getting married in a week’s time, to someone whom she had not even met. While her sister was absolutely delighted at the thought of getting married and starting a new life with a foreigner from the neighboring village, her parents and relatives fussing about the dowry and preparing to make the wedding celebrations the biggest and grandest one ever in the village, Supra was hopelessly stuck on her book.
She was never one to be bossed around much. Since young, kids her age, yes even the boys, looked to her as somewhat of a leader. She took to shielding the kids who got pushed around by bullies. Lifting her Punjabi skirt, one would see battle scars and new bloody scabs over old ones- trophies from trashing about playing with the boys near the river and exploring new places in her village.
She was the top in her class, amongst which were made up majority of girls. Most of the boys were sent away to study in better city schools. She had always wanted to, for since young she was always the bright spark, the one who wanted to learn more than the others. For the longest time, she held a bitter resentment against her parents because it just wasn’t fair. She complained to her best friends, who didn’t so much as turn bat an eyelid about it. They were all contented with their situation. All the girls were. Waiting to grow up, waiting to get married off..
“Waiting to be enslaved by their husband’s family..” thought Supra.
Her time will come, and Supra was not looking forward to it. She had heard so many stories of monster-in-law and monster husbands from the gossip mongers at the market. For news spread like wild fire; there was never a need for any dissemination system of information within the village.
She watched TV a lot from that old box which several families shared, and saw so many different things. City people, people who didn’t quite look like her sort. And one day, a group of students from a university had dropped by with a stack of books and stationary for her school. There, among the piles of books, was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Well, this was her 9th time at it. Jo March, her idol! She knew it from the moment she read what Jo March said, ”I find it poor logic to say that because women are good, women should vote. Men do not vote because they are good; they vote because they are male, and women should vote, not because we are angels and men are animals, but because we are human beings and citizens of this country.”
Well, Supra knew who she was. She was bold, strong and witty, just like Jo March. And like Jo March, she wanted to pursue her dreams. She just had to find a way out of the village. To the city.
--
Fresh wounds over old wounds. Blood trickled down her wrist. Ah, how she felt so liberated. She finally felt alive. It hurt, but not more than the ache in her heart.. Sarah drew the penknife across again, craving the words “LOVE” as the fresh crimson oozed out from her newly seared creation.
Sarah, 16, and wanting to put an end to misery. Her life was a mistake anyway. Her parents were getting a divorce, her boyfriend had left her, people in school thought her weird. If everything was going wrong in her life and she was the constant, the problem must lie with her. And then there was that hunger eating away at her insides.. She hadn’t eaten for 3 days. The last thing she ate was a silver of almond, which she wanted to throw up there after. She felt light headed, and had to stop to catch her breath.
Her life hadn’t always been this horrible. She used to be happy. She used to be pretty. She was 6 feet 2, long legs that girls would have killed to have, hoards of boys lining up for her down the street, and straight As.
Oh yes, and a twin sister. A twin sister whom she shared her life with, from the bowl they ate to the books they read to the friends they made to their clothes, someone whom she hooked pinkies with to be together till death do them part”.
Till death do them part.
Yea, so I guess Sonia just had to get herself killed in a freak accident. Now, why hadn’t she been in the car with her, and they could have just perished together? When Sarah first heard about Sonia’s demise, a part of her literally died. Shell shocked, she buried herself in Sonia’s bed as friends and family tried in vain to pull her out depression. Till this day, she hasn’t shed a single tear.
--
Make them interact.
Supra was shocked at Sarah’s state. She had seen a limp body crumpled in the corner and had walked closer to check it out. All she saw was but skin and bones. She remembered, that even at her grandmother’s deathbed, she had looked better than Sarah. Supra didn’t know what was wrong with Sarah, but she knew she had to help.
“You know, I’ve read the Little Women.”
Sarah looked up to see a pretty Indian girl about her age, peering at her with an expression of concern.
“Huh?”
“Jo March and her sisters in Little Women!”
“Sisters? What are sisters if they aren’t forever?” Sarah suddenly screamed.
Supra was confused. She tried to process what Sarah had just said, when she suddenly noticed the fresh and bleeding wounds on her’s wrists. She had never seen anything quite like that before because the wounds look self inflicted, and that didn’t make sense to her.
“Oh! This must hurt?” Supra’s first instincts made her tear off the cloth at the end of her sari skirt, grabbed Sarah’s hand and immediately started to bandage her wrist.
Sarah was startled. Who was this girl and what was it in her business to intrude in her situation? No one had dared to come close to her after Sonia’s death, especially not after she buried herself for 3 weeks in her bed without any food. At the same time, she felt a strange sense of comfort of having her injuries attended to.
Sensitive as she was, Supra felt it. That softening of Sarah’s resistance towards her touch. This girl needed help. She needed love.
“I am Supra. I just ran away from home to fulfill my dreams. I hope to help you too.”
Odd girl. Sarah thought. But for the first time since her sister’s death, she felt like she was speaking to someone who didn’t look at her with that sympathy that every one had given her when they found out about Sonia’s death.
They had all repeated the same things over and over again. “I’m sorry. I know how sad you must feel right now. Oh, how tragic!”, Of course they didn’t! They never had a twin sister, a twin sister who was her life!
“I’m Sarah. Just Sarah.”
“Sarah, I’m here for you.” Supra held out her arms and drew Sarah into a tight embrace. For the first time in 4 months, Sarah cried tears of submission.
Supra looks typical of teenagers her age. Jasmine-oiled hair and sleeked back, a long braid all the way down to her waist. 5 ft 4 tall, 14 and growing, she had just gone through her coming of age ceremony, where everyone from the village took part in blessing her for having reached puberty. There is always a cause for colorful celebration where she lives, and getting her period was one of them. She sighed.
