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Showing posts from December, 2017
The Romance of the Balcony Shakespeare never envisaged a balcony in what has come to be known as the famous Balcony Scene of Romeo and Juliet. Balconies were not introduced in English architecture till the late Georgian period. David Garrick first included a balcony in his production of the play in 1748. Ever since, the balcony has become an enduring symbol for lovers. Oft quoted are Romeo’s lines “But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?/It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”  Less noticed are Juliet’s lines “Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud”. Women of genteel families, rarely ventured out. The balcony became a cherished space for women, an allowed outdoor space. Called “a space in between”, balconies are both  public and  private, a connection with the world outside for women whose movements are restricted either because of social norms or domestic duties. The balcony has come to be seen as a feminine space.  . As Grace King in her well known novel, Ba
A Cultural Vacuum During a recent lecture I presented on the role of art and literature in Pakistani society, a gentleman asked what we can do to stop influences from across the border. “Don’t leave a vacuum” was my response. This is an age of influences. Like King Canute realized, we cannot halt the tide. In fact influences are not only to be expected but encouraged. Humanity has always learnt from the experiences of others. However, being able to choose what influences one wishes to adopt requires a filter. The filters are created by a number of factors including belief systems, collective societal values, family, language, educational systems. These evolve over time and are protected, refreshed or added to in a considered way and normally embedded in cultural expressions. However, we are living in an age of disruption. The custodians of cultural transmission fall silent. Culture is a series of organized  events, rather than a seamlessly assimilated continuity. As