House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus - Essay Example

House of sand and fog Introduction The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III is similar to Harry Muslich’s the Assault in a number of ways in a number of fundamental aspects. The novel House of Sand and Fog however is based upon the lives of two families that come from different backgrounds. The novel looks at the effect of the Iranian Revolution on the life of an Iranian immigrant in the United States. The novel also studies the effect of actions undertaken by persons in their later lives through an analysis of the actions of Kathy Nicolo. Dubus shows how the actions undertaken by Kathy a recovering drug addict and Massoud Amir Behrani an Iranian immigrant fleeing from the Iranian revolution. Dubus makes a critical analysis of the lives of the several main characters in the novel; Kathy, Behrani and Sheriff Lester Burdon (Dubus 67-96). The novel The House of Sand and Fog has been acclaimed by literary critics as one of the most accurate portrayals of the struggle of immigrants. Critics have also lauded it as portraying the difficulties in integration due to a lack of understanding between immigrants and citizens. The author delves deeper into the psyches of all the characters which enable him to effectively weave a story from the perspective of both the protagonist and the antagonists. The author effectively weaves a story intended to show how the actions of characters come to affect the lives of all the characters to a large extent (Ark 155-175). The action taken by the county in selling Kathy’s house is followed by a domino like kind of effect. Behrani buys the house intending to profit from it s cheap offer price. It later comes to light that the county erred in evicting Kathy for the house and therefore Behrani is supposed to return the house. Behrani refuses insisting on being paid premium rather than the auction price he paid for it. The action undertaken by Behrani in buying the house and refusing to return it makes the lives of the antagonists and protagonist intertwine in a tragic web which ultimately sucks in all the people in their lives. While issues of morality may be invoked concerning the behavior of the characters, the story also has to be analyzed from the perspective of the times. Background Dubus starts the novel by introducing Massoud Behrani a former officer in the army of the overthrown Shah who has fled to exile in the United States. Behrani’s former position in Iran makes it difficult for him to establish himself in the United States which makes him resort to menial jobs in order to make a living. On the other hand Kathy Nicolo the antagonist is a drug addict is evicted from her family house allegedly over unpaid taxes. The county which had evicted Kathy puts up the house for sale through action. The house is eventually bought by Behrani at a bargain price with the intention of resale at a premium and as a stepping stone for his entry into real estate business. The story represents the spirit of the immigrants who faced with high odds continued to believe in the American Dream and took their opportunities when they came by (Keuffer). Kathy moves out of the house only to come to the knowledge through Lester Burdon that the county was wrong in evicting her. A struggle then ensues between Behrani and Kathy as Behrani refuses to move out of the house unless he is paid a premium price. Kathy then tries to commit suicide but is unsuccessful on two occasions. A chain of events follow which leads to the killing of Behrani’s son by the authorities and ultimately the attempted murder of Kathy, Behrani’s wife and Behrani’s suicide. Dubus thus brings into play the issue of morality and the issue of independence and self determination that is sought by both immigrants and the citizens (Coffin). The major characters of The House of Sand and Fog are the protagonist: Behrani and his family, and the antagonists Kathy Nicolo and Deputy Lester Burdon who attempts to get back Kathy’s house from Behrani. These characters are analyzed below in terms of their contribution to the themes of agency autonomy, morality and self determination that Dubus is trying to articulate. Character The Protagonist Behrani The House of Sand and Fog is essentially a study of the life of Behrani an Iranian immigrant who is struggling to make ends meet in a culture different from his own. The author depicts a picture of Behrani as a person who is determined to do everything in order to make ends meet in the United States. The author uses the former status of the protagonist as a former military officer to portray the dilemma or lack of it of immigrants in the US. Behrani as a former military officer cannot go back to his home country and he cannot find a suitable job hence his determination to make ends meet no matter the means. Dubus makes allusion to the role played by fate and chance in the lives of people. The theme of chance and coincidence is thus a major force which influences a lot of the events in the novel (Ark 223-254). Behrani comes to have a n opportunity of buying a house a t a bargain price by chance and not as a result of his own diligence.. The author however shows the determination in Behrani when he refuses to relinquish the house which he sees as his launch pad into the real estate business. Behrani’s struggles are attributed by his taking the opportunity offered by chance and having the determination to hang on to what he has acquired. The protagonist’s morality and character cannot however be attributed to the events that take place after the acquisition of the house. Dubus’ attributes Behrani’s determination to establish himself in the investment business to be as a result of his previous position which makes it difficult for him to establish himself in American society. Through the Behrani’s actions in preventing Kathy from committing suicide, the author makes the point that all human beings have the same moral values the world over no matter their background. Kathy was trying to take away their house but the Behrani’s prevented her from committing suicide. Throughout the novel the author has shown that the protagonist is driven by the universal desire to make a living and not a sense of greed as a superficial analysis may suggest (Keuffer). The Antagonist Kathy The antagonist Kathy is the second most important character in the novel. Through Kathy, the author develops the theme of agency and self determination that is prevalent in human society. Kathy is in a position in which she has just got separated by her husband and is recovering from drug addiction. The author also uses coincidence in that she also loses her house at the same time. The loss other husband after recovering from drug addiction and the subsequent loss of her house have combined to make Kathy lose her sense of determination and autonomy such that she does not have the strength to fight the wrongful acquisition of her house by the county. The author also uses the notion of chance and coincidence in Kathy’s life in order to promote the theme of agency in the novel (Coffin). Kathy comes to meet Burdon Lester by mistake and it is also a coincidence that her house is bought by Behrani. The author develops the theme of agency and coincidence through Kathy when her house is bought by a struggling immigrant. By her house being brought by Behrani, Kathy loses her sense of self determination since she cannot determine the fate of the ownership of her house as it has become a legal matter. It is important to take into consideration what would have happened had her house been acquired by a natural American citizen who was not struggling as Berhani was. Dubus however uses agency in Kathy’s life through the introduction of Berhani and his refusal to give up the house which revives the self determination that had become dormant in her life. Berhani is thus an agent of fostering determination in Kathy though he is an unwitting participant. The Antagonist Burdon Lester Burdon is introduced into the story after Kathy gets evicted from her house. Burdon is of importance in the promotion of agency, and social responsibility. After Kathy gets evicted from her family house, she meets Burdon who takes her predicament as a personal responsibility and makes every effort in order to ensure justice (Dubus 127-133). The actions undertaken by Burdon however lead to tragedy as they result into the deaths of the whole of the Berhani family. While Burdon is depicted as a person who is interested in the promotion of the rights of all the members of the society, he is criticized as being rash in making decisions without taking into consideration all aspects of a situation. Conclusion The characters in The House of Sand and Fog have their lives interwoven in a number of ways. However there are instances in which the characters portray differences in their attitudes, dispositions and character which come to the fore when circumstance bring together the characters. The characters in this story have been influenced by their circumstances in their actions and relations to each other. The actions that are undertaken by Brehani, Kathy and Burdon may seem irrational and excessive; they must be analyzed from the perspective of their circumstances. The author is also interested in portraying the human fallibilities which influence the decisions that are taken by the characters. Works Cited Ark, Darcy. Demystifying House of Sand and Fog: A Study through postcolonial and feminist lenses. New York: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, 2010. Print. Coffin, Amy. House of Sand and Fog- Dubus Andre, 17 July 2011, 07 December 2011 Dubus, Andre. House of Sand and Fog. New York: W.W. Norton, 1999. Print. Keuffer, Liz. House of Sand and Fog-Dubus Andre, 22 January 2011, 07 December 2011 Read More