Essential Exoticism: Jasmine and Joey - A Comparative Analysis between Joey of "Dogeaters" by Jessica Hagedorn and Jasmine from "Jasmine" by Bharati Mukherjee

Essential Exoticism: A Juxtaposition of Joey and Jasmine Sensuality and sexuality, passion and desire, mystery and unknown: these are the raw emotions that define exoticism. Although exoticism cannot be clearly illustrated through mere words, the core ideologies of Eastern exoticism have remained unchanged, consistent, and distinctive for centuries. Exotic beings have long been subjects of Western scrutiny and penetration, and the characters of Joey Sands and Jasmine are no exception. As a sexually-indifferent Manila mestizo …

…happiness. Both witness devastating murders and shed tears of helplessness. Above all, both share one consistent emotion: pain. Although exoticism conjures images of lusty, enigmatic escapades, the other less-glamorous outlooks of exoticism cannot be ignored. Primitive and barbaric, feminine and submissive, subordinate and weak: these are the feelings of exoticism that society brushes aside but will always secretly remember. Works Cited: Hagedorn, Jessica. Dogeaters. New York: Penguin Group. 1990. Mukherjee, Bharati. Jasmine. New York: Grove Press. 1989.