¶ … Balance of Fragile Things
Change and Upheaval in Balance of Fragile Things
Change is the only constant. In today's unstable world, both the old and new generations are being forced to deal with dramatic change. This is one of the most prominent themes in Olivia Chadha's novel, Balance of Fragile Things; change becomes the driving force of the novel. In a tumultuous world filled with so much change, it makes it difficult for the characters to uphold the traditions and expectations of the past; instead they have to forge their own blended future to survive in such a strange new world. Change upsets the delicate balance of things, and threatens the family's ability to find any sort of balance in a tumultuous modern world.
The family's past traditions often do not work in balance with a modern American lifestyle. Vic is a typical American teenager. He is worried about his image and constantly being bullied in school. It is the very parts of his character that embody the past that are what get Vic teased so much in a modern world. His braid and turban set him apart from the modern world; "his braid tumbled halfway down his back, a precursor to an imminent turban-wearing future. The length of his hair shocked even Vic as he stood with it naked to the world" (Chadha 1). It is a connection to a past that Vic is not even aware of in his modern context. Vic's father, Paul, describes the link between the braided hair and the gurus of their religion. He tells Vic, "this unshorn hair, this kesh, was a symbol of his connection to their martyrdom and willingness to protect those who were unable to protect themselves," (Chadha 6). Vic's prominent nose is another connection to an unknown past. It is a physical embodiment of his heritage, yet he does not seem to connect to it in a positive way, as his parents do. Here, Chadha writes "his mother had told...
These rulers, she said, were conquerors who led their people to victory. Vic had never learned more about these rulers, their names, or their empires" (Chadha 2). The past is not wearable in the present. Both Vic and Isabella seem unfamiliar with their heritage and see it almost as a hindrance to their modern American lives in the present. They are not in balance because they cannot find a synergy between their past and their present.
Isabella and Vic create their own sanctuary in a world where they are not in balance. The fully American Vic and Isabella have trouble living up their parents' expectations of upholding Sikh and Latvian traditions. Isabella wants to be herself, a hybrid in a new and modern American world, yet her mother has trouble understanding this. In the scene where Isabella goes to the gynecologist, the barrier between her past and future is evident. The doctor tells her that her pain is probably caused because her "system is out of balance" (Chadha 69). However, later the family finds out it is much more serious. For Isabella, her escape is her play. She is given the lead, which allows her to enjoy connecting to a modern American context. Even during her illness, she uses the play and the rehearsals as an escape from all the change going on around her. This restores a sense of balance in her life, when there is so much change. It is her own way of finding a new, hybridized identity to help deal with all the tumultuous change going on around her. Similarly, Vic finds peace and balance in nature, especially in the little forest space he calls "his land" (Chadha 82). He enjoys watching the natural world and trying to understand its wonders. At one point, it is this connection with nature that alludes to his current condition. He finds a dead butterfly that he cannot…