2 big celebrations in a month- the other of which belonged to her 17 year old sister, who was getting married in a week’s time, to someone whom she had not even met. While her sister was absolutely delighted at the thought of getting married and starting a new life with a foreigner from the neighboring village, her parents and relatives fussing about the dowry and preparing to make the wedding celebrations the biggest and grandest one ever in the village, Supra was hopelessly stuck on her book.
She was never one to be bossed around much. Since young, kids her age, yes even the boys, looked to her as somewhat of a leader. She took to shielding the kids who got pushed around by bullies. Lifting her Punjabi skirt, one would see battle scars and new bloody scabs over old ones- trophies from trashing about playing with the boys near the river and exploring new places in her village.
She was the top in her class, amongst which were made up majority of girls. Most of the boys were sent away to study in better city schools. She had always wanted to, for since young she was always the bright spark, the one who wanted to learn more than the others. For the longest time, she held a bitter resentment against her parents because it just wasn’t fair. She complained to her best friends, who didn’t so much as turn bat an eyelid about it. They were all contented with their situation. All the girls were. Waiting to grow up, waiting to get married off..
“Waiting to be enslaved by their husband’s family..” thought Supra.
Her time will come, and Supra was not looking forward to it. She had heard so many stories of monster-in-law and monster husbands from the gossip mongers at the market. For news spread like wild fire; there was never a need for any dissemination system of information within the village.
She watched TV a lot from that old box which several families shared, and saw so many different things. City people, people who didn’t quite look like her sort. And one day, a group of students from a university had dropped by with a stack of books and stationary for her school. There, among the piles of books, was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Well, this was her 9th time at it. Jo March, her idol! She knew it from the moment she read what Jo March said, ”I find it poor logic to say that because women are good, women should vote. Men do not vote because they are good; they vote because they are male, and women should vote, not because we are angels and men are animals, but because we are human beings and citizens of this country.”
Well, Supra knew who she was. She was bold, strong and witty, just like Jo March. And like Jo March, she wanted to pursue her dreams. She just had to find a way out of the village. To the city.
--
Fresh wounds over old wounds. Blood trickled down her wrist. Ah, how she felt so liberated. She finally felt alive. It hurt, but not more than the ache in her heart.. Sarah drew the penknife across again, craving the words “LOVE” as the fresh crimson oozed out from her newly seared creation.
Sarah, 16, and wanting to put an end to misery. Her life was a mistake anyway. Her parents were getting a divorce, her boyfriend had left her, people in school thought her weird. If everything was going wrong in her life and she was the constant, the problem must lie with her. And then there was that hunger eating away at her insides.. She hadn’t eaten for 3 days. The last thing she ate was a silver of almond, which she wanted to throw up there after. She felt light headed, and had to stop to catch her breath.
Her life hadn’t always been this horrible. She used to be happy. She used to be pretty. She was 6 feet 2, long legs that girls would have killed to have, hoards of boys lining up for her down the street, and straight As.
Oh yes, and a twin sister. A twin sister whom she shared her life with, from the bowl they ate to the books they read to the friends they made to their clothes, someone whom she hooked pinkies with to be together till death do them part”.
Till death do them part.
Yea, so I guess Sonia just had to get herself killed in a freak accident. Now, why hadn’t she been in the car with her, and they could have just perished together? When Sarah first heard about Sonia’s demise, a part of her literally died. Shell shocked, she buried herself in Sonia’s bed as friends and family tried in vain to pull her out depression. Till this day, she hasn’t shed a single tear.
--
Make them interact.
Supra was shocked at Sarah’s state. She had seen a limp body crumpled in the corner and had walked closer to check it out. All she saw was but skin and bones. She remembered, that even at her grandmother’s deathbed, she had looked better than Sarah. Supra didn’t know what was wrong with Sarah, but she knew she had to help.
“You know, I’ve read the Little Women.”
Sarah looked up to see a pretty Indian girl about her age, peering at her with an expression of concern.
“Huh?”
“Jo March and her sisters in Little Women!”
“Sisters? What are sisters if they aren’t forever?” Sarah suddenly screamed.
Supra was confused. She tried to process what Sarah had just said, when she suddenly noticed the fresh and bleeding wounds on her’s wrists. She had never seen anything quite like that before because the wounds look self inflicted, and that didn’t make sense to her.
“Oh! This must hurt?” Supra’s first instincts made her tear off the cloth at the end of her sari skirt, grabbed Sarah’s hand and immediately started to bandage her wrist.
Sarah was startled. Who was this girl and what was it in her business to intrude in her situation? No one had dared to come close to her after Sonia’s death, especially not after she buried herself for 3 weeks in her bed without any food. At the same time, she felt a strange sense of comfort of having her injuries attended to.
Sensitive as she was, Supra felt it. That softening of Sarah’s resistance towards her touch. This girl needed help. She needed love.
“I am Supra. I just ran away from home to fulfill my dreams. I hope to help you too.”
Odd girl. Sarah thought. But for the first time since her sister’s death, she felt like she was speaking to someone who didn’t look at her with that sympathy that every one had given her when they found out about Sonia’s death.
They had all repeated the same things over and over again. “I’m sorry. I know how sad you must feel right now. Oh, how tragic!”, Of course they didn’t! They never had a twin sister, a twin sister who was her life!
“I’m Sarah. Just Sarah.”
“Sarah, I’m here for you.” Supra held out her arms and drew Sarah into a tight embrace. For the first time in 4 months, Sarah cried tears of submission.