Analyzing Identity and Culture in “Jonny Appleseed” and “Mr. & Mrs. Iyer”
Jonny Appleseed: A Coming-of-Age Story
Jonny Appleseed (2018) is a coming-of-age story written by Joshua Whitehead, a Two-Spirit member of Peguis First Nation who studied Indigenous literatures and cultures focused on gender and sexuality. The novel is a love letter to the Indigenous queer community and Indigenous women, in which the author, through lyricism, narrates the story of a queer and Indigenous character in the form of poetic prose. Jonny Appleseed, the main character, is a Two-Spirit Indigiqueer young man who has left the reserve and becomes a cybersex worker in the big city to earn money. He eventually returns home for his stepfather’s funeral. The story is set both on a reservation and in Winnipeg, Canada.
Themes in Jonny Appleseed
- Intersectionality of Queerness and Indigeneity: Jonny navigates both his queer and Indigenous identities, which have been sources of shame but eventually become sources of strength and power.
- “NDN Time”: The concept of the past, present, and future being simultaneous and informing one another is a constant in the book, through the use of flashbacks, memories, and spiritual visions.
- Family/Kinship: Despite having moved to the big city, Jonny remains tethered to his family, especially his mother and kokum (grandmother). Their love for and acceptance of him as Two-Spirit is something that Jonny holds close.
- Cybersex: The novel explores the exoticization of Indigenous identity versus life on the “rez” (a North American Indian reservation or reserve). Jonny feels he must “play straight” on the rez to be accepted as Indian and “play white” in the city. He is unable to live authentically as an Indigiqueer in either space. The rez feels like a prison due to heteronormativity. Family love and fluidity are presented in the novel as gender forces and time. He moves back and forth in time, recalling memories of his teen years and then returning to the present.
Symbolism
- Dandelion: The dandelion is a poetic symbol representing Indigenous people because they survive anywhere despite the circumstances. Dandelions are not a place but a feeling, something that some want to vanish from the garden. Indigenous people are like dandelions, and the garden may be related to the setting (the land). There is a perspective that situates Indigenous people as merely contemplative, like something to look at in movies but not in the real world. Dandelions can survive winter, as can Indigenous people despite colonization. Traditional Indigenous identity is often related to masculinity and heteronormativity.
- Naming: “Johnny” is associated with spreading Christianity. Jonny gets to know Johnny in a Christian apple camp. “Jonny Rottenseed” represents the stereotype of Indigenous people as evil and tricky. The narrative shifts from an individualistic story (a colonial, puritan man who planted apple trees) to a collective one (planting the seeds for a queer Indigenous future, bringing healing and transformation to the community). Jonny is labeled as a pervert at the age of 10. The text looks toward the future. It is not easy to fit in as a queer person, but he experiences a lot of love as a native and Two-Spirit person. The identity is tied to Indigenous queer communities, challenging homogenizing discourse through humor.
Mr. & Mrs. Iyer: A Cross-Cultural Romance
Aparna Sen (born 1945) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and actress known for her work in Bengali cinema. Mr. & Mrs. Iyer (2002) is a romance between an Orthodox Tamil Hindu (Meenakshi) and a liberal Muslim (Raja). The drama is inspired by riots and violence, bringing love into that chaos as a way of establishing our “humanness.” Hinduism is the most practiced religion in India. The film is set in West Bengal.
Cultural Context of Mr. & Mrs. Iyer
There are more than 200 languages spoken in India, but only 18 are recognized by the constitution. Only two languages are official: English and Hindi, leading to code-switching.
The Caste System
The caste system is a complex social stratification. Dalits (also known as ‘untouchables’) are oppressed and considered casteless. Historically, they were considered polluted and untouchable. Gandhi called them “children of God.” The caste division originates from a religious text, with each caste associated with a body part of the Creator (Brahma, the most important god in Hinduism). According to the caste one belongs to, one must work in a determinate job.
Social Dynamics in the Film
The bus in the film reflects Indian society, representing diversity and code-switching. The passengers include an old couple, teenagers, a woman with a baby, a single man, a woman with a boy with a disability, and a group of men drinking. The division between North and South India is also represented. The Muslim couple faces hostility (riots, accusations), but a young woman and the protagonist defend them.
Meenakshi, a Hindu Brahma, requires her food to be cooked in her house and cannot eat meat or drink from a Muslim person’s bottle. Initially, she rejects Raja but then saves him and eventually understands him and the differences between them. “Crossing the bridge” is not only physical (when she thought he was gone) but symbolic, representing crossing the bridge of difference between religions. The alternative ending of them living together is not a possibility in real life. They needed each other in those particular circumstances; otherwise, the ending is not possible. She has to stay with the real Iyer.
The plot and ending are not “Hollywoodian”; there is no happy ending. Indigenous cinema offers an inside perspective and a set of representations of India.