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Rootless but Green Are
the Boulevard Trees was first published in 1987. Set in 1979,
it follows the story of a family from India, at a time when a large
number of immigrants to Canada came from South Asia. Despite the
specific references the characters make to India and their heritage,
plus some references to dated events and expressions that are no
longer in common usage, the challenges these characters face apply
to every group that has immigrated to this country in the past and
at the present time.
The challenges are
of identity and adjustment. Can the first generation of immigrants
ever really feel at home in their adopted country? Can they go
‘‘back home’’ once they have left? Does the second generation have
any way of ‘‘finding themselves’’ if they do go back to their
parents’ homeland? How long will it be until someone is considered
just ‘‘Canadian?’’ Will being non-white always be a barrier to
assimilation?
Each of the
characters is dealing with the disruption caused by immigration.
Sharad, the father, trained as a scientist, but he makes his living
in Winnipeg as a real estate broker. His wife, Savitri, is exhausted
with the demands of her job as a teacher and the demands of her
family. In India, they would have had a higher social status and
would have had servants to fulfill their daily needs.
The parents
sacrificed their status for their children’s betterment, yet Sharad
is often nostalgic for his past and questions his decision (“……if an
Ontario poplar can’t grow and survive in Manitoba soil, what chance
do we have?”). Still, he tries to instill their children with the
vision of opportunity he feels that immigration offers and is
confident they will retain the best of their family and cultural
values. Daughter Jyoti has a white boyfriend, and Jayant, their
oldest son, is planning a driving trip to Montreal with his buddies.
But even though the children have Caucasian friends and are engaged
in activities outside the Indian community, the two oldest are not
convinced they will ever belong.
The extended family
also has issues. Sharad’s sister, Veejala, announces she is quitting
her job at the university, leaving her family, and going back to
India. Vee has never felt comfortable in her new surroundings and
has other personal problems. Her unhappiness is reflected in her
unhappy children. Her son Vithal is alienated. He has failed in
school and in relationships and has also toyed with extremist Indian
politics. Her young daughter, Priti, needs mothering but is being
left behind.
The characters find
that to survive they must redefine themselves and accept each other
as they have become. That does not mean leaving their past behind
entirely, but it does mean that they must put down “roots,” just
like a tree, to thrive. Their family bond assists them all as they
go forward.
The play is an
effective examination of all the issues that immigrants face. It
would be an effective catalyst for discussion in today’s high
schools which are full of youth from every continent. There are many
long speeches in which characters bare their souls; students can
test their theatrical mettle through them.
The detailed notes
provided would be more suited to a screenplay or a novel. A director
might find it difficult to cast a play according to these
instructions, which specify that the son should be two inches taller
than his father. An actor might not be able to blush as Jyoti is
expected to, as well. Broader instructions would give a director the
latitude to interpret Parameswaran’s text without departing from the
meaning.
Uma Parameswaran
teaches English at the University of Winnipeg. The immigrant
experience informs her work. She has written several novels, plays
and poems on issues faced by Indo-Canadians.
Recommended.
—
Harriet Zaidman
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