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Chapter 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Beyond the Sky and the Earth, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Culture Shock and Home
Buddhism and Everyday Life
Ethnic Nationalism and the Outsider Perspective
Women’s Role in Society
Summary
Analysis
After three weeks, the passes clear. Zeppa is encouraged by how much the veteran teachers seem eager to return to their postings. Zeppa rides with Rita, Sasha, and Lorna on a twisting road out to the Tashigang District. They stop in Tongsa, a town with the massive Tongsa Dzong fortress, and Rita takes them to a restaurant she knows there. Zeppa is amazed at how much of the past seems to be preserved in Bhutan, although Lorna figures that Bhutanese people are probably tired of wealthy foreigners coming in and saying how wonderful their country is.
As Zeppa sees more of Bhutan, including its impressive, historic buildings like the Tongsa Dzong fortress, she begins to let go of some of her fear about Bhutan and see what makes it an interesting place. But as Lorna warns her, there is also the danger of going too far in the opposite direction and romanticizing life in Bhutan in a way that distorts the often-difficult reality of living in such an extreme and insular environment.
Themes
Zeppa and the others leave, continuing through the Bumthang valley. Zeppa gets nervous at one point when it seems like they don’t have enough diesel to make it to their next destination, then again when they cross a deep ravine, since she knows she’ll have to go back over that ravine to get back to Thimphu. They stop at a small village, and their driver manages to find diesel. They stay overnight at a local lodge.
As Zeppa continues on her journey, she begins to lose touch with some of the Canadian teachers who helped her adjust to life in Bhutan. The further she gets from Thimphu, the more she realizes that she will have to learn to get by on her own out in rural Bhutan, rather than relying on the other teachers and the orientation guides.
Themes
Later, they continue driving. Rita is the first to be dropped off at her destination, then Sasha. The weather is warm, even in early March. As Zeppa continues with Lorna, they reach the village of Tashigang, where they see a “Vomit Comet,” the nickname for official buses. In Tashigang, they meet Nancy, a White woman who greets them and leads them to their small hotel. They still need more diesel, so Nancy says they’ll have to go meet Dasho Dzongda ( “Dasho” is a title like “Sir,” and “Dzongda” means “district administrator”).
The situation with the diesel shows once again how life is different in Bhutan and how getting fuel for a vehicle involves careful planning and personal negotiations, rather than the impersonal Canadian experience of just going to a gas station. This passage shows how, while it is still early in her journey, Zeppa is beginning to pick up slang like the ”Vomit Comet” and learn words like “Dasho.”
Themes
Zeppa and the others have to dress properly to meet the Dzongda, including a traditional kira and shoes with socks. Nancy explains the situation and gets the Dzongda to release some diesel from an emergency store. They stay the night at a guest house, then the next morning continue on through the winding mountain roads. Zeppa gets her first look in the distance at her new home of Pema Gatshel.
In the meeting with the Dzongda, Zeppa learns the symbolic importance that clothes can have in Bhutan and how certain situations require certain outfits. The length and difficulty of her journey to Pema Gatshel highlights how isolated Zeppa is in her new home—a sensation made worse by the oppressive, difficult-to-navigate mountains.
Themes
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