Previous
Chapter 5
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
Karma Dorji shows Zeppa Jane’s house. Zeppa goes to meet Jane and compliments her home, which is very modest but feels more lived in than Zeppa’s. The two of them talk about teaching, and Zeppa doesn’t admit how much she wants to leave. Jane mentions she’ll be in Pema Gatshel later to take a mandatory training course at the hospital. Jane’s landlord Jangchuk and his wife Pema come over for dinner, and Zeppa tries local alcohols like bangchang (barley beer) and arra (a bitter spirit similar to sake). Zeppa gets drunk and falls asleep quickly, although the chickens and rats wake her up occasionally.
Jane becomes a role model for Zeppa, showing her how it is possible to adapt to life in Bhutan and even thrive. Crucially, however, Jane didn’t make the transition alone and had help from locals like Jangchuk and Pema. Zeppa learns that even though the landscape of Bhutan may sometimes seem forbidding, the country is also full of people who want to help her if she reaches out to them.
Themes
The next day, Zeppa joins Jane as she goes to the creek to wash her clothes. Jane says that Jangchuk and Pema helped by making her meals every night at first until Jane learned to care for herself. Jane tells her about how important traditional medicine is to Bhutanese people and how they often consult a lama before going to the hospital. Zeppa is skeptical and thinks this herbal medicine must have a placebo effect. Jane takes Zeppa to a nearby temple, and Zeppa briefly gets transported away to somewhere else as she listens to the chanting of the prayers. That night she sleeps at Jane’s again and doesn’t dread heading back to Pema Gatshel.
As Zeppa learns more about Bhutanese culture, including the widespread belief in traditional medicine and lamas’ roles, she tries to keep an open mind but does not necessarily accept everything that she hears. While Zeppa is always mindful of her status as an outsider, she also begins to challenge aspects of Bhutanese culture. At the same time, Bhutanese culture forces Zeppa to challenge her own preconceived ideas, as she unexpectedly finds meditation to be more moving than she anticipated.
Themes
