Popeye the Sailor Man, a Western cartoon character, is alluded to as Rahel excitedly rushes up a flight of stairs to view her favorite movie, The Sound of Music. Both twins have grown adoring the cartoon and commonly sing his theme song. When Roy conjures these scenes describing childish behaviour, they provide the third person reader a window with which to delve in the twins’ perspectives on matters. For example, Rahel and Estha’s regular reference to Popeye shows how their cultural personalities are currently a mixture of Western and Indian influences throughout their childhood.
The iconic cartoon and the attachment the twins express for him by singing songs represents yet another way Western culture is increasingly replacing more aspects of Indian culture with its own. The lyrics and lively beat “dum dum… dum dum”(94) of Popeye’s song has been memorized by the two twins, on top of the many other songs in their favorite movie. Roy made their split, multicultural world in both English and Malaysian in order to be able to illustrate the depth of their participation in both cultures. The twins love for Western culture makes Chacko believe that the Ipes “were a family of Anglophiles”(90), a suspicion reinforced by the many examples of the twin’s devoting their attention to non-Indian traditions.
Popeye, in the specific case which Rahel was singing his theme song, serves as a reminder of Ammu’s strict parenting. As Rahel’s jumping and singing drives Ammu to ask her “you haven't Learned your Lesson yet. Have you?”(94), Rahel responds by singing “Excitement Always Leads to Tears. Dum dum.”(94) Ammu’s angry tone in asking her to stop only adds to the list of altercations Rahel believes to prove Ammu does not love her. As the novel continues and the event with which the entire novel revolves around, Sophie Mol’s death, occurs, the more frequent aggressivity by adults eventually leads Rahel to further confirm the hate she suspected they had for her.
The iconic cartoon and the attachment the twins express for him by singing songs represents yet another way Western culture is increasingly replacing more aspects of Indian culture with its own. The lyrics and lively beat “dum dum… dum dum”(94) of Popeye’s song has been memorized by the two twins, on top of the many other songs in their favorite movie. Roy made their split, multicultural world in both English and Malaysian in order to be able to illustrate the depth of their participation in both cultures. The twins love for Western culture makes Chacko believe that the Ipes “were a family of Anglophiles”(90), a suspicion reinforced by the many examples of the twin’s devoting their attention to non-Indian traditions.
Popeye, in the specific case which Rahel was singing his theme song, serves as a reminder of Ammu’s strict parenting. As Rahel’s jumping and singing drives Ammu to ask her “you haven't Learned your Lesson yet. Have you?”(94), Rahel responds by singing “Excitement Always Leads to Tears. Dum dum.”(94) Ammu’s angry tone in asking her to stop only adds to the list of altercations Rahel believes to prove Ammu does not love her. As the novel continues and the event with which the entire novel revolves around, Sophie Mol’s death, occurs, the more frequent aggressivity by adults eventually leads Rahel to further confirm the hate she suspected they had for her.